The toughest weather conditions of the 2021 season set the tone for the Ironman National from Indiana’s Ironman Raceway, but that didn’t stop some of the world’s best riders from putting on a show for the fans.
The weekend’s 10th round of 12 in the AMA motocross nationals in the United States saw another captivating afternoon of competition in one of the most passionate motorsports regions of the country, as the dramatic elevations changes, undulating terrain, and big air of Ironman produced an exciting battle for victory across both classes.
The series took another step towards crowning a pair of champions on Saturday as the series travelled to the shadow of the motorsports Mecca of Indianapolis and Crawfordsville’s Ironman Raceway.
It was a familiar man who stood atop the 450 class podium for the first time this season as Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac, from Colorado, broke through for an overdue victory.
In the 250 class, the points lead changed hands for the third time this season following a dominant sweep of the motos by Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence (pictured here), from Australia.
The series points leader in the 450cc class, French rider Dylan Ferrandis (Yamaha), secured his 10th podium finish of the season in the runner-up spot on a count-back (1-2), while Cooper Webb (KTM) landed on the overall podium for just the second time in the premier division in third (4-3).
By virtue of his second-place finish, combined with a fourth-place finish by Germany’s Ken Roczen (3-5), Ferrandis extended his lead in the 450 Class standings to 50 points, which puts him into a position to clinch the Edison Dye Cup one round early should he tie or finish ahead of Roczen at the next round.
“(My success) has been from hard work that I’ve put in for years. It’s finally paying off,” explained Ferrandis. “I do everything for my sport and to be on top. Today was just one of those days where I suffered on the bike. I don’t know why. I just didn’t have the strength. Eli (Tomac) was riding awesome, so credit to him. We had another good day in the championship, so I’m happy with the result.”
The weekend’s 250cc class leader, Jett Lawrence was similarly upbeat.
“It’s a great feeling (to go 1-1),” said Lawrence. “It shows I’m not giving up. I’ve been needing this for a while now. It feels good and I hope I can continue this through the rest of the season.”
Lawrence’s return to the top of the 250 class standings came via a 14-point swing between he and rival Justin Cooper, who entered the Ironman National with a three-point lead. Lawrence now holds an 11-point advantage over Cooper with four motos remaining.
“I just have to keep fighting,” said Cooper (Yamaha). “It’s not going to be easy. Jett (Lawrence) was riding awesome today and I had nothing for him. I got the best I could out of myself and I have to be happy with that. I just need to keep digging. It’s not over til it’s over.”
The 2021 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship will make its return to the West Coast for the penultimate round of the season next Saturday, September 4, for a second visit to Pala, California’s Fox Raceway on Labour Day weekend.
Photo courtesy Honda HRC
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Results – Ironman Raceway – Crawfordsville, Indiana
450 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (2-1)
Dylan Ferrandis, France, Yamaha (1-2)
Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (4-3)
Ken Roczen, Germany, Honda (3-5)
Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda (5-4)
Coty Schock, Dover, Del., Honda (8-6)
Joey Savatgy, Thomasville, Ga., KTM (7-8)
Justin Bogle, Cushing, Okla., KTM (10-7)
Brandon Hartranft, Brick, N.J., Suzuki (9-9)
Kyle Chisholm, Clearwater, Fla., Yamaha (11-10)
250 Class Overall Results (Moto Finish)
Jett Lawrence, Australia, Honda (1-1)
Jo Shimoda, Japan, Kawasaki (2-3)
Justin Cooper, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., Yamaha (4-4)
Michael Mosiman, Sebastopol, Calif., GASGAS (3-6)
Austin Forkner, Richards, Mo., Kawasaki (5-5)
RJ Hampshire, Hudson, Fla., Husqvarna (13-2)
Ty Masterpool, Paradise, Texas, GASGAS (6-7)
Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., Honda (8-8)
Hunter Lawrence, Australia, Honda (12-9)
Dilan Schwartz, Alpine, Calif., Suzuki (9-13)
