The third day of racing at the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship Presented by AMSOIL was undoubtedly one of the most important of the week as the majority of the 36 classes of competition embarked on their second motos. The second gate drop is where the title fight for each respective division takes shape heading into the deciding third moto, and Thursday produced another thrilling morning and afternoon of action.
Moto 2: Open Pro Sport
In four motos this week at the Ranch, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Drew Adams has made quite a compelling case as the single-fastest racer at the event. If not for a first-turn crash in his first race of the week in 250 Pro Sport, Adams could very well be undefeated in his quest to claim Loretta Lynn’s two most high-profile championships. On Thursday, he notched his latest triumph in Moto 2 of Open Pro Sport.
The key to Adam’s continued success was his ability to get a good start and position himself at the front of the pack. While he missed out on securing the holeshot and early lead, the Tennessee native settled into third on the opening lap and went to work. He posted the fastest lap of the moto on his third circuit and stormed into the lead in the sand pit with an impressive move around the outside of STACYC Holeshot recipient and early leader Noah Stevens and his KTM. Once out front, Adams set sail and was able to build a lead of more than five seconds in a matter of a couple laps. The Kawasaki rider never looked back and continued to lay down the fastest laps on the track to eventually establish a double-digit advantage. He took home his third moto win of the week and his second straight in Open Pro Sport by a margin of just over 12 seconds.
While he was unable to pose a threat to Adams, a runner-up effort from NSA Factory Yamaha Team rider Avery Long continued what’s been a strong week for the Minnesota native. Although his results haven’t been an indication of his speed, and his fortunes have been up and down, Long has asserted himself as a formidable contender and occupied second place for the majority of the moto.
Rounding out the top three was SLR Honda’s Parker Ross, who has also shown impressive speed but has posted a mixture of results this far. The California native started inside the top five and stayed in the thick of that battle for most of the moto before making a strong push at the end that saw him climb from fifth to third by the time the checkered flag flew, just a couple seconds away from second. Ross was followed by defending class titleholder Cole Martinez aboard a Yamaha, while Stevens held on for fifth following his stellar start.
With 1-1 results Adams holds a commanding lead in the overall standings, seven points clear of Long in second. The third and final Open Pro Sport moto will take place on Saturday.
Open Pro Sport Moto 2 Results
- Drew Adams, Chattanooga, Tenn., Kawasaki
- Avery Long, New London, Minn., Yamaha
- Parker Ross, Herald, Calif., Honda
- Cole Martinez, Campverde, Ariz., Yamaha
- Noah Stevens, Danbury, N.C., KTM
Moto 2: 250 B
Following an emphatic wire-to-wire victory to kick off Schoolboy 2 action on Wednesday, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Caden Dudney carried tremendous momentum into Thursday’s second moto of the 250 B division. A third-place result in Moto 1 put Dudney well into the title hunt alongside his Team Green teammate Landen Gordon, who was dominant en route to the opening moto win.
As the field roared through the first turn it was once again Gordon leading the way with the STACYC Holeshot, but Dudney was determined and went on the attack, making his way from fifth to first in just a few corners to seize control of the early lead. Dudney proceeded to cement his hold of the top spot by posting the fastest lap of the moto on the ensuing lap, which put him more than five seconds clear of Gordon. From that point forward, Dudney managed the gap to perfection. To his credit, Gordon kept his teammate honest through the middle portion of the moto and remained within striking distance. However, his pace dipped in the closing laps.
Out front, Dudney never wavered and sustained his unmatched pace all the way through to the finish to wrap up another dominant performance by 24.8 seconds over Gordon, who slowed on the final lap to secure the runner-up finish in another 1-2 effort for the Team Green squad. Finishing third was Rock River Yamaha’s Logan Best, who held the position for almost the entirety of the moto despite consistent pressure from Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha’s Ryder Malinoski, who finished fourth. KTM rider Carter Malcolm rounded out the top five.
With 1-2 scores, Gordon maintains a slim lead in the overall standings, just a single point ahead of Dudney’s 3-1 scores. The battle for the 250 B crown is poised to be a head-to-head showdown between the Team Green duo, with Moto 3 scheduled for Friday.
