Trey Canard goes two for two in hotly contested racing

The battle for the prestigious AMA Horizon Award heated up at the Air Nautiques AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships Thursday when Trey Canard won two motos.

Canard, of Elk City, Oklahoma, finished third and second earlier in the competition at Loretta Lynn's Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

"I was pretty bummed after the last two motos,"  Canard said. "This last moto I just got in a really intense mood and I kept charging."

Canard, Austin Stroupe of Lincolnton, North Carolina, and Nico Izzi of St. Clair, Michigan, appear to be the top contenders for the AMA Horizon Award, which will be given Saturday to the amateur motocrosser who shows the most promise or a successful pro career. The award is coveted because it beefs up a racer's resume, helping to secure sponsorships.

In the morning MX Lites A - Pro Sport race, Chris Johnson of Brush Prairie, Washington, grabbed the holeshot followed by Stroupe, Izzi and Canard.

But late in the second lap, Stroupe's Kawasaki washed out in a sweeping righthander.

Canard moved into the lead on the fourth lap, followed by Johnson and Izzi.

By the sixth lap, the hard-charging Canard had about a 20-bike-length lead over Stroupe, who had fought his way up to second. Izzi held third.

The checkers saw Canard first, Stroupe second and Izzi third.

In the afternoon MX Lites A race, Johnson again got the holeshot followed by Canard, Izzi  and Stroupe.

By the end of the second lap, Canard held the lead with Izzi and Stroupe on his rear fender.

By the halfway point, Canard had a 10-bike-length lead over Izzi, with Stroupe another two-bike-lengths back.

But then Izzi and Stroupe reeled in Canard. By the white flag lap, Canard got caught up in lapped traffic and Stroupe passed Izzi to catch the leader.

Canard won the race followed closely by Stroupe and then Izzi.

"I think it's going to be a fun week of racing," Canard said.