In Quotebook, a selection of riders detail how their races played out at the second round of the 2022 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship at Hangtown.

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Image: Octopi Media.

Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM) – Seventh:
First moto was decent, I got a pretty good start and then just kind of hung around in fifth or sixth, and just saw the guys in front of me. I wanted to go, I just couldn’t pick up the pace and get them, but I was happy with the ride. We tried to make some changes for the second moto but we went the wrong way. I had a good start, battled with Tony a lot and ultimately put another two motos in the bank to physically get fitter and stronger as we start building. I’m just trying to get better and better.

Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM) – Eighth:
Today was tough. Coming in with a little bit of a sickness, I didn’t feel too well, but I was able to make it a good day. First moto, I was running really good after a good start and unfortunately, I fell down. I got back up and finished 10th. In the second moto, I didn’t get the start I wanted and then I came through the pack a little bit. It was going good and then I kind of kind of died out there at the end. Overall, we’re getting better every weekend and that’s all I can really ask for.

Tony Cairoli (Red Bull KTM) – Sixth:
We improved a little bit from last week, so I’m pretty happy with the result. We still need to work a little bit on the speed in the first laps of the race. The first three-to-four laps, I cannot really get in the rhythm. After 10 minutes of the moto, I feel like I can stay there. I feel that we improve every week, and we try to improve the bike also. We got some testing in last week, and this coming week we’re going to do some more testing. Hopefully we can improve another little bit before the next race.

Justin Barcia (TLD Red Bull GasGas) – 10th:
I struggled a bit all day, just getting to feel one with the bike and one with the track, so that was unfortunate. I had mediocre starts and got tight arms both motos – I just never got my flow – so it was quite disappointing, I’ll be honest. I definitely need to go back to work and figure things out because I don’t love starting the season this way, but I know I’ve been through a lot worse and we’ll overcome any little obstacles we have. So, I’m excited for future and brighter races.

Shane McElrath (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – 14th:
It was a pretty tough day today for me, I kind of was struggling with the track every time I went out, it was a little bit deceiving, and I was off the pace all day. Every time I was out there, I was battling more with the track than I was with any of the guys around me. I think we still have a lot of room to grow and I think that we’re perfectly capable of doing that. I’m excited to get back to work this week and to continue making progress and rebound next weekend.

Christian Craig (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Fifth:
The day was pretty good at Hangtown. I qualified inside the top five and then went into the motos pretty confident from last week. I ended up getting a pretty good start in both motos and running fifth, but I was just off the pace of the top four. Finishing 5-5 on the day is nothing to be too bummed about, but I’m not crazy happy – I want more. We’ll take it though, and move on to Thunder Valley.

Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Third:
It was a much improved weekend for us. We did a lot of good work leading into this race, and it showed. In the first moto, I think I was around fourth or fifth on the start and kind of just stayed there and rode okay – I was missing a few lines and a few jumps. There were some technical jumps out there, and there was one double that I was missing, so I felt like that kept me away from the leaders. In the second moto, I had the better race lines and just rode better on those technical jumps. We made a couple of little changes between the moto to get the bike balanced, so I was able to just go forward that time. I had a lot of fun riding. It was a really great racetrack. This was one of the better Hangtown tracks that I think we’ve had for just the way the dirt was. It was a good weekend for us.

Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC) – Fourth:
Just a so-so weekend at Hangtown. I wasn’t very comfortable on the track all day. A third and a fourth isn’t the goal, but tough weekends are also good for you as they make you stronger depending on how you look at them. I had way too many close calls, which isn’t my style at all, so at least we left safe and sound—and still second in the championship. We simply weren’t there this weekend, to put up a legit fight. My team and I are going to work on getting more comfortable this week so I’m able to charge forward.

Chase Sexton (Team Honda HRC) – Second:
I just couldn’t get away from them today. It was a tough two motos. I led a lot of laps but didn’t get the win. Overall, I feel like my riding has been really good. I know Eli [Tomac] is strong here, especially in second motos, and to be able to latch onto him and give him a fight was good for me. I’ve still got the red plate; I’ve just got to keep being consistent, getting those good starts, and have some fun. It’s been good so far; I’m feeling really comfortable on the bike, the team has done a great job, and I’m looking forward to these next 10 rounds we’ve got. It’s going to be a fun season.

Jason Anderson (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – First:
Man, I’ve been working so hard for so long to get an overall win in the Pro Motocross Championship that this doesn’t even feel real yet. I think today was the best I’ve ever felt racing a motocross national and I want to thank everyone on the team at Monster Energy Kawasaki for all the hard work they put in to get me here. This wouldn’t be possible without them. I have to admit, it feels really good to get the first one out of the way early. Now it’s time to keep digging and grinding for more.

Joey Savatgy (Monster Energy Kawasaki) – Ninth:
I’m very pleased with the ninth-place result this weekend. My goal for the race was to get comfortable being in real race scenarios again and leave Hangtown healthy. All things considered, I achieved those goals and the team was pleased with my performance so today was an overall success for us. I know I’m only going to get faster and more comfortable on the bike as the season goes on, so there’s no need to try and rush things early.

