Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/818175
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP VOL. 54 ISSUE 17 MAY 2, 2017 P81 Osborne took his fourth main-event win of the season over Ferrandis, Savatgy, Smith, Cianciarulo and Craig. "It was a pretty tight track tonight," Osborne said. "Like all the ruts were getting so, so far down the track that you had to be aggressive. I felt like I got a terrible start, like prob- ably mid-pack. I barely made it through that first lane safe, and it was just a struggle. The first couple laps I was really nervous and then I was able to make a pass there on Joey [Savatgy] for the lead and just kind of ride my own race. I felt really good. My Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing bike was amaz- ing tonight. It's not just a solo effort. I'm really proud of how we've come along this season, to take four wins. No matter how the season ends, we're going to have the most wins, so I'm happy about that. It's been a big year for me career-wise, so I'm happy." Although Osborne was try- ing to stay grounded about his chances for the title, this hap- pened prior to the AMA ruling that Savatgy cut the track in his crash, docking him five positions as per the rulebook. This means that Smith will actually lead the points going into Vegas next weekend with 160, and Savatgy and Osborne are tied in second at 159 apiece. Chances are, whichever racer beats the other two will be the champion. CN While it's pretty obvious there were team tactics at play with the Red Bull KTM team in the 450SX main event, the same can't be said of the Monster Energy Kawasaki team. Chances are there wasn't re- ally even a discussion about it be- fore the race, since Eli Tomac had been killing it and the team likely didn't expect him to be behind teammate Josh Grant late in the main event. But he was. Grant fin- ished seventh and Tomac finished eighth, and that point could be the difference between a champion- ship or no championship. As for Tomac, he looked completely out of sorts all day in New Jersey, and there were no apparent problems with his motorcycle or anything like that. Pundits and fans have won- dered if his front end was twisted from the fall in the main event, or anything else could've happened to the bike in the crash, but we're hearing that there was nothing wrong with the bike whatsoever. Prior to racing in New Jersey, the Red Bull KTM team announced they had re-signed Marvin Mus- quin for 2018 and 2019, which seems to indicate that Ryan Dung- ey indeed plans to retire at the end of 2017, as it's unlikely KTM wants to pay for two 450SX race winners like Dungey and Musquin, who was fielding offers from Honda and others prior to re-signing with Big Orange. The top five in the 450SX main event in New Jersey were all KTMs and Husqvarnas. Try to imagine that 10 years ago, or even five years ago. KTM and Husky also represent six of the top 10 manufacturers in the 450SX points standings. Top-finishing Japanese brand was Honda in sixth place with Justin Brayton at the controls. Honda's Cole Seely returned to action in New Jersey after injuring a leg muscle (again) that forced him out of a couple of rounds. He was running third in points at the time he reinjured himself. He was fast in New Jersey, but in the main event he ended up 21st after dropping out after lap 17, because he reinjured himself yet again. "I'm frustrated with the way I rode tonight even before the injury, and now to be in the same situation is a huge bummer," Seely said. "I got a terrible start and although I didn't feel like I was riding well, I had worked my way up to sixth. I felt like I needed to find something on the track to go faster so I tried to go three out at the end of a rhythm section and didn't make it. I cased it, which ripped my feet off the pegs and hurt my leg again so I couldn't hold onto the bike. That's basically how I injured it the first time in St. Louis. Luckily, it didn't pop again because that would mean it tore again so hopefully it's not that bad." The RCH Suzuki team was left without anybody on the track in New Jersey. Broc Tickle injured his wrist earlier in the week while testing, so he'll be out 2-4 weeks, and his teammate Justin Bogle went down in a 90-degree, flat right-hander in practice in New Jersey and hurt himself, putting him out for the night as well. Briefly... cont. on page 82