Page 10 - Issue50

MARVIN MUSQUIN
450 MX / 2ND
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / KUHLHOFF DESIGN / MPG
>> After grabbing the fastest time in qualifying practice earlier in the day and seizing his first overall 450 win last weekend at Glen Helen, Redbull/KTM’s Marvin Musquin lined up for racing in the Mile High City with red number plate confidence. Unfortu- nately for all of the riders, Thunder Valley is notorious for tons of elevation changes, as well as deep and long ruts, creating a very unpredictable terrain. Musquin ran
into the challenges that come with Colorado first-hand when he found himself in
19th place early in moto one after some first turn carnage. Quickly and smoothly (in normal Musquin fashion), Marvin found himself in the sixth place position behind Barcia, Tickle, and Tomac. The French rider dives into the four-way battle and ulti- mately finds himself in fourth place after passing all of them with graceful momentum on a brutal landscape. Musquin soon finds a relentless Baggett on his rear wheel, who makes an outside pass, sending Marvin into fifth place. After Baggett makes some moves sending him toward the front of the pack, Musquin now had Cole Seely in his sight. Marvin made the pass on Seely for fourth, an excellent move as far as championship points go. Musquin finished the first moto in the fourth place spot and knew that he had to bring it in the second moto if he wanted a good overall. The thirty-second card went up and the gates dropped for the second moto and Marvin Musquin found himself in the ninth place spot off the start, much better off than he was in moto one. Marvin was quickly on a mission. Capitalizing on the tight battles
at the front of the pack, Musquin quickly made a pass on Anderson, moving into the third place spot. With a heated battle between Tomac and Baggett for first, Musquin put in consistent laps and finished the moto in the third place position. With a 4-3, Marvin Musquin was able to leave Thunder Valley with a second place overall, as well as maintaining his points lead moving into round four at High Point in a couple of weeks.
10 GRITMOTO • JUNE 4, 2017