A controversial penalty costs Josh Grant his first 450 Class moto win and second straight podium finish at the 41st Hangtown Classic.
JGRMX Toyota/Yamaha Sacramento Results
DAVID EVANS
May 31, 2009
Contact: David Evans
JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha Team Media Relations
(704) 293-3745
JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha Sacramento Results
Excitement And Controversy At Hangtown
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (May 31, 2009) – Sacramento, Calif. was host to round two of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. The event marks the 41st running of the “Hangtown Classic.” The race was the first of six 450 Class second motos telecast live (three on NBC, and three on SPEED), all of the first motos are aired live on www.allisports.com.
Cody Cooper started well in moto one, rounding the first turn in third place and advancing to second position on lap two. Cooper ran in second for three laps before dropping to third. He stayed in third until lap 14, when he went back to fourth where he finished the moto. Josh Grant briefly tangled with a downed rider on the first lap relegating him to 10th, he sprinted back into the top-five before a brief fall forced him back to the 10th position. Grant finished moto one in ninth position.
In the second moto, Grant pulled the holeshot and led the first six laps unchallenged. On lap seven, Mike Alessi pressured Grant for the lead, Grant became cross-rutted in a turn and ended up with both feet on the right side of his YZ450F running alongside. He was able to remount without giving up the position. During the following lap Grant and Alessi traded positions several times to the delight of the crowd before Grant regained control and continued to the checkers having led all but just a few seconds of the 35 minute moto. The win would have been Grant’s, and the JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha Team’s first premier class moto win, and his 9-1 moto finishes would have given him his second podium overall finish in a row. However, a controversial ruling from the AMA cost Grant the win, and an overall podium. The AMA said Grant jumped on lap 10 while a yellow and red flag was waving, which is not allowed. There were in fact two yellow flags out at the time, a regular yellow, and the red and yellow. The red and yellow flag was being held on the very inside of the corner, and Grant came around the far outside where the regular yellow flag was waving. Six of the 250 Class riders received the same penalty in their moto, including the race winner. Grant was docked a position, and credited with second in moto two. His 9-2 moto finishes gave him fifth overall, and moved him to second in series points.
Cooper went down at the start of the second moto, beginning the race in 34th position. By lap seven he had advanced to 19th, but then a mistake put him back to 29th. He finished in 23rd. Cooper`s 4-23 moto finishes earned him 10th overall.
After two of twelve rounds, the 450 Class series points are:
1. Mike Alessi 92 6. Andrew Short 51
2. Josh Grant 74 7. Dan Reardon 41
3. Chad Reed 73 8. Matt Goerke 41
4. Ryan Villopoto 55 9. Ivan Tedesco 40
5. Tommy Hahn 52 10. Cody Cooper 37
The next round of the series will be at Freestone Raceway in Wortham, Tex. On June 6. The first motos of both the 250 and 450 classes will air live on www.allisports.com starting at 2:30 p.m. (EST). The second 450 moto will air on SPEED at 10:30 p.m. (EST).
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