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DAN REARDON
250 SX / AZ
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / LANNAN DESIGN / WILSON
>> Dan Reardon has made his way back to the US to compete in Supercross after a six-year hiatus from American racing. In 2012, Dan announced his retirement and then when the itch got to be too much, he got back on the track in Australia in 2015. He was able to clench the Australian Supercross Championship in his return and spark some interest of American teams in the process. He then landed a deal
with Star racing Yamaha and is doing everything he can to prove he
is deserving of the ride. So far this season, Dan hasn’t had the best finishes but he has definitely had the speed. He was ready to im- prove as practice started on Saturday in Cardinal stadium. He looked smooth and fast as he qualified 9th fastest. In 250 Heat 2, Dan got a good jump and held his Yamaha wide-open going down the long start straight. He was able to work his way through the chaos and came out in a top 5 position going into the second corner. Dan made another pass early on and was now running 4th place. He would hold on to finish an impressive 4th place and head to the Main. Dan then got an- other good jump out of the gate when the 250 Main got underway. He kept his composure through the chaos on the first lap and was holding down 6th place as the riders crossed the finish line on the first lap. Un- fortunately, he quickly lost a couple positions in the opening laps but was holding strong in the 8th spot. He then caught a lucky break as a rider made a mistake in front of him and he was able to capitalize. He continued to ride determined and it paid off, as he was able to make up one more spot before the finish. Dan took home a very impressive 6th place at the checkered flag. This is his best finish since Anaheim 2 in 2009 where he also took 6th.
36 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 29, 2017