Ironman Raceway

August 25, 2018

250 Class

First Moto

Due to extreme mud that got worse in the second qualifying session, many of the top riders did not qualify, but were able to use their top 10 exemptions to get into the main race, while some of the other top riders were left out.
Justin Cooper fought through the mud and took the holeshot and held the lead for the first half of the race before Chase Sexton slipped by. Sexton held onto the lead for about a lap before struggling in the mud and getting passed by Aaron Plessinger. Sexton followed and challenged Plessinger for a little while before Plessinger started pulling away and taking the win.

Second Moto

While still muddy, the track was a bit drier than the first moto. RJ Hampshire held the early lead but was passed by Plessinger on the first lap. Once Plessinger got the lead he wasn’t challenged.

450 Class

First Moto

The mud was still quite slippery for the first 450 moto. Chad Reed, who was racing an outdoor race for the first time in 3 years, nearly got the holeshot but lost it to Dylan Merriam. Merriam held on through the muck for nearly a lap before Justin Barcia fought past him for the lead. A lap later Barcia got stuck in the mud and surrendered the lead to Phil Nicoletti.
Barcia chased Nicoletti for about 8 minutes before finally regaining the lead. Eli Tomac moved up to second and then slipped in a corner and dropped back to third. The tipover was enough to let Barcia pull away from the pack and take the win without another challenge. Tomac finished 4 points ahead of Marvin Musquin, which was 1 point shy of clinching the championship.

Second Moto

Reed got the holeshot but was quickly passed by Barcia and Ken Roczen. Musquin’s last hope for the championship was to get the win and have Tomac finish outside the top 20. Tomac started outside the top 20, but quickly started working his way through the pack. Roczen pushed Barcia for a few laps but Barcia eventually pulled away for the win.