Red Bull KTM Factory Racing claimed another strong haul of points at Round 2 of the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship, with Cooper Webb charging to the 450MX podium in third overall, directly ahead of Aaron Plessinger. 250MX teammates Tom Vialle and Maximus Vohland took P4 and 11th overall, respectively.
The ever-motivated Webb continued his impressive comeback to the outdoors following a season away last year, piloting his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to fourth position in qualifying this morning.
A convincing ride in the opening moto saw Webb jump out of the gates strong, battling inside the top five as the green flag flew. Measuring energy levels in the high temperatures saw Webb post a calculated ride, finishing in fourth position. A good start and solid laps resulted in second position for Webb in moto two, which landed him third overall on the day and in the current standings.
Cooper Webb: "I'm stoked! Second moto was great for me, I was able to latch onto the pace there and see where it's at, and we made big improvements from last weekend. The track was difficult to pass, but all in all, happy to stretch my outdoor legs again and finish where we did today, as it was only last weekend that I was a distant fourth. I'm really excited about the result today."
Premier class teammate Plessinger began his Hangtown race day with third place in qualifying, before charging the entire duration of the opening moto, securing a hard-fought third place by race’s end. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider began moto two strongly as well, working his way into P2 before a late fall relegated him to sixth. That 3-6 moto scorecard gave Plessinger fourth overall and he's also P4 in points.
Aaron Plessinger: "We had a good first moto, got stuck behind Dylan [Ferrandis] for a while and wasn't able to make the pass, but second moto I was able to get around Cooper, which was good. Then a mistake hit and I lost my clutch lever, so after that, I was just working my way home for the last four laps. I need to stay off the ground and I'll be okay! We'll be back in Colorado."
In 250MX, dual MX2 World Champion Vialle continued to build in his first season of AMA Pro Motocross, with the Frenchman qualifying in seventh position, securing a decent gate selection for the motos. Deep in the fight in moto one, Vialle battled all race for a P7 result, before scoring third in the second outing of the day, which placed him in fourth overall. He's ranked P4 in the championship as well.
Tom Vialle: "Same as last weekend with 7-3 results, so I just need to improve the first motos. I was top three in the opening moto, but just lost my rhythm, and then the second moto was much better. We'll go back to Florida, do more training, and then come out and fight for the podium at Thunder Valley."
Sacramento local Vohland posted the 14th fastest time in qualifying, before going on to secure 11th in the opening moto of the weekend despite an early mishap. A challenging final moto saw him finish in 12th position, which resulted in 11th overall for the round.
Maximus Vohland: "Tough day here at Hangtown for my home race. First moto, I had a bad start and broke my shifter on lap three after a collision, which left me in second gear for the moto. Moto two, I had a better start and made some passes, however, I tipped over mid-moto, which put me in 12th for the race and 11th overall. Not what I was after, but I'll be back in Colorado."
Next Race: June 10 – Lakewood, Colorado
Results 450MX Class – Hangtown National
1. Jett Lawrence (AUS), Honda, 1-1
2. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA), Yamaha, 2-3
3. Cooper Webb (USA), KTM, 4-2
4. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM, 3-6
OTHER KTM
15. Christopher Prebula (USA), KTM
22. Tyler Stepek (USA), KTM
25. Jeffrey Walker (USA), KTM
31. Max Miller (USA), KTM
39. Tyler DuCray (USA), KTM
Results 250MX Class – Hangtown National
1. Hunter Lawrence (AUS), Honda, 3-1
2. Justin Cooper (USA), Yamaha, 2-2
3. Haiden Deegan (USA), Yamaha, 1-4
4. Tom Vialle (FRA), KTM, 7-3
OTHER KTM
11. Maximus Vohland (USA), KTM, 11-12
21. Josh Varize (USA)
23. Derek Kelley (USA)
25. Slade Smith (RSA)
27. Marcus Phelps (USA)
30. Ethan Lane (USA)
36. Blaze Cremaldi (USA)
Standings 450MX Class 2023 after 2 of 11 rounds
1. Jett Lawrence, 100 points
2. Dylan Ferrandis, 82
3. Cooper Webb, 74
4. Aaron Plessinger, 69
OTHER KTM
17. Dante Oliveira, 15
19. Christopher Prebula, 2
27. Tyler Stepek, 3
30. Jeffrey Walker, 1
Standings 250MX Class 2023 after 2 of 11 rounds
1. Hunter Lawrence, 90 points
2. Haiden Deegan, 80
3. Justin Cooper, 78
4. Tom Vialle, 68
OTHER KTM
8. Maximus Vohland, 53