Round five of the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championships are going off today at the scenic Budds Creek, Maryland raceway which is about an hour or so south of Washington, DC. The hilly, off-camber track is prepped perfectly and the weather looks to be almost as perfect so expect some great racing here today.

One particular thing about Budds is the track is running counter-clockwise today which means the riders hook a 180 after the first turn which means with the way the starting gate is positioned, gate selection is key. The number one qualifier today will most likely pick gate number one or two and if he can get a decent jump, will control the turn. Most tracks on the series are not like that so pay close attention to the qualifiers today as they are very key. The racers themselves know this and have to make sure they’re ready to put in fast laps in practice so that they’re ready to grab a good start. After the first motos the gate selection is reseeded after a riders first moto finishes so that can provide some relief to racers who don’t qualify well.

In the 450 class early season points leader Yoshimura Suzuki’s James Stewart is being forced to sit out due to a lingering hand/wrist issue and is hoping to be back  in two weeks at Redbud.

Another injury to report is Star/Valli Yamaha’s Nico Izzi who hurt himself in the first practice.

The first seeded 450 practice was ended early when a lot of riders ignored the wheels down flag for a downed rider and the officials, after a red flag stopped practice, sent the riders back early. This caused a lot of racers to not register a time at all in the first one. This made the second practice very crucial for getting the good gate pick.

In the 450’s, despite not getting a time in the first practice, Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey destroyed the field for a time that was over one second faster than the next guy which was MotoConcepts Mike Alessi. Jeff Ward Racing’s Josh Grant was third and Pro Circuit’s Broc Tickle continued his impressive outdoor season with the fourth fastest time. Honda Muscle Milk’s Justin Brayton is hopeful that having the fifth best time is enough for him to turn his outdoor season around.

In the 250’s, the guys were hauling the mail as the four fastest times were all faster than Alessi’s time and this was on a track that was a big rougher as well. And has been the case lately, the big four of GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia, his teammate Eli Tomac, Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen and Pro Circuit’s Blake Baggett have been the fast guys and in practice today, it was that way once again. These four have been putting on a great show all year and we hope it continues on today.

450 Times

1 5 Ryan Dungey KTM 450 SX-F 1:58.838

2 800 Mike Alessi Suzuki RMZ 450 2:00.640

3 33 Josh Grant Kawasaki KX 450F 2:01.364

4 25 Broc Tickle Kawasaki KX 450F 2:01.411

5 10 Justin Brayton Honda CRF450R 2:01.780

6 21 Jacob Weimer Kawasaki KX 450F 2:01.943

7 53 Ryan Sipes Yamaha YZ 450F 2:02.186

8 29 Andrew Short Honda CRF450R 2:02.290

9 18 Davi Millsaps Yamaha YZ 450F 2:02.299

10 11 Kyle Chisholm Kawasaki KX 450F 2:02.382

250 Times

1 20 Justin Barcia Honda CRF250R 1:58.999

2 17 Eli Tomac Honda CRF250R 1:59.548

3 70 Ken Roczen KTM 250 SX-F 1:59.766

4 12 Blake Baggett Kawasaki KX 250F 2:00.551

5 23 Gareth Swanepoel Yamaha YZ 250F 2:00.651

6 38 Marvin Musquin KTM 250 SX-F 2:00.777

7 58 William Hahn Honda CRF250R 2:00.976

8 44 Jason Anderson Suzuki RMZ 450 2:01.735

9 136 Jessy Nelson Honda CRF250R 2:02.023

10 37 Malcolm Stewart KTM 250 SX-F 2:02.349