Solid result at Hangtown for Anderson
By Team TMX on 22nd May 16
The first round of the 2016 AMA Motocross series kicked off at the Hangtown MX in Sacramento, California on Saturday, and Jason Anderson, Christophe Pourcel, Zach Osborne and Martin Davalos were there to kick the series off for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team.
Jason Anderson qualified third at Hangtown aboard his Husqvarna FC 450, and was determined to start his 2016 outdoor season on a high note. He started in the back of the pack in the first moto and made consistent passes to finish sixth. He got a better start in the second moto and made multiple passes on the tough Hangtown track to make his way to third. He stayed strong to the finish. The 6-3 result earned him fourth overall on the day.
"Practice was good today,” said Anderson. "I got a bad start my first moto but then I had a great first half of the moto. I feel like I kind of got stuck at some point and couldn't really keep it going. The second moto was really good, though. I got into third and stayed there for most of the moto and ended up third for fourth overall. It's not horrible, but I definitely want to be better. I feel like my fitness is the best it has ever been and I'm riding better - I'm just trying to keep it going."
After a rough first moto where he had to pull in to the mechanics area for goggles, Zach Osborne rebounded in the second moto by posting the fastest lap time and finishing fourth. He was three seconds out of the lead aboard his Husqvarna FC 250, and ended the day with a 20-4 for 11th overall.
"The first moto was a huge disappointment,” said Osborne. "I pulled in for goggles and just generally didn't do very well. It was a tough first moto for me. In the second moto I got off to about a 12th place start and came up to fourth and was only three seconds from the win. I got the fastest lap of the race so that's definitely something I can take some momentum from and build on and come back stronger next weekend.”
Just coming back from injury, Pourcel managed his recovery by keeping it steady aboard his Husqvarna FC 450. He never gave up, and has the ultimate goal of earning top-five overall in rider point standings this year. He finished 17-15 for 14th overall.
"I'm just coming back from injury with my ribs and neck,” said Pourcel. "My speed was a little out of the top 15, but I'm still pretty sore and trying to get back into it. I was riding pretty tight in the first moto and trying to compensate with my shoulders because I don't want to hurt my neck. I just need to get a little more comfortable. I had two bad starts so that didn't help. The track was tough to pass on, but I kept pushing. I'm going to try and get top-five overall this year and won't give up.”
Martin Davalos finished 24-35 for 32nd overall in the 250 class. He is focused on working hard this week so he can rebound next week at Glen Helen MX.
"Hangtown was a rough weekend for me,” said Davalos. "I didn't get to ride to my full potential. It was for me to get adjusted to the track and I just couldn't figure it out. I had really good starts but just had some issues during the motos. I'm just looking to rebound for Glen Helen and just work throughout the season and stay healthy. That's the main goal for me this summer."
