It was Independence Day weekend as round seven of the 2018 Pro Motocross Championship series visited RedBud MX in Buchannon, MI. With Bubba Burgers on the grill in the team pits, there was much to celebrate as Team Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS rider Blake Baggett kept on the gas for 4th overall, Benny Bloss earned his best moto-finish so far this season, and Dakota Alix held on strong for 14th.
Blake Baggett came in ready to fight as he put his KTM at the top of the chart for fastest qualifying time of the day. Using his excellent gate pick, Blake launched off the start in moto 1, leading the field into the first turn to grab the holeshot. He continued to lead until the end of lap one when he made a mistake and went down hard. After remounting the bike and stopping in the mechanic’s area, the ASV supported rider put on a charge through the field, moving from last place all the way to the top five before taking 5th-place finish in the moto.
Blake used a good jump out of the gate in moto 2 to start the race inside the top five. He looked to be moving forward until he went down in one of the technical, deeply rutted sections of the track. Blake remounted, having fallen back to mid-pack, and put on another charge through the field that carried him all the way to 5th place at the finish. With his pair of 5th-place finishes, Blake earned 4th overall and continues to hold 5th in the championship points.
“It was an up-and-down day,” said Baggett. “I had the pace all day, we just had a few mishaps that kept us off the podium. We are still in this championship, so we’ll take this break to regroup and go after it at Spring Creek.”
Benny Bloss used a solid start in moto 1 to round the first turn inside the front of the pack. His choice of Dunlop sand tires proved to work in his favor, as he moved into the top three early in the race. He continued to charge, showing speed through the deep ruts and finishing 3rd, the best moto finish of his career.
Moto 2 had Benny working harder, as he ended the first lap outside the top ten. Bloss kept his speed and worked his way into the top ten before going down hard in the rutted corner before LaRocco’s Leap. He remounted the bike and worked back up to 23rd by the checkered flag, ending the day with 11th overall.
“I’m happy with my ride today,” said Bloss. “I rode well in the first moto, and it felt great to get my first podium moto-finish. It was unfortunate I went down in moto 2, as I feel we could have had a top-five day. We will take the week off to regroup and get ready for Spring Creek.”
Dakota Alix had a solid day in the 250MX class as he battled inside the top 15 at the start of moto 1. The Hinson Racing supported rider rode strong, hit his best lines, and finished 14th at the checkered flag. Another solid start in moto 2 had Dakota running in the top ten after lap one. He only slid back a few positions late in the race, holding steady to finish just outside the top ten in 12th place. His 14-12 score earned him 14th overall for the day.
Team Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS will now take a week off before heading to Spring Creek MX in Millville, MN, for round eight of the 2018 Pro Motocross Nationals.
Photo Credit: Kardy Photos