Josh Grant is fastest in practice and during the first moto, and then shows courage and determination after a huge late first moto crash. Cooper stays steady for a solid top-five finish.
JGRMX Toyota/Yamaha Mount Morris Results
DAVID EVANS
Jun 14, 2009
Contact: David Evans
JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha Team Media Relations
(704) 293-3745
JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha Mount Morris Results
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (June 14, 2009) – A regular stop on the tour since 1976, High Point Raceway was built by the late Dave Coombs Sr. His family, wife Rita, son Davey, and daughter Carrie, continue to run the event each year in his honor. In a historic first for AMA motocross, round four of the 2009 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship was broadcast live on NBC Sports, the first live network broadcast for the sport and the first of three live broadcasts on NBC this season.
In the first moto, Josh Grant started just outside of the top-10, and mounted a tremendous charge that would take him all the way to second place and closing on the leader toward the end of the moto. A spectacular crash would halt Grant’s quest for a moto win. In a nearly unbelievable show of fortitude, after the crash, Grant ran over to his YZ450F, remounted and was able to finish sixth. Cody Cooper rode a steady race and finished just ahead of Grant, in fifth. Tim Gearhart, the JGRMX/Toyota/Yamaha team trainer, worked with Grant trying to prepare him for the second moto, while Alex Ewing and several other team members repaired the badly damaged motorcycle.
Although very sore, Grant went to the line for the second moto. Unfortunately, he tangled with another rider in the first turn and was knocked down. The already battered Grant limped to his bike and again started to charge through the field of 40 of the world’s best motocross racers. Toward the end of the moto he was in 11th and right on the rear wheel of the tenth place rider when he came upon a large piece of wood in a rutted corner that was unearthed by all of the churning rear tires and briefly fell again (as did a total of seven other riders within a two minute period who were shocked to suddenly come upon the debris). Grant finished the moto in 11th, Cooper again stayed consistent and finished in sixth place. Grant’s determination and 6-11 moto finishes earned him a well deserved eighth overall, and Cooper’s steady 5-6 moto were good enough for fifth overall.
After four of twelve rounds, the 450 Class series points are:
1. Chad Reed 161 6. Cody Cooper 91
2. Mike Alessi 142 7. Thomas Hahn 89
3. Andrew Short 137 8. Michael Byrne 84
4. Josh Grant 119 9. Justin Brayton 79
5. Ivan Tedesco 110 10. Daniel Reardon 68
After a weekend off, the next round of the series will be on June 27 at Thunder Valley Motocross in Lakewood, Colo. The first motos of both the 250 and 450 classes will air live on www.allisports.com starting at 9:00 p.m. (EST). The second 450 moto will air live on SPEED starting at 11:00 p.m. (EST).
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