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Monster Energy® Kawasaki Riders Earn First Podiums of the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross Season at Round 3
Foothill Ranch, Calif. (June 11, 2023) - Round 3 of the AMA Pro Motocross series unfolded in Lakewood, Colorado at the famous Thunder Valley Motocross Park. At over 5500, ft. above sea level, green hills and colorful rocks encompass the track. Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Adam Cianciarulo conquered the deeply rutted track to claim fourth overall (3-6) with a Moto 1 podium. Cianciarulo maintains fifth place in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, just 11 points back from fourth. In the 250 Class, Monster Energy®/Kawasaki/Pro Circuit rider Jo Shimoda earned a Moto 1 podium on his way to earning fourth overall (3-8) and Ryder DiFrancesco secured 11th overall (9-11). Carson Mumford and Jett Reynolds’ day would be cut short due to crashes in qualifying and Moto 1.
Thunder Valley Motocross Park is historically known for being one of the premier motocross racing venues in the United States. The park first opened in 2005 and quickly became a favorite among racers from all over the world. The track is known for its stunning views of the surrounding landscape and
natural elevation changes. Thunder Valley Motocross Park has become a fan-favorite venue due to its challenging nature and support of the local motocross community. In the morning qualifying session, Cianciarulo demonstrated elite talent, riding his KX™450SR to a second place position with a time of 2:17.107 followed by another Kawasaki of Ty Masterpool qualifying third. In Moto 1, Cianciarulo secured another one of his typical great starts in third place as he rounded the first turn. As the thunder clouds began to develop over the horizon, Cianciarulo was locked in, hitting his marks where he would begin to develop a gap from his competitors behind. The No. 9 came through the finish, securing his first moto podium of the season in third place. As Moto 2 was about to begin, large thunderhead clouds crept over the track and produced small amounts of rain. As the gate dropped, Cianciarulo accelerated into the first turn, putting together another great start. The No. 9 came blistering out of the first turn in fourth place and quickly made his way to second position. As Cianciarulo battled with the former 450MX champion Dylan Ferrandis, the track began to deteriorate producing brutal bumps and ruts Heavier rain drops started to fall during the
second half of the race and the No. 9 made a few minor mistakes dropping him to the sixth position where he would finish the second moto, fourth overall for the weekend. Kawasaki Team Green rider Masterpool had a break-through ride aboard his KX™450 challenging for a podium position all the way
to the last lap, ultimately finishing in fourth place and sixth overall.
The Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki riders were eager to conquer the soft dirt in the early morning qualifying sessions. Shimoda demonstrated his pace early on, securing a third place time of 2:17.586. DiFrancesco adapted quickly to the Thunder Valley track in his first appearance at this venue to attain a position among the top 10 with a time of 2:18.793, for ninth place. Jett Reynolds would finish his qualifying session in 14th place with a time of 2:21.359. Unfortunately, Carson Mumford’s qualifying session came to an abrupt halt as a result of a severe crash over the finish line during the first qualifying session which would ultimately take him out of the competition for the remainder of the day. At the start of Moto 1, the racers rocketed out of the gate, fixated on seizing the holeshot. As the riders clustered together towards the first turn, a competitor made contact with the No. 124 of Reynolds, forcefully bringing him to the ground with several other riders. Unfortunately, Reynolds’ day was cut short following the incident. Meanwhile, as the race progressed, Difrancesco positioned himself among the top 5 riders right from the beginning of the first lap. On the other hand, Shimoda faced a challenging start, finding himself in 12th place as Lap 2 commenced. Undeterred, the No. 30 focused and steadily began overtaking competitors each lap. Although Difrancesco battled up front against the leaders, he gradually started losing pace. As the checkered flag waved in the first moto, Shimoda remarkably secured his first podium of the season, finishing in an impressive third place. The No. 75 of Difrancesco finished in ninth place. The second moto proved to be a challenging start for both Shimoda and DiFrancesco. Exiting the first corner, the No. 30 found himself in seventh place, while the No. 75 trailed in 12th. However, as the riders settled into the demanding and rugged track, an error by the leader presented an opportunity to make up some ground. With time running out and the track becoming increasingly brutal, Shimoda and DiFrancesco were determined to secure the best possible positions to maximize their points. DiFrancesco found himself in the 11th spot, steadily maintaining his respective position, crossing the finish line in the same spot. Meanwhile, on the roughest segment of the track, Shimoda's front wheel washed out on a treacherous rut, resulting in a drop from fourth to eighth place on the final lap of the second moto where the No. 30 concluded the race.