The 250 team came out swinging with Cooper, Martin, and Thrasher qualifying 1-2-3. In the first moto, it was the veteran who had the advantage after the gate drop, with Martin grabbing the holeshot and battling with his fellow red-plate holder. The race was red-flagged however, calling for a complete restart. This time around it was Cooper who took the holeshot with Martin right behind. The pair set a blistering pace and rode up front, with the two-time 250MX Champion waiting patiently in second. Before the clock reached the halfway point, Martin was on his teammate. Cooper tried to hold him off, but the Minnesotan got a great drive to take over the lead going up the hill. From there on, Martin managed the gap up front, ultimately crossing the line with a three-second lead.
Cooper got another flying start in Moto 2, grabbing his second holeshot of the day and set some fast times but was unable to make a break for it out front. The New Yorker led the first four laps and tried to counter to reclaim the lead, but ultimately rode a smart race to earn a consecutive runner-up finish for second overall, also advancing him to second in the point standings.
It was another tough start to Round 2 for Nichols who found himself 20th a few laps into Moto 1. Undeterred, the 250SX East Champion made another impressive charge through the pack to finish ninth. Nichols got a better start in the second moto in 12th and quickly broke his way into the top 10. The Oklahoman advanced to seventh before the halfway mark and continued to battle in the tough conditions. He lost a position but then made his way to sixth on Lap 10 and continued his charge to fifth three laps later, where he ultimately finished, securing fifth overall.
Unfortunately, the second moto did not go better for Martin. The moto 1 winner had a difficult start off the gate and was 17th after the first lap. He made his way to 12th on Lap 2, but then crashed hard and pulled into the mechanic’s area. The team worked to get him back on track, but not feeling 100% Martin retired early, ultimately finishing eighth overall. He will be evaluated further after the weekend.
Thrasher came back from a tough first round at Fox Raceway, backing up his great qualifying effort with a good start in the first moto inside the top 10. Sitting in seventh, the 18-year-old advanced to sixth early but ultimately was shuffled back to 11th in the challenging conditions. Thrasher had another decent start in the second moto and worked his way to eighth. The Tennessee rider went on to earn his best result so far this season in 10th, for 12th overall.
Frye also continued to make progress on his starts. The Maryland rider was in the top 10 after the gate drop in the first moto and crossed the line 12th. He got an even better launch in Moto 2 and was in the mix in fifth. Frye advanced to fourth on Lap 2 and was running a solid race in that position, but riders started making their way through after the halfway mark and he ultimately finished 13th in the demanding 30-minutes-plus-two-lap moto.
The Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing team heads to Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, on June 19 for the High Point National, Round 3 of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship.
