The opening round of the 2019 ATV Motocross National Championship saw Cody Janssen grab both holeshots and lead all laps en route to a perfect 1-1 score on the weekend in the Junior 25+ division. As the series headed into Rd. 2 at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana, Janssen looked to put on another strong performance in the nearby Hoosier state.
Unpredictable weather and difficult track conditions have been a trend early in this 2019 season, but nothing was going to stop Janssen in Moto 1. Cody aboard his Janssen Motorsports built, CST Tires equipped, Honda yanked the holeshot and stretched his lead throughout the moto. He grabbed the decisive win like Governor William Henry Harrison and his troops did in the Battle at Tippecanoe in 1811. This historic site happens to be just a short drive north of Crawfordsville, Indiana. It was understood that Harrison was coming to speak in good will to Tecumseh’s Shawnee Tribe, but he showed up with 1000 men, destroyed the Indian territory, and proclaimed victory. Well, if Janssen was like the American forces grabbing a decisive victory in Moto 1, then he was like Tecumseh and his tribe in Moto 2 – unexpectedly ambushed.
Cody grabbed another holeshot in Moto 2, making it a perfect 4 for 4 on the season. He would lead all the laps until with just two corners to go his ATV experienced an electrical problem and killed the engine. With the finish line in sight, Janssen pushed his machine across the finish line to salvage a 3rd place overall finish (1-5). The efforts of the #25 didn’t go unrewarded as he is just 2 points out of the championship lead.
“I’ve dreamt this same nightmare before.” Janssen said about experiencing a mechanical issue with the win in the bag. “I just needed to keep it running for another 15 seconds, but that’s racing and anything can happen. I could feel something was wrong early on in the moto, so I tried not to push it too hard and limp it to the [finish line] but it wasn’t meant to be. I’m just grateful I was able to push it across the line and somehow salvage 3rd overall. Looking forward to getting back on track in South Carolina!”