2019 Fox Raceway Motocross | Qualifying Report

2019 FOX RACEWAY MOTOCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

The morning’s timed qualifying sessions at the 2019 Fox Raceway Motocross have just come to a close. With clear skies and a dry track, the second round of the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship should give us an even better idea as to how the rest of the summer will shape up, especially compared to the muck of last week’s Hangtown opener. Although Fox Raceway is a popular practice track during the week for pro riders, it has developed much differently with a full field of competitors and dedicated prep than it does during a normal weekday. The flow of the circuit is fast and flat, with a few sizeable jumps and rollers thrown in for good measure. Friday’s press riding sessions were surprisingly dry and dusty, so the track crew worked overnight to alleviate the issue with a heavy hand on the water hoses and some equipment. Will it be enough to keep moisture in the ground all day or will we see old school Southern California hardpack shine through? This is something that every rider and team is paying attention to.

2019 FOX RACEWAY MOTOCROSS | 250 CLASS QUALIFYING REPORT & RESULTS

Justin Cooper spun his share of laps at this track during the preseason practice days and it looks like the extra time helped the second-year pro. With a 2:06.917 lap during the second session, the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider is set the bar and has the first gate pick in 250 Moto One. As you’ll see in the results sheet below, it was considerably faster than anyone in the field, 250 or 450.

Hangtown overall winner and incoming championship leader Adam Cianciarulo was second overall on the scorecard, thanks to a 2:08.412 lap time in the second session. Consistency seems to be key for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider, as he had the second-fastest times in two of the segments of the course. 

Colt Nichols figured out the flow of the track early and his 2:08.600 time was the fastest of the first round of qualifying. Nichols was unable to improve his pace in the second session, but that first time was so good that it kept the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider third overall in the final results.

After a rather quiet season-opener, Chase Sexton seems eager to show that his 250 East Coast SX title was not a fluke. The GEICO Honda rider was fourth overall in the timing sheets with a 2:08.916 lap time in the second session.

MXGP import Hunter Lawrence is getting the hang of the one-day format. The GEICO Honda rider was fourth-fastest overall in qualifying, thanks to a 2:08.966 time, and was the highest ranked rookie of the 250 class.

2019 FOX RACEWAY MOTOCROSS | 450 CLASS QUALIFYING REPORT & RESULTS

It looks like Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen is in his groove. The incoming 450 championship leader logged the fastest lap time of the class, a 2:07.107, during the second session on the track and will have prime pick during the day’s first moto.

Eli Tomac hovered near the top of the board throughout the morning. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider was the fastest rider in the 450 class during the first session, then upped his pace during the second go-around to a 2:07.389 time. Tomac was the fastest rider in two of the three segments on the track. He and Roczen were the only riders in the 450 class in the 2:07-range.

Jason Anderson impressed many with his podium finish at Hangtown and a look at today’s time sheets shows the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider is ready to be a contender for the full summer. With a 2:08.386 time, Anderson was third-fastest in the class.

We can already say that Marvin Musquin is having a better day now than he did at Hangtown (a hard crash in practice rattled the Red Bull KTM rider at round one). A 2:08.542 put Musquin fourth overall.

After a bumpy day at Hangtown, Blake Baggett seems much more comfortable on his Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/WPS/KTM at Fox Raceway. Baggett put in a 2:09.167 time during the first practice session and this locked him into fifth overall for the morning.