The 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship is officially underway, and a summer-long battle amongst the most talented riders on the planet lies ahead. The season-opening Bell Helmets Hangtown Motocross Classic immediately added a layer of intrigue as Mother Nature made her presence felt all afternoon with cold, rainy conditions.

In today's landscape of American motocross, starts are arguably more important than they've ever been before. While the opening sequence of every moto is widely recognized as the most exciting element of every National, the necessity surrounding the ability to start at the front of the field makes each gate drop even more captivating.

Any rider's shot at victory can hinge on where he enters and exits the first turn, but nothing feels better than capturing the MotoSport.com Holeshot. Starts are serious business, and grabbing the holeshot is the ultimate reward for a rider who took full advantage of his gate pick, reaction time, launch, upshifting, and clean entry and exit from the first turn.

Check out the MotoSport.com Holeshot recaps from Hangtown and see which riders secured the early edge in each moto across the 450 Class and 250 Class.