Round Seven – Spring Creek MX (Millville, MN) 7/14/12
Following a humid Saturday in the heart of Minnesota, Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett took home third overall in Millville, Minn. The Spring Creek National, Round 7 of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, saw Baggett race from behind in the first moto to take a spectacular win, but a crash in the second moto while leading dropped him to third overall.
As the current points leader, Baggett lined up for the first moto calm and confident. Off the start he was pushed wide off the track, but was able to jump back in around the middle of the pack. Baggett made quick work of some riders and crossed the finish line for the green flag in ninth. After only 10 minutes, he had made his way to fourth, but he had a large margin to make up. That didn’t stop him, as he consistently dropped the fastest laps of the race on his KX™250F and made the pass for third at the 20-minute mark. With three laps remaining he made an aggressive move to take the lead and carried on posting lap times, five-seconds a lap faster than the next rider. His aggression got the better of him in the second moto when he crashed entering the sand whoops just after taking the lead. He dropped to seventh and was able to climb back to fourth, even though his body and bike had taken a beating. Baggett maintains an 18-point lead in the championships standings.
“I made an epic pass for the lead in the first moto,” said Baggett. “It was pretty hairy, but I made it stick and went on the build a good gap. I felt good in the second moto, but a mistake put me down and it took me a while to get back to my bike. I salvaged third overall so I’m happy. I’m pretty confident I can make it happen every weekend, but it’s no fun coming from behind. My Kawasaki is perfect where it’s at right now, so we’ll just keep plugging away.”
The infamous sand whoops of Spring Creek were extremely challenging this year. The longest and gnarliest set of whoops of the season, this year the riders claimed them to be bigger and deeper than years past. A rider could easily lose or gain multiple positions in that section alone. Both suspension and momentum were needed to tackle the whoop monster.
Next weekend, Round 8 of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship brings Monster Energy Kawasaki to the Northeast woods of Washougal, Wash. The picturesque track is settled in the trees and known for some of the most punishing roost. Baggett leads the 250 class, while the rest of the team continues to work on climbing up the points standings.
250 Class Points Standings
1. BLAKE BAGGETT, GRAND TERRACE, CALIF., MONSTER ENERGY/PRO CIRCUIT/KAWASAKI, 315
2. Justin Barcia, Monroe, N.Y., Honda, 297
3. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Honda, 281
4. Ken Roczen, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 273
5. Marvin Musquin Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 218
6. Wil Hahn, Wichita, Kansas, Honda, 191
7. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Suzuki, 156
8. Jason Anderson, Edgewood, N.M., Suzuki, 145
9. Jessy Nelson, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 128
10. Jake Canada, Sun City, Calif., Honda, 125
