Jess Pettis said he could not hear his Yamaha dirt bike as he took flight to complete his first lap in his second moto Sunday afternoon.
The noise coming from the mouths of thousands of screaming hometown fans at Blackwater Motocross Park was drowning out that engine sound. Their excitement built to a fever pitch when they saw the 20-year-old Pettis leading the race ahead of 39 other riders - and he just about held that lead for the duration of the nearly 27-minute race.
But with two-and-a-half laps to go, Cole “Tommy Gun” Thompson, the defending Rockstar Energy MX2 national champion from Brigden, Ont., pulled off a savvy move on Pettis heading into the 14th lap just before the bowl turn and he saw nothing but daylight ahead of him the rest of the way to bag his second victory of the day.
Thompson, who won at just about every stop in the 10-city tour last year to earn his No. 1 plate, was the toast of the town again after being forced to settle for second- and fourth-place finishes in the season-opener in Kamloops June 4.
“It’s good to go 1-1, definitely a boost in my confidence to get back on the top step and to do it here in Prince George in my first time here – it’s a beautiful track, a beautiful facility and I’m pumped and the team is pumped,” said Thompson.
“A lot of people are looking at the Number 1 as a target and it’s definitely been tough this year and I’m just thankful to get this win here and hopefully carry some momentum into the (rest of the series).”
Pettis, riding for MX101 FXR team, cruised in second across the line, equaling his second-place finish in the first moto. Like a seasoned pro, he responded to the pressure as the hometown favourite.
“That was amazing, I got off to a good start that second moto and worked up to the lead pretty quick and just put my head down and tried to ride a good smooth race,” said Pettis. “I had it in the bag with two laps to go and Cole got me. I made a small mistake. But I’m really happy with going 2-2 and finishing second overall for the day. That’s my best overall yet and to do it here in front of my hometown crowd is a pretty cool feeling. I couldn’t be any more stoked, this is awesome.”
Jacob Hayes of Greensborough, N.C., ended up third.
Thompson sensed Pettis’s lead was tenuous just before he made his move on an unforgiving, rutty track that offered only a select few places to pass safely.
“He’s a veteran and he’s been in it for awhile and he knows what to do and pushes you to the end. He’s a good smooth rider, I just have to keep it a little more smooth next time, ” said Pettis.
Pettis earned a spot on the podium the previous week with a second-place result in his first moto and placed fourth overall in Kamloops.
“It was a phenomenal ride for him today – in both motos he was right there keeping me in check, and in that (second) moto, right to the final two laps,” said the 24-year-old Thompson. “Hats off to him and his team and everything they’ve been doing, it’s really been working.
“I’ve got a few years on Jess and I’m in my prime and he’s still building and he’s going to get there. I know he’s going to be tough as we move on in this series.”
Pettis’s teammate, Shawn Maffenbeier of Swift Current, Sask., who won both Kamloops races and finished third in the first moto Sunday, had mechanical issues and had to drop out halfway through the second moto.
Jonah Brittons of Prince George, who turns 17 on Saturday, had a rough start Sunday when he got launched over the handlebars of his KTM bike in the first MX2 moto and finished 23rd out of 40. But he posted his best pro result of his four-race career when he finished 16th in the second moto and was 19th overall. Hayden Wolff of Prince George, 17, also qualified for the MX2 races and placed 25th in the first moto to earn his first pro point. He finished 28th in the second moto and 27th overall on his home track.