250 B Moto 2 Results
- Caden Dudney, Athens, Texas, Kawasaki
- Landen Gordon, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki
- Logan Best, North Port, Fla., Yamaha
- Ryder Malinoski, Wyoming, Minn., Yamaha
- Carter Malcolm, Elizabeth, Colo., KTM
Moto 2: Supermini 1 (12-15)
Another budding young talent who entered Thursday’s action with a wave of momentum was KTM rider Aiden Zingg. The California racer put forth an impressive ride on Wednesday to secure the Moto 1 victory in Supermini 2 and entered the second moto of Supermini 1 competition eager to improve upon his fifth-place finish in the opening moto and leverage his late surge.
One of the major storylines entering Moto 2 was the absence of opening moto winner Darren Pine. The GASGAS MOB rider crashed out of Moto 1 in Supermini 2 and suffered a broken femur, ending a promising week in heartbreak.
Without the class leader in the field, Moto 2 of Supermini 1 became an opportunity for someone to take control of the title fight. As the field emerged from the first turn it was the KTM of Kane Bollasina out front with the STACYC Holeshot. The Missouri rider held onto the top spot through the opening lap but gave way to Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Carson Wood, who brought Zingg along into second. A faster Zingg applied pressure on Wood and started to look for alternate lines, but control of the race was handed to the KTM rider when Wood crashed out of the lead and dropped to the tail end of the field. Zingg assumed the position out front and never looked back.
Zingg went unchallenged the rest of the way, but the action behind him was fierce as four different riders engaged in a battle for the podium spots. Bollasina held second for most of the moto, but Team Husqvarna Amateur Racing’s Vincent Wey was all over his rear fender every step of the way, while Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Ryder Ellis was ready to strike from fourth. This ongoing battle allowed KTM rider Grant McDonald to join the fray from fifth as the fastest of the foursome. McDonald passed Ellis, which pushed Wey to eventually make the move on Bollasina for second. On the ensuing lap Wey nearly crashed in The Ten Commandments but managed to keep it on two wheels. However, it allowed both KTM riders to get past. McDonald then made one final push on the last lap to get by Bollasina.
Back out front, Zingg captured his second moto win of the week by 7.2 seconds over McDonald, with Bollasina in third. Wey followed in fourth, while Ellis completed the top five.
With a pair of runner-up finishes McDonald now sits atop the overall standings, with a two-point edge over Zingg. The championship deciding third Supermini 1 moto will commence on Saturday.
Supermini 1 (12-15) Moto 2 Results
- Aidan Zingg, Hemet, Calif., KTM
- Grant McDonald, Cairo, Ga., KTM
- Kane Bollasina, St. Louis, Mo., KTM
- Vincent Wey, Murrieta, Calif., Husqvarna
- Ryder Ellis, North Fork, Calif., Kawasaki
Moto 2: Masters (50+)
Following a wire-to-wire performance in Moto 1, all eyes were on Munn Racing KTM’s Mike Brown entering Moto 2 as the 11-time Loretta Lynn’s titleholder continued his redemption quest for a pair of 2024 championships. The only rider seemingly standing in Brown’s way was defending champion Jeff Emig, but the Husqvarna rider had yet to get a start and engage in battle with his rival.
Off the start, Brown got a huge jump but was just edged out by Kawasaki rider Gregory Pamart for the STACYC Holeshot. The advantage was short lived as Brown shot into the lead and quickly sprinted away from the field. Emig enjoyed his best start of the week and moved into second but found himself seven seconds behind Brown by the completion of the opening lap.
From that point forward it became another clinical performance by Brown, with lap times that were consistently around three seconds quicker than Emig. The lead ballooned to nearly 20 seconds at the halfway point of the moto and continued to grow, soon approaching a half minute.
Brown once again ran the moto essentially by himself and brought home his third moto win of the week and second in Masters by a margin of 32.6 seconds over Emig. Pamart parlayed his holeshot into a third-place effort, while Suzuki rider Barry Carsten and Husqvarna mounted James Max finished in fourth and fifth, respectively.
A perfect 1-1 start to the week has Brown in control of his own destiny in the overall standings, but Emig is right where he needs to be with 2-2 finishes, just three points back. The final Masters moto will take place on Friday.
