The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team battled mud and a sticky track and the Tennessee National on Saturday, the 5th round of the 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, held in Blountville, Tenn. 450 rider Jason Anderson had strong day and almost claimed the victory in the class, while teammate Zach Osborne maintained his lead in the 250 class and had an impressive day at his home track. Dean Wilson and Martin Davalos both had strong days with top-10 finishes in the 450 class.
Jason Anderson was second at the start of the first 450 moto and immediately started putting pressure on the leader. He made an impressive inside pass to take over the lead shortly after the start of the race then started battling for the position with Justin Barcia. The two riders swapped positions multiple times before Anderson solidified the lead near the end of the first lap. He extended his lead to over 11 seconds with 12 minutes to go in the race and held on to take the win. He was top-five at the start of the second moto and looking aggressive. He made the move into third before the end of the first lap and set his sights on the top-two. A small mistake got him off his rhythm but he rebounded quickly and started charging in fourth. He was riding hard and made his way to second in the fourth lap. Digging deep, he tried to make up time on the leader but still rode extremely strong to finish second. The 1-2 finish gave him second overall on the day. He is currently third in 450 rider point standings.
“I qualified first overall,” said Anderson. “My weekend went pretty well. I got a good start the first moto and just rode my own race up front and got another moto win. I felt like I had a holeshot the second moto, but then I got bumped in the first corner and came out around fifth and worked my way up. I tried to catch Eli, but I couldn’t hold it the entire time."
Zach Osborne pulled a top-10 start in the first 250 moto and was eighth by the end of the first lap. He started making moves and made it to seventh the following lap before closing in on sixth and making the pass in lap four. He continued to charge and inched closer to Shane McElrath in fifth before making a successful pass to overtake the position. He held strong until the end to finish fifth. He was top-five at the start of the second moto and wasted no time as he charged into third before the end of the first lap. He made a great corner pass to overtake second then set his sights on the lead. Staying within striking distance, he followed the leader until he was ready to make the pass. Taking advantage of a mistake made by the leader, he made the pass for the lead with 18 minutes to go and started pulling away. He held strong to the finish to take the moto win. The 5-1 finish gave him 2nd overall on the day and maintains his lead in 250 rider point standings.
“Today was a good day,” said Osborne. “I started off really well. It wasn’t ideal conditions for my riding, but it came around in the motos. I just tried to work my way up after my start in the first moto and ended up fifth. I got off to a really good start in the second moto and made a couple passes in the beginning to pull away to a comfortable lead for a win and a second overall. It’s nice to come out of here with some more points gained on my competitors and I’m just going to keep rallying."
Dean Wilson was mid-pack at the start of the first 450 moto and navigated his way into 13th by the end of the first lap. He put on a huge charge and made the pass for eighth with three minutes to go and held strong to the finish. He was ninth at the start of the second moto and easily navigated into sixth by the fourth lap. Setting his sights on the top-five, he battled in a group of riders and and made an excellent pass on Trey Canard to overtake fifth in lap five. He went down shortly after and remounted in 10th.  He pushed back up to seventh where he finished. The 8-7 finish gave him 5th overall on the day. He is seventh overall in 450 rider point standings.
“I felt like my riding was really good this weekend,” said Wilson. “I didn’t have a great start the first moto and wasn’t moving forward too much, but I put on a really good charge midway through the race. I caught up to the pack and made some passes. I was in eighth, and had seventh, six, fifth and fourth all right in front of me. I made a really good effort but it was hard to pass. I got a pretty good start in the second moto. I feel like I could have ended up third, but made a mistake and crashed around the finish corner and went back to 10th, but then came back to 7th. I got fifth overall, which is good. I’m happy with my riding, I just need to put it all together."
Martin Davalos started farther back in the pack in the first 450 moto, but immediately started catching up. He was 15th by the second lap and continued to push. He charged up to 11th where he finished. He was 10th at the start of the second moto and charged to seventh by the fourth lap. He rode hard and made his way into fifth with 10 minutes to go before going back one more spot to finish sixth—his best finish so far this year. He went 11-6 for 8th overall on the day. He is currently 13th in 450 rider point standings.
“I had a pretty decent weekend,” said Davalos. “I feel like I’m moving in the right direction. I put on a good charge in the first moto and ended up 11th. I got a better start in the second moto and just put my head down and dug deep. I passed Bogle for fifth, but then made a mistake and ended up sixth. That gave me eighth overall, and I’m pretty pumped about the second moto. It’s a learning process for me, and obviously my riding is getting better and better. I’m looking forward to Redbud—it’s one of my favorite tracks."
Teammate Michael Mosiman was unable to race due to an injury sustained in the second moto at the High Point National.
The team will now make its way to the RedBud National, the sixth round of the series, being held next weekend in Buchanan, Mich.
Tennessee National Results:250 Class Overall Results1. Aaron Plessinger, YAM (1-2)
2. Zach Osborne, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (5-1)3. Austin Forkner, KAW (3-3)
4. Adam Cianciarulo, KAW (2-5)
5. Alex Martin, KTM (6-11)
6. Colt Nichols, YAM (11-7)
7. Shane McElrath, KTM (6-11)
8. Joey Savatgy, KAW (11-7)
9. Jeremy Martin, HON (13-6)
10. Mitchell Harrison, YAM (10-10)
250 Class Rider Point Standings1. Zach Osborne, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (207)2. Alex Martin (176)
3. Jeremy Martin (171)
4. Aaron Plessinger (165)
5. Austin Forkner (159)
6. Adam Cianciarulo (147)
7. Joey Savatgy (144)
8. Colt Nichols (124)
9. Dylan Ferrandis (118)
...
14. Michael Mosiman, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (64)
450 Class Overall Results1. Eli Tomac, KAW (2-1)
2. Jason Anderson, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (1-2)3. Blake Baggett, KTM (3-3)
4. Weston Peick, SUZ (4-4)
5. Dean Wilson, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (8-7)6. Justin Barcia, SUZ (5-10)
7. Justin Bogle, SUZ (12-5)
8. Martin Davalos, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (11-6)9. Cooper Webb, YAM (9-9)
10. Broc Tickle, SUZ (6-12)
450 Class Rider Point Standings1. Blake Baggett (195)
2. Eli Tomac (191)
3. Jason Anderson, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (176)4. Marvin Musquin (161)
5. Broc Tickle (139)
6. Justin Bogle (137)
7. Dean Wilson, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (137)8. Weston Peick (112)
9. Cooper Webb (112)
10. Josh Grant (106)
...
13. Martin Davalos, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (96)