In 450 Qualifying, both Monster Energy Kawasaki riders recorded their fastest laps during the opening qualifying session, as the sand track only got rougher and slower as the day progressed. Marchbanks secured ninth overall, while Tøndel followed closely in 11th.
In 450 Moto 1, Marchbanks powered out to a Top 10 start, while Tøndel emerged from the first turn in the middle of the pack after getting tangled up with nearby riders. Both riders immediately began working their way through the field, making consistent passes on the opening laps. Once Marchbanks settled into his rhythm, he charged through the demanding sand circuit and steadily closed in on the Top 4. Despite his push, the gap to fourth was too large to close, and he crossed the line with a solid fifth-place finish. Tøndel also put together an impressive charge, climbing to ninth by the checkered flag after passing 12 riders throughout the moto, including nine riders on the opening lap.
In 450 Moto 2, Marchbanks rocketed off the gate to his best start of the season, rounding the first turn in fifth. Tøndel also exhibited a much-improved start of 15th place. Marchbanks maintained his pace through the early laps until a small crash on Lap 4 dropped him to seventh. The No. 36 quickly recovered and charged back toward the Top 5, making a strategic pass to reclaim fifth before the checkered flag. His pair of fifth-place moto finishes earned him fifth overall, marking his fourth Top 5 finish of the season and moving him into fifth in the points standings. Tøndel steadily worked his way forward from 15th to ninth before the grueling heat and track began to take a toll. He slipped back to 14th but mounted a late-race charge, making a pass in the closing laps to finish 13th. His 9-13 moto scores secured a career-best 11th overall finish.
– Cornelius Tøndel
“It was a good first day with my new team today. Qualifying was decent. We made a little change during the second qualifying that made me feel more comfortable. The first moto was quite hectic in the beginning; I got tangled up on the start and almost went down, but managed it pretty well on the first lap and finished ninth, which I was pretty happy with. In the second moto, I had a better start, I was inside the Top 10 by the first couple of laps. Unfortunately, I made a small mistake, and I was a little gassed that led me to fade a little bit. It’s been a long week, and now I just have to go back to California and get some good nights of sleep, get some good testing done, and make sure I’m recovered and ready for next weekend, and we should be good to go.”
