Pro Motocross Championship
Rancho Cordova, CA
Hangtown Classic
MONSTER ENERGY® PRO CIRCUIT KAWASAKI RIDER LEVI KITCHEN FINISHES THIRD OVERALL AT HANGTOWN
Monster Energy® Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider Levi Kitchen bounced back from a tough opening round of the Pro Motocross Championship to secure a solid third overall (3-3) in the sweltering heat at Round 2 in Rancho Cordova, California. Garrett Marchbanks found his rhythm on the technical track, working his way up to a fifth overall finish (7-5). Despite battling illness, Ty Masterpool pushed through to crack the Top 5 in Moto 1 and salvaged an eighth overall (4-16) after a tough second moto. In just his third professional Pro Motocross race, Drew Adams showed promise, finishing 13th overall (19-7). Seth Hammaker displayed a strong pace throughout the day, but a Moto 2 incident forced the No. 56 to retire, resulting in a 15th overall finish (6-40). In the 450MX class, Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Jason Anderson charged through the pack to earn eighth overall (9-6). Teammate Jorge Prado battled through the effects of the extreme heat in Moto 1 but rebounded with a Top 5 finish in Moto 2 to take ninth overall (12-5).
Hangtown Results
Levi Kitchen
“It was a much better day for me overall. The story of the day was probably my qualifying. I was a little off the pace there, not where I wanted to be. But I was able to turn it around once the gate dropped. I still need to work on my starts — they weren’t great, but I managed to come through the pack, made some solid passes on fast guys, and stayed consistent. In the end, I finished third overall, which I’m really happy about. We’ve been building each weekend, and it feels good to see that progress starting to show. I plan to keep this momentum going into next weekend.”
Garrett Marchbanks
“I felt good all day. In Moto 1, it was kind of the same story as last weekend, I just struggled getting off the gate. I had some strong laps during the first half, maybe the first 20 minutes, but I rode a little tight. Still, I was able to work into a decent position and finished seventh. For Moto 2, we made some changes and went to a regular knobby tire. I got a really good start, but by turn three, a couple guys went down right in front of me, and I got shuffled back about seven to 10 spots. I was still inside the Top 8, which was solid, but it was frustrating to lose those positions so early. I worked my way back up, made some good passes, and got into fifth around halfway. Eventually, I made it up to fourth and tried to stay close to Levi — maybe even go for a pass at the end — but I made a mistake on the last lap, and he pulled away. Then with three corners to go, I made another small mistake and didn’t realize how close [Max] Vohland was. He got me right before the finish, so I ended up fifth in that moto. That part definitely stung. Still, it was a solid day overall. It was super hot out there, but my fitness felt good, my speed felt good, and we’re heading in the right direction. I’m ready to move on to Thunder Valley and keep the momentum going.”
Ty Masterpool
“I came down with the flu two or three days ago and haven’t been sleeping — I was up most of the last three nights. Last night, I couldn’t keep anything down, and I was even throwing up between motos today. So it was a rough one. In the first moto, I just did the best I could. I tried to ride as smooth and efficiently as possible to save energy. It actually went pretty well and I salvaged a fourth-place finish. I almost had third, but Levi got me with about two laps to go. In the second moto, I got a decent jump out of the gate but got shuffled back after a few guys went down in front of me. Racing with a fever in this kind of heat, it was pure survival mode. Even with everything going on, we made some solid improvements with the bike this week, which I’m really happy about. I'm excited to get healthy and come back stronger next weekend.”
Seth Hammaker
“I felt strong early and was stoked to be up front in Moto 1, but the heat definitely took a toll by the end. In Moto 2, I got tangled up and did everything I could to fight back, but sometimes the day just doesn’t go your way. I’ll regroup and come back swinging next round.”
Drew Adams
“Overall it was an alright day at Hangtown. Qualifying didn’t go great. I really messed up my first session, which is where most of the fast times came from. I think I was around 20th in that one. In the second session, I got a little better and went seventh, but since the first one had the quicker laps, I was still way back for gate pick. In Moto 1, I got probably the worst start of my life. I made a couple passes, but I think I ended up 19th. Definitely not what I was hoping for. It was super hot today, and I was just feeling sick, tired, and completely drained out there. Before Moto 2, we decided to switch to a knobby tire, which I was happy with. I got a way better start, ran around fifth early, and ended up seventh, so that was a solid rebound. All in all, a decent day with some things to build on. Looking forward to getting better each weekend.”
Jorge Prado
“It was a better day overall. We made some good improvements during the week, which was positive. I could already feel the difference during timed practice — I was feeling better. We still need to improve the bike, but we're heading in the right direction. The heat today was brutal. I’ve never ridden in conditions like this, it was crazy. In Moto 1, we made some changes to try and help me feel more comfortable on the bike, but it didn’t really work. I had a bad start, wasn’t feeling great on the bike, and the heat just drained me. For the second moto, we went back to the setup we ended the week with, which worked better. I still didn’t get a great start, but I managed to come back to fifth. I was just riding consistently, not amazing, but not terrible either. You can see some improvements. We still have a lot of work to do, but it’s always good to see some progress every week. Hopefully, next weekend we do a little better.”
Jason Anderson
“This weekend was a tough one. We knew coming in that the temperatures were going to be intense, so managing my energy throughout the motos was really important. I ended up going 9-6 on the day, which was similar to last weekend. But for me, this race was a big test. I haven’t had much time on the bike, so just being fit enough to push through both motos in that kind of heat was a real challenge. But we made it through.”
