2019 Budds Creek Motocross | GoPro Onboard & Analysis

2019 BUDDS CREEK MOTOCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

Ready to watch the GoPro footage from the 2019 Budds Creek Motocross? The camera company has posted the clips from the eleventh round of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and there’s plenty to see, including Shane McElrath’s sweep, Adam Cianciarulo’s eventful afternoon, Dean Wilson’s dice through the field, and Lorenzo Locurcio’s privateer battles. Pay close attention and read our notes from each video, because you might have to use some of these skills in your next moto. 

SHANE MCELRATH | 250 MOTO ONE

A good start put McElrath right behind Ty Masterpool out of the first turn, but he lost a spot to Adam Cianciarulo through the roller turn that is before the finish line and lost a little ground to the duo in the opening lap. The video jumps to the second lap when Cianciarulo makes a mistake in the dual-berm turn and McElrath moves back to second place, then jumps again to when the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider was on Masterpool’s rear wheel. Like AC did on the opening lap, McElrath made use of the inside line in the roller turn and closed ground on the leader, then stayed out of the roost in the next few sections. The big moment came at the top section of the track, as McElrath yelled to let the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider know he’s there and then dove to the inside line. Once in front, McElrath seemed to settle into a comfortable but quick pace and went on to win his first moto of the summer.

SHANE MCELRATH | 250 MOTO TWO

The win in Moto One allowed McElrath prime gate pick for Moto Two and it’s clear he took advantage of that in his start because the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider quickly moved to the left, closed off the inside line, and nabbed the holeshot. But that first lap wasn’t exactly perfect and a mistake in the rollers sent him out of control and caused those standing next to the track to scurry out of harm’s way. Even with the mistake McElrath quickly got back into his rhythm, got around Alex Martin with a swift pass, and went to work on Mitchell Oldenburg. Just like Moto One, McElrath used lines that kept him out of the rougher parts of the track and away from the roost, and he reeled in the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider. A few yells to the fans and a wheelie by the team in the work area made it clear how much McElrath soaked in the accomplishment.

ADAM CIANCIARULO | 250 MOTO ONE

There’s a big risk with inside gates at Budds Creek, because it’s easy for a rider to get blocked or pinched off ahead of the tight first turn. Cianciarulo made the most of the gamble with a third-place start and quick pass on McElrath in the rollers. His early battle for the lead with Masterpool was incredibly entertaining because it showed their different riding styles and line choices side by side. Always one to opt for outside lines, Cianciarulo got caught up in the berm on one turn and lost a few spots as a result, but it wasn’t the disaster that it could have been. Once back on the bike and in his flow, Cianciarulo worked his way through the pack with decisive passes on Michael Mosiman, Martin Davalos (he got both riders in the same spot), and Masterpool (this pass was in the same turn that McElrath passed Masterpool for the lead).

ADAM CIANCIARULO | 250 MOTO TWO

What we said about the first turn at Budds Creek a few sentences above? Yep, that’s exactly what happened to Cianciarulo in Moto Two and he was further back in the field on the opening lap. This led to a number of issues, like the way he had to follow others through the same lines and then the run-in with Brandon Hartranft at the top of the track. This was probably the most chaotic start to a race for Cianciarulo this year, as he was deep down the running order and had to pick his way around a group of riders that all had different line choices/riding styles/objectives. Just watch the way he has to pick and plot his way around the track.

DEAN WILSON | 450 MOTO ONE

By our count, there were 14 riders ahead of Wilson when he crested the jump at the start of the track. And that set the tone for the entire opening lap, because the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider had to take on roost, avoid guys going in every direction, and try to push forward without issue. The first half lap of the moto alone is enough to leave one mentally exhausted. Once everything settled, the clip shows the way Wilson used the same section to get by multiple riders, a strategy we’ve seen a handful of racers make use of with great success. A simple mistake in a soft turn knocked Wilson off of his bike and after a quick remount and expletive, he was up and at it again.

LORENZO LOCURCIO | 450 MOTO ONE

Like we’ve said before, it’s interesting to see how different the same things look from different perspectives. That’s what happened at the start of 450 Moto One, because Locurcio was behind Wilson in the first turn but lost ground after a brief throttle chop to avoid two other riders. Every time it looked like Locurcio was going to make a pass on riders in the opening lap, they would change lines and block his progress. The best part of Locurcio’s video is the anticipation that one gets wondering when and where he would make the passes.