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ADAM CIANCIARULO
250 SX / MN.
IMAGE /MPG WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Adam Cianciarulo is one of the most successful amateur riders of all-time on paper. He’s also one of the most successful Monster Energy Supercross riders of all-time on paper; the Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider has reigned victorious in three out of five contested main events throughout his career heading into the 2017 season. The entire story is never told through the statistics, especially in the grueling sport of motorcycle rac- ing -- Cianciarulo’s stellar results and career highlights have been marred by a slew of injuries and inconsis- tencies. The Florida native hasn’t raced SX since the 2014 season, therefore making him the ultimate wild card heading into the new season of racing. He has always had the speed to compete for the top step of the box, and he continued to prove exactly that on the outdoor circuit last year with multiple laps led as well as a couple of podium finishes. Cianciarulo’s heading into the final year of his contract with Mitch Payton’s team with a point to prove and a reputation to defend. He had one of the more eventful timed practice sessions
as he suffered a gnarly get-off in the whoops that left him with no number plate and the absence of a visor
-- after a quick stop in the mechanics area, Cianciarulo went out and put himself on the top of the board. He wasn’t able to maintain the position until the end of the session, but it’s the same grit and determination that has kept him coming back for more that eventually earned him the fourth fastest time on the day. Cianciarulo got out to a flying start in his heat race, not letting him practice crash affect him, as he went bar-to-bar with his teammate intio the first corner. Savatgy edged him out in the opening rhythm section and Cianciarulo was forced to take a reserved line on approach to the second corner, therefore putting him under fire from the TLD Red Bull KTM of Alex Martin -- the home state hero narrowly avoided a serious collision with the rear end of the Kawasaki and ended up creating a blockage in the second corner. Cianciarulo was fortunate enough to ride out of the incident without hitting the deck, setting his sights on Savatgy in the lead. He had a miniscule speed advantage over the leader, eventually closing the gap to approximately one second as the laps clicked off. The young Floridian built a bundle of confidence heading into the main event as he kept a consistent pace with his teammate, avoided any major mistakes, and clocked the fastest time between both heat races. Unfortunately for Cianciarulo, he wasn’t able to replicate the start that he pulled in the heat race and found himself buried in the middle of the pack as they entered the first corner. He squeezed his way through the first lap mayhem sparked by the Dakota Alix and Colt Nichols incident, putting him just within the top ten on the opening lap. The Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider held his composure and never showed any sort of impatience on the motorcycle as he made his way around Luke Renzland on the first flying lap. Over the course of the next couple laps, Cianciarulo was involved in a battle with the Smartop MotoConcept’s Honda of Cameron McAdoo, eventually making his way around the rookie just before the whoops section. It would only take one further lap for the Floridian to force his way past the Vermont native of Jesse Wentland, there- fore promoting him into sixth position with the top five in sight. Anthony Rodriguez fell back into his clutches and Cianciarulo made the move just past the halfway point of the race. At that point he had lost too much time to the top four and decided to bring it home for a solid top five finish in his return to SX -- an impressive ride that could be crucial in the championship chase when the series gets down to the nitty gritty in May.
42 GRITMOTO • FEBRUARY 19, 2017