HOUSTON. (January 14, 2018) – The Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Joey Savatgy overcame an ever-changing track inside NRG Stadium to earn his first podium of the season, finishing second in the Main Event. Round 2 started out well for teammate Adam Cianciarulo with the fastest qualifier and heat race win, but a few mistakes pushed him back to finish seventh in the Main Event.
To start the night, Savatgy grabbed third in the Heat Race, giving him a solid gate pick for the Main Event. When the gate dropped, he shot his Kawasaki KX250F to the holeshot and led the field around the first lap. He held onto the lead for over half the race, but with a deteriorating track Savatgy raced on the safe side to collect valuable championship points – finishing second.
“I felt like I was riding fast to be comfortable on that track,” said Savatgy. “I seemed to catch lappers at a bad spot not allowing me to catch first, but I didn’t want to ride over my head in only the second round of the season. The track changed every lap so it was challenging to pick up time, so in the end I’m really happy to get second.”
Cianciarulo entered the second round with confidence as he came off a podium finish in Anaheim. He adapted to the track quickly, qualifying first and earning his first heat race win of the season. In the Main Event, Cianciarulo rocketed out to third on the start. Keeping the front runners close, Cianciarulo pushed hard and made a mistake right around the halfway mark. He got up very quick, only losing a few spots and made up the time with his quick speed. With two laps left, Cianciarulo made another small mistake and was forced to finish seventh in Houston.
“I know the track was really tough, but it stings a little bit when I was feeling good all day,” said Cianciarulo. “It was a big learning experience for me as I adapt more to the hard-packed race tracks that change so much over the course of 15 minutes. I know I can bounce back next weekend in Anaheim so I’m looking forward to it.”
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250SX Class Western Regional Main Event Results
- Aaron Plessinger (Yamaha)
- Joey Savatgy (Kawasaki)
- Chase Sexton (Honda)
- Shane McElrath (KTM)
- Christian Craig (Honda)
- Mitchell Oldenburg (Yamaha)
- Adam Cianciarulo (Kawasaki)
- Bradley Taft (Yamaha)
- Kyle Chisholm (Yamaha)
- Justin Hill (Suzuki)
250SX Class Western Region Points Standings
- Aaron Plessinger, Yamaha, 49
- Shane McElrath, KTM, 45
- Joey Savatgy, Kawasaki, 42
- Adam Cianciarulo, Kawasaki, 37
- Chase Sexton, Honda, 36
- Christian Craig, Honda, 36
- Mitchell Oldenburg, Yamaha, 34
- Justin Hill, Suzuki, 29
- Bradley Taft, Yamaha, 27
- Kyle Chisholm, Yamaha, 27