Brandon Hartranft (Twisted Tea Suzuki) – 17th:
Round two of the 2022 Pro Motocross season did not go as planned. I qualified 13th, which was good. But in the motos, I’ve really been struggling with the power of the bike. The bike’s so fast, but we’re just struggling with the right outdoor set-up. This year was for sure one of the roughest Hangtown tracks I’ve ever witnessed, but everybody has to race it. We’ll just go back to the drawing board on Tuesday and keep on working.

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Image: Octopi Media.

Seth Hammaker (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Seventh:
The track was very rough today, especially in the second moto. This is my first time racing here as a professional, so I wasn’t sure what to expect but overall I think a seventh-place result is something we can build on heading into Colorado. Thanks to everyone on the team for all the hard work.

Jo Shimoda (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) – Fourth:
Today was an okay race for me. My starts weren’t great but I think I rode well considering I had to fight through the pack in both motos. The good news is I have the speed and fitness to make up for a not-so-great start. I wanted the win in moto two but I rushed the pass and made a little mistake which set me back to fourth. I just need to get more consistent with my starts and clean up a few things before next weekend and we’ll be back on the podium.

Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) – Third:
Rough day at the office. We’ll take third, shake this flu and come back swinging at Thunder Valley. Thank you for our whole team and crew for the hard work!

Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC) – First:
It’s been a rough one today with this cold I got. It made it very difficult on me that first moto. Like halfway through, I was flat, and in the second one I was just pushing all the way through; I had barely anything in my stomach because I threw up just before the second moto. It was a difficult day, but I’m pumped to get the win. Hopefully we can get rid of this sickness and continue on with the season.

Michael Mosiman (TLD Red Bull GasGas) – Eighth:
Wow, what a day it was! Huge shoutout to the team, they put in the work this week and got my bike feeling sweet. I felt good in qualifying, I felt good in the first moto and even the second moto. Riding the wave with the fans, it was really cool. I was stoked to be able to get my first moto-win here at Hangtown. All-in-all, I’m stoked. I’m even proud of putting myself into a good position for the second one. It’s not easy to follow that up and to be in fourth-place early on is a really good position for me but unfortunately, I went down and bent the bike up, and bent my body up a bit, but we’ll be back stronger for Thunder Valley.

Pierce Brown (TLD Red Bull GasGas) – 16th:
I’m a little bit sore after today, I had a big get-off in my first moto. I was running mid-pack and just made a mistake and I couldn’t finish. Second moto, I was pretty banged up but we came back and dug through it to salvage a 10th. We’re just going to re-set and get ready for next week.

Nate Thrasher (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 13th:
It was a tough day, to say the least. I didn’t have the best starts, and I couldn’t get into a flow. We’ll keep our head up and be ready to fight again in Lakewood.

Justin Cooper (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Second:
This was a great rebound from last weekend, so we will take second overall. It was nice to fight for the win today. I worked hard with the team this week, and we are in a better spot now. The track was super tough today, and you couldn’t rush it. We’ll get back to work and will see what we can do next weekend at Thunder Valley.

Levi Kitchen (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – Sixth:
We went 6-6 for another top-10 finish today. It’s the same old story – I need to get off the gate better. We’ll be working hard this week to keep improving. I’m looking forward to getting to try again next weekend.

Nick Romano (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 10th:
It was another good day, and getting 10th overall in my second pro race is awesome. I’m happy with how the team and I progressed throughout the entire day and I am already fired up for next weekend.

Matthew LeBlanc (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) – 14th:
I ended up 18-12 today, but I’m glad I was finally able to show some speed and run in the top 10 for a little. We’ll keep working, and I’m excited to see where we end up next weekend.

Stilez Robertson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – Ninth:
It started off a little rough, just not feeling where I should be. First moto was okay; I came through the pack after a bad start. Watching between motos, we figured out some things to tweak on the bike and we got it set right. It took me a little bit to get going but I finished seventh in the second moto, which is closer to where I want to be. The main goal is two good starts so we’re going to keep building. There’s 21 motos to go.

Jalek Swoll (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) – 15th:
This was my first time riding this track and I had a really good start in moto one, I was running top-three for most of the race and my fitness and speed felt good but the crash that I had from Pala kind of just beat me down today. My shoulder wasn’t ready to go but we still showed up and put our best foot forward and it kind of gave up on me in the later stages of the day. Trying to get this thing fully 100 percent for Thunder Valley to do the same things. We’re in a good spot, we just have to keep pushing away.

Derek Drake (BarX Chaparral Suzuki) – 17th:
Qualifying was good, I ended up P9. My first moto was okay. I struggled with some bike settings towards the end and faded a bit. For the second moto, we made some settings changes but unfortunately, we went the wrong way. We still need to dial in the bike, so it’s back to work.

Max Vohland (Red Bull KTM) – Fifth:
Today went great, I got fifth overall on the day and I’m sitting eighth in points now, only five points behind the next two guys in front of me, so I’m sitting in a pretty good spot. I definitely improved on starts from last weekend, which helped a lot. I was right up front in that second moto off the start and I rode good. I just need to make a little more improvement, work a little harder this week and keep building that base.