As the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship continues to trek up and down the east coast, leaving a lasting impression at every passing turn, Maryland's Budds Creek played host to round five of the championship.

Red Bull KTM’s Ryan Dungey continued to pave his way to a second 450 championship in three years with a dominating 1-1 performance. Dungey has now racked up six straight moto wins and holds an imposing fifty-four point lead over Mike Alessi through five rounds.

Less than a month ago Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Broc Tickle was an afterthought when pre-season talks of podium contenders circulated the pits. Just a year removed from a West Region Lites Supercross title, Tickle had fallen off the radar after a sub-par supercross season. Now, with three moto podiums—including an overall podium at Budds Creek—through the last five motos, Tickle has rapidly risen through the ranks and now must be considered a real player.

MotoConcepts’ Mike Alessi continues to quietly go about his business, collecting his fourth overall podium in five races via 4-3 moto scores.

With a mixture of raw speed, depth and four legitimate championship contenders, the 250 class continued to provide the fireworks at Budds Creek.

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Blake Baggett would play spoiler down the stretch robbing Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen of his first Lucas Oil Pro Motocross win in the second moto to become just the second repeat winner of 2012. A dejected Roczen would have to settle for second—his fifth straight podium appearance to begin his U.S. outdoor campaign.

GEICO Honda’s Justin Barcia for the second straight week was beset by a dire second moto. Barcia would finish third overall after collecting a first moto win.

Moto 2

Ryan Dungey went 1-1 for the overall at Budds Creek and set the fastest lap time in both motos. In other news, it was discovered that the Earth is indeed round. In all seriousness we all need to push aside the “well so and so isn’t racing” talk and respect what exactly Dungey has been able to accomplish these past few seasons. Which, with each passing round becomes more and more impressive.

The biggest mystery thus far in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross has been the disappearance of Justin Brayton. After a career-year in Monster Energy Supercross many were expecting the same outdoors. Through four rounds of the series Brayton had yet to live up to the high expectations. At round five at Budds Creek Brayton finally emerged from the shadows, aka mid-pack, finishing a season high fifth in moto one.

Ryan Dungey would set the fastest lap in both motos.
Andrew Fredrickson photo

250 Class
Moto 1

Moto 2

After Ken Roczen stumbled down the stretch for the second consecutive week rumblings started to emerge that the reining MX2 champion may not be fit enough to run the pace of Baggett or Barcia or Tomac late in the race. Well, the facts tell a different story. In actuality Roczen was on par or faster in the lap four laps of moto one than he was he during the first. Further solidifying the point, Roczen set the fastest lap of the entire moto on lap 16!

Moto 1:

Blake Baggett set the fastest lap in moto two en route to the overall.
Andrew Fredrickson photo