Fiolek and Barcia on the Podium in Hangtown Season Opener

May 21, 2012

[Torrance, CA: Round one of the 2012 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and Women's Motocross Championship kicked off this weekend at the FMF Hangtown Motocross Classic held in Sacramento, CA. Team Honda Muscle Milk's Ashley Fiolek and GEICO Honda's Justin Barcia both had impressive starts to the season, placing second overall aboard their Honda CRF250Rs.

The Race

Tommy Hahn joined the Team Honda Muscle Milk squad, making his debut this weekend aboard a factory-prepared CRF450R. After placing a solid seventh in qualifying, Hahn rode his way to an eighth-place finish in moto one. After getting another good start in moto two, Hahn went down hard, causing him to fall to the back of the pack. He earned a respectable 13th overall. “I am really happy to have this first race out of the way, and overall am pleased with the results,” said Hahn. “Apart from going down in the second moto, I felt good and was having fun. I am looking forward to building off this and improving my results throughout the rest of the season.”

In moto one, Team Honda Muscle Milk’s Justin Brayton grabbed a mid-pack start and rode a consistent race until going down on the last lap, sending him back to 24th. Still recovering from his crash in the first moto, Brayton rode his way to a 16th-place finish in moto two.

In the 250 class, Justin Barcia grabbed the holeshot in both motos, racing his GEICO Honda CRF250R to third in moto one and securing second in moto two for a second[ overall. “As much as I want to win, being on the podium is a great way to start the season,” stated Barcia. Teammate Eli Tomac put together a solid ride in moto one, finishing in fourth. Unfortunately, Tomac went down in the first turn of moto two and was forced to charge his way through the pack. He rode a notable race, making his way up to 10th and clinching fifth overall. GEICO Honda’s Wil Hahn rounded out the top 10 with a seventh in moto one and 13th in moto two.

In the Women’s Motocross Championship (WMA), Team Honda Muscle Milk riders had an exciting start to the season. Ashley Fiolek grabbed the holeshot in moto one and rode an inspired race all the way to the finish, nailing down the win. She got another great start in moto two but went down, sending her to the back of the pack. She charged her way through the field, finishing in fifth place for second overall. Sayaka Kaneshiro, the newest addition to the team, had the best finish of her WMA career, going 5-4 for fifth overall. Troy Lee Designs/Lucas Oil/Honda’s Tarah Gieger went 3-3 for third overall.

The Focus: D.I.D
[D.I.D® has been a longtime Honda racing team sponsor and puts what it learns in competition into the OE products it supplies to Honda and other manufacturers. Spokes, rims and drive chains take an unbelievable beating in the world of professional motocross, which is why the Honda team puts its trust in D.I.D to provide components that can take the abuse of the hardest-riding pro-racers in the country.

450 Class Overall Results
1. James Stewart 1-1
2. Ryan Dungey 3-2
3. Mike Alessi 7-3
4. Andrew Short (Honda) 5-4
5. Brett Metcalfe 4-5
6. Broc Tickle 6-7
7. Davi Millsaps 2-14
8. Jake Weimer 10-6
9. Josh Grant 9-8
10. Nico Izzi 11-10

450 Class Championship Points (after 1 of 12 rounds)
1. James Stewart 50
2. Ryan Dungey 42
3. Mike Alessi 34
4. Andrew Short 34
5. Brett Metcalfe 34
6. Broc Tickle 29
7. Davi Millsaps 29
8. Jake Weimer 26
9. Josh Grant 25
10. Nico Izzi 21

250 Class Overall Results
1. Blake Baggett 1-1
2. Justin Barcia (Honda) 3-2
3. Ken Roczen 2-3
4. Ivan Tedesco 6-5
5. Eli Tomac (Honda) 4-10
6. Martin Davalos 14-4
7. Kyle Cunningham 9-8
8. Jason Anderson 8-9
9. Marvin Musquin 5-14
10. Wil Hahn (Honda) 7-13

250 Class Championship Points (after 1 of 12 rounds)
1. Blake Baggett 50
2. Justin Barcia 42
3. Ken Roczen 42
4. Ivan Tedesco 31
5. Eli Tomac 29
6. Martin Davalos 25
7. Kyle Cunningham 25
8. Jason Anderson 25
9. Marvin Musquin 23
10. Wil Hahn 22

WMA Overall Results
1. Jessica Patterson 2-2
2. Ashley Fiolek (Honda) 1-5
3. Tarah Gieger (Honda) 3-3
4. Meghan Rutledge 8-1
5. Sayaka Kaneshiro (Honda) 5-4
6. Kasie Creson 6-6
7. Mariana Balbi 7-8
8. Sara Pettersson 11-9
9. Lindsey Palmer 10-11
10. Hailey Larson 9-13

WMA Championship Points ( after round 1 of 8 )
1. Jessica Patterson 44
2. Ashley Fiolek 41
3. Tarah Gieger 40
4. Meghan Rutledge 38
5. Sayaka Kaneshiro 34
6. Kasie Creson 30
7. Mariana Balbi 27
8. Sara Pettersson 22
9. Lindsey Palmer 21
10. Hailey Larson 20

About Honda
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and MUVs in the U.S. American Honda's Motorcycle Division conducts the sales, marketing, and operational activities for these products through authorized Honda dealers. For more information on Honda products, go to powersports.honda.com.