Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo Earns Hard Fought Podium at Thunder Valley
. By Bikeland Staff
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo stood on the podium following the third round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Thunder Valley near Denver, Colorado. Cianciarulo rode hard to earn a 5-4 finish placing him third overall on the day. His teammates Joey Savatgy and Chris Alldredge finished 14th and 15th respectively. In the 450 class Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Wil Hahn fought for top ten in the first moto and came from behind in the second moto to finish 12-20 for 18th overall.
On the Box
Coming back from injury, Cianciarulo is only in his third race back for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. During the first moto he rode a solid race to finish fifth. In the second moto, he got a good jump out of the gate and then worked his way into a podium position. With two laps to go, he lost a position and his podium spot, but he pushed hard to retake fourth in the second moto and get his first ever overall podium.
“I really gave it my all out there,” said Cianciarulo. “Brett (Mountain, Cianciarulo’s mechanic) wrote on my pit board that I needed fourth to get the overall podium, so I pushed as hard as I could. I was not going to miss my chance to be on the podium.”
Salvaging
Savatagy’s day got off to a good start, as he was one of the fastest riders in practice clocking the second fastest time in qualifying. In the first moto, Savatgy rode strong to finish seventh. The second moto was tough for Savatgy as he crashed hard and had to take a DNF.
“I felt good coming in to motos,” said Savatgy. “I know we have the speed to be running up front and the team is working really hard and we aren’t getting the results we want. We are going to keep working to get up on the podium.”
Tough Luck
Alldredge rode well to earn a top 10 in the first moto as he battled throughout the race to finish eigith. In the second moto, the Oregon native hit the ground hard on the start straight as he tangled with other riders fighting to get to the first turn. He remounted and worked is way up to 25th for 15th overall.
“Today was a tough day and I battled as much as I could,” said Alldredge. “The first moto was pretty good but the track was already getting rutted. Going down on the start of the second moto hurt. I feel fine, but it was a lot of work trying to get a good finish.”
Charging
Hahn is making gains as the season progresses. After riding press day Hahn made some changes to his bike to find the setup for the soft, rough track and the elevation. He had very consistent practices and was battling for a top ten finish in the first moto. In the second moto, an early crash set him back, but he worked his way from way back to finish in 20th.
“We keep getting the bike better every week,” said Hahn. “We only had a limited amount of testing before the season as I came back from injury so things are just starting to click as I get more time on my KX. I still have to find some speed but we are seeing progress.”
In the Rockies
The elevation and a very rainy spring combined to make for a very difficult race at Thunder Valley. As one of only two nationals at elevation, the event in Lakewood tests the limits of both the bikes and the riders. The teams made adjustments to the bike’s ECU to maximize power in the thin air, while the riders worked on their endurance to make sure they could last through both motos.
Heading East
The next motocross event on the calendar is set for Muddy Creek Raceway in Tri-Cities area of Tennessee. This is the third AMA Pro national to be held at Muddy Creek.