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A new trivia question popped up after the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross finale at Lake Elsinore. Blake Baggett had just become the answer to: "Who was the first rider to ever carry the red plate through every round of the series?"
The red plate has been around for four seasons now, and no rider until Baggett, in either the 250 or 450 Classes, has been able to hold it for a full season. This year Bad Blake snatched the plate at Hangtown and never gave it back.
Ryan Dungey has won three number-one plates during the red plate era. In 2009, he won the 250 National Championship but only after surviving a season-long dogfight with Christophe Pourcel, where the plate swapped back and forth several times. Pourcel had it as recently as the next-to-last round at Southwick, when a DNF in moto one cost him the series' lead. The next year was even worse, as CP held the red plate for the entire summer (he tied Eli Tomac on points at Hangtown, and both ran red plates at the second round). But at the finale, he crashed out, and Trey Canard claimed the title despite never holding the points lead until the last race of the year.
Blake Baggett is the only rider who has ever held the red plate through all 12 rounds.
Simon Cudby photo
The red plate has been around for four seasons now, and no rider until Baggett, in either the 250 or 450 Classes, has been able to hold it for a full season. This year Bad Blake snatched the plate at Hangtown and never gave it back.
Ryan Dungey has won three number-one plates during the red plate era. In 2009, he won the 250 National Championship but only after surviving a season-long dogfight with Christophe Pourcel, where the plate swapped back and forth several times. Pourcel had it as recently as the next-to-last round at Southwick, when a DNF in moto one cost him the series' lead. The next year was even worse, as CP held the red plate for the entire summer (he tied Eli Tomac on points at Hangtown, and both ran red plates at the second round). But at the finale, he crashed out, and Trey Canard claimed the title despite never holding the points lead until the last race of the year.
Blake Baggett is the only rider who has ever held the red plate through all 12 rounds.
Simon Cudby photo
Last year, the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki trio of Baggett, Dean Wilson and Tyla Rattray swapped the red plate three times in the first three weeks of the season! Then Wilson held it most of the way via consistency, before turning on a late-season win streak to ice the title.
In 450s, Chad Reed won the 2009 Championship, but Ryan Villopoto and Mike Alessi also spent some time with the red plate before knee injuries ended it. In 2010, Dungey struggled big at the opener at Hangtown, so it took a few weeks of winning for him to run the red (Reed started the year strong on a Kawasaki and held the red plate until a DNF at High Point).
Last year, Dungey, Reed and Villopoto all held the red at varying points (Reed and Dungey both had it at Freestone after going 1-2 and 2-1 at Hangtown. Then Dungey ran out of gas and was never quite able to get it back). This season, James Stewart came out firing with early wins, but Dungey took the red plate in Colorado and never looked back.
Oddly, of all of these title runs, Baggett's 2012 250 conquest may have been the most closely contested—even though it's the only one to feature the same points leader for all 12 races!
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Baggett is a bad azz for a little guy!!
That is a very interestng point about the 250s, one of the most closely contested but yet only one rider held the lead all season long. Hmmmm
Gotta give Pourcel credit for 2010, he actually did hold the red plate for every possible round (2-12), just didn't close out the title. I'm not at all a fan of the arrogant frenchman, but the way you worded the question, he did it first, Bagget second.
warrior its splitting hairs but Baggett had it all to himself, RD and CP shared it after round 1 and CP did not win the title either. He would have if not for the blown motor at Southwick but it is what it is.
Ahh yah From Begining to end another tail from old sooth sayer BillC
Hey Jason, I think I was the first one to coin the phrase "Bad Blake Bagget" last year so I got a patent on it! Go check te archives?
Its great he won the guy is incredible when he can turn it on like that. I think it will be a while till someone runs the Red Plate throughout the open class though. There is a ton of talent coming up and its gonna be good for the sport.
Also about the Revup and dust ge wizz Billy Bob we cant get dirty without some dust then we can take it home from the races! Dust is no worse than the slick mud spots. The dust can get bad though if you cant see who you are gonna land on?
@BillC. I disagree, Pourcel had more chances to seal the deal and didnt do it.. He settled for an 8th place at Washougal (his words) That shows no heart, and had several other chances to win races and couldnt get it done.. You cant blame the one moto for an entire season when he showed so little heart.. Same the next season with Canard, once Canard took the win in Red Bud, he never looked back, and Pourcel just couldnt get it done.. You cant blame one moto for a entire 12 round 24 moto season..
B787tech
No one likes your ridiculous statements. Just another person calling a world champion/ US SX lites champion trash and heartless. Thanks for continuously ruining racerx conversation column.
B787tech
Guys like you give the the nice people in the US a bad name.
Him and the other retard are the enmy on this forum
b787tech... you're a 'never was' AND you're whining. Grow up.