Masters (50+) Moto 2 Results
- Mike Brown, Bristol, Tenn., KTM
- Jeff Emig, Riverside, Calif., Husqvarna
- Gregory Pamart, Birdsboro, Pa., Kawasaki
- Barry Carsten, Bayville, N.J., Suzuki
- James Max, Elizabethtown, Pa., Husqvarna
Moto 2: Junior (25+)
The opening moto of what was expected to be a highly competitive Junior class didn’t disappoint on Tuesday and set a sense of anticipation for Moto 2 on Thursday. Defending titleholder and Yamaha rider Cole Martinez entered with the edge, but his rivals in Phoenix Racing Honda’s Heath Harrison and fellow Honda rider Jacob Hayes were set to battle every step of the way.
As the field emerged from the first turn to begin Moto 2 it was a familiar sight as Hayes duplicated his efforts from the opening moto and put his Honda at the head of the pack, this time securing the STACYC Holeshot along with it. Martinez was in pursuit from second, while Harrison made some early moves to slot into third, putting the three title contenders out front.
Hayes set a fast pace in the early stages, setting the fastest lap of the moto in the opening laps, but Martinez matched the pace and was able to keep within striking distance of the top spot. Harrison, meanwhile, settled slightly further back in third and let the race come to him. All three riders stayed exceptionally consistent through the heart of the moto, which allowed them to pull away from Muc-Off/FXR/ClubMX Yamaha’s Brandon Haas in fourth.
As the lead trio entered the second half of the moto Martinez looked to mount his attack and attempt to get around Hayes, which became more complex as they navigated lapped riders. Martinez appeared to be slightly quicker, but as he attempted to complete a big triple into the sand pit the Yamaha landed slightly off balance and washed out, which sent Martinez tumbling in a big impact. Harrison assumed second, while Martinez was eventually able to remount in third, albeit well back of the leaders.
With the minutes winding down on the moto, Harrison faced a deficit of 7.6 seconds to Hayes but continued to push. On the final lap, in the final turn, Hayes stalled his Honda and needed several seconds to get it refired. When Hayes finally resumed, Harrison was approaching at full speed but came up just a few feet short as Hayes crossed the line a mere nine tenths behind. Martinez soldiered home in third, with Haas fourth and KTM rider Kyle Swanson fifth.
Following the second moto, these three combatants sit in a three-way tie atop the overall standings, which will set the stage for a winner-take-all Moto 3 in the Junior class on Saturday in what will be the first moto of the day at 7:30 a.m. local time.
Junior (25+) Moto 2 Results
- Jacob Hayes, San Antonio, Fla., Honda
- Heath Harrison, Silverhill, Ala., Honda
- Cole Martinez, Campverde, Ariz., Yamaha
- Brandon Haas, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha
- Kyle Swanson, Adkins, Texas, KTM
2024 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship Thursday Winners
250 B Limited: Seth Dennis, Brooksville, Fla., KTM
65cc (10-11) Limited: Carter Gray, St. Clairsville, Ohio, Cobra
Mini Sr. 1 (12-14): Dane Pappas, Livermore, Calif., GASGAS
125 Jr. (12-17) B/C: Owen Covell, Plymouth, Mass., Yamaha
250 C: Ryan Jaramillo, Los Lunas, N.M., Husqvarna
Girls (11-16): Mayla Herrick, Thornton, Colo., GASGAS
College (18-24): Jaxon Pascal, Hudson, Colo., Honda
65cc (7-9): Kannon Zabojnik, Rowlett, Texas, Cobra
250 C Jr. (12-17) Limited: Toby Yakel, Battle Ground, Wash., Kawasaki
450 B Limited: Flynn Watts, Te Puke, New Zealand, Yamaha
85cc (10-12) Limited: Nolan Ford, Fairfield, Calif., KTM
Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C: Owen Covell, Plymouth, Mass., Yamaha
Senior (45+): Gregory Pamart, Birdsboro, Pa., Kawasaki
250 C Limited: Drew Roberts, Kemp, Texas, Yamaha
Micro 3 (7-8) Limited: Tate Brush, Atwood, Tenn., Cobra
Micro 1 (4-6) Shaft Drive Ltd: Mathis McKenzie, Minford, Ohio, Yamaha
Micro-E (4-7) Limited: Mickey Fluhart, Brandywine, Md., Cobra
Micro 2 (4-6) Limited: Ezra Armbruster, Garden Grove, Calif., Cobra
Day 4 action from the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship can be seen exclusively on RacerTV.
