Photo cred: Ryne Swangerg @vurbswanny
Moto 1
Pre-race: This race was on hold for about an hour due to wind and lightning, which is bullshit. I mean, if I’m not backhanding death in the face every time I get on the track, I don’t get on the fucking track.
Holeshot: Barcia is stacking holeshots these days. He’s from New York so he’s used to slick tracks and, since he’s not dead yet, avoiding people who are horrendously inept at operating motor vehicles, so he’s in good shape.
1 minute: It’s Barcia with the Fuhrer right behind him, then Slash and France in fourth. My nickname for Musquin is France. It’s creative in its lack of creativity, somehow.
14 minutes: Barcia still leading but Roczen is not letting him go, which might be the most frustrating thing ever while leading a race. You’re just saying “Dude, please. Don’t you have some offs to fuck?”
15 minutes: Musquin is running third, Wharton fourth, but Baggett just moved into the top 5 and hasn’t given a fuck since about lap 5 so they’re done.
23 minutes: Barcia still not letting Roczen shake him. How Roczen still has goggles at this point in the moto is beyond me. Everyone knows that roll-offs are programmed to either break or get water under the film after 20 minutes, it’s in the rule book.
29 minutes: Roczen all over Barcia with 3 to go and pushes the front end
Finish: Barcia wins it, his first moto win on a 250 since 2010. Weird, right? Roczen still held on to second, Baggett made it up to third.
Moto 2
Holeshot: Wil Hahn rips it on the GEICO bike. That team is like the Pro Circuit of the first thousand feet of the moto.
1 minute: Barcia now leading Tedesco, Roczen moves around Hahn for 3rd. Tedesco crossrutting like a boss, trying to stuff it in on Barcia, but the youngbloods don’t play that game. Roczen into 2nd.
2 minutes: Musquin around Tedesco, pulling that PC bike like it’s going out of style. This is the conversation that Mitch and IT will have after that shit:
5 minutes: Baggett and Tomac turning on the afterburners, shitting on Tedesco and Musquin and pretty much rubbing their noses in it.
12 minutes: Fro talking about how fitness comes into play now that we are past the halfway point. Again, 12 minutes.
14 minutes: Baggett around Ken-doll for #2. The top 4 are murdering everyone right now (except each other, that just wouldn’t work).
16 minutes: Baggett around Barcia, no fucks given.
21 minutes: Barcia blowing out ruts and shit, Roczen gets around him for second.
Last lap: Barcia and Roczen going for the same rut, Roczen is on the inside, and somehow he is the one who falls. Barcia taking dudes out from the outside like a BOSS.
Finish: Baggett wraps up another moto, but Barcia takes the overall, the second of his career and first since 2009.
