We are only less than two weeks away from the first round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Series at Hangtown on 20th May.
Hangtown marks the opening round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, so it serves as the annual jumping off point between stadium supercross and outdoor motocross. And it’s a shocking transition, because Hangtown serves up some of the roughest, bumpiest, toughest terrain riders will face all year.
As the first round, the track looks beautiful and perfect when the day begins—high noon at Hangtown—and opening ceremonies offers a historic feel with bits of Americana hitched up to the old west. It’s all groomed, prepped and perfect. Then the pack charges through the first turn, the season begins, and it all changes in an instant. Forget beautiful and groomed, forget the show during opening ceremonies, forget the precision of supercross. This is rough, nasty, square-edged motocross chop, and only the toughest hombres will come out of Hangtown with their title hopes alive.
Oh sure, they’ve got the modern stuff here, like the massive Fly 150 triple jump, which is arguably the biggest jump in the entire series. The essence of Hangtown, though, is woven into each and every section, from the turns to the hills and even the straights. It just gets bumpy everywhere, and the riders either have to be smart enough to find the few inches of smooth real estate left, or tough enough to blast through the trenches.
That’s a big enough challenge on a regular day, but when you consider this is the opener, and riders are still sorting out their motocross bike settings and fitness programs, the door opens for big upsets and surprising results. As the Pro Motocross opener, Hangtown sends the professional dirt bike season in a whole new direction—and it leaves no doubt of just how tough that road will be.
Recap on 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross at Hangtown
