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VINCE FRIESE
450 SX / A2
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Smartop MotoConcept’s Vince Friese qualified right in the mix with the eighteenth placed qualifying time ahead of his teammate Justin Brayton. Friese pulled the holeshot in the first 450 heat race ahead of some heavy hitters and lead almost the entirety of the opening lap. After being relegated to second position by Ken Roczen just before the finish line, Friese began to go to battle with Marvin Musquin and Malcolm Stewart. The three of them got caught up which invited Jason Anderson to the party, but not for long; Friese slid up the inside of the Rockstar Husqvarna rider and cleaned him out, attempting to protect his transfer position, although he eventually lost out and would have to make an appearance in the semis. The Honda rider was able to grab another solid start as he found himself fighting for the lead through the first corner. He forfeited a couple of spots to Musquin and Broc Tickle on the opening lap while attempting to stay in contention for a trans- fer spot. One lap later, Jake Weimer was able to get by, and the next lap brought a charge from Ryan Dungey. Friese was able to keep the Suzuki
of Weimer within his sights, but he came up short and would be forced to race the LCQ. Subsequently, he grabbed one of his trademark starts in his final attempt to qualify for the main event and checked out at the front of the pack. Friese hit his marks on his CRF 450 and disappeared ahead of Adam Enticknap in second position, therefore taking the checkered flag first and finally grabbing a spot in the main event in the process. He wasn’t able to replicate his fine form out of the gate from prior races, therefore putting him just inside the top fifteen on the opening lap. The Smartop MotoConcept’s rider rode smoothly to keep the Rockstar Husqvarna of Christophe Pourcel at bay - the lone representative of the team in the main event. It wasn’t until near the midway point of the race that Friese eventually relinquished two positions to Pourcel and a charging Broc Tickle. He pressed on for the sec- ond half of the moto and rode his own race, earning him sixteenth position on the night.
106 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 22, 2017