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CHRISTOPHE POURCEL
450 SX / A2
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / ECKERT DESIGN / WILSON
>> Unable to make a main thus far into the season, Christophe Pourcel may be one of the biggest names on the list of riders yet to gain any championship points. Back in Anaheim for round three, Christophe looked to turn the tables and grab some points for the first time this season. After hesitating off the gate in heat one and getting pinched in the first turn swarm, Pourcel came out of the start empty-handed in 15th. The Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna rider wasn’t giving up, despite the bad jump, as Christophe’s only motion over the first couple of laps was forward. By the midway point of the race in heat two, Pourcel had made his way to 10th but ap- peared to be out of reach of a qualifying spot. Christophe did sneak by Nick Schmidt and finish with a 9th but would need to use a semi to find his way into the main. Set to go for semi #2, Pourcel fared slightly better off the start this time and taking the inside line, the #377 moved into 5th by the time the lead group exited the third turn. Feeling strong, Pourcel came flying over the last few rollers in a rhythm to move into 3rd around Alex Ray and Josh Grant. Getting around Tommy Hahn and a downed Jimmy Albertson a lap later, Pourcel sat in 2nd to start lap two and followed Peick for the remaining three minutes. With the solid performance in the semi, Pourcel was finally facing an opportunity at earning points. Unfortunately, the main didn’t start off easy for Pourcel as he crossed turn one buried in the pack. It took a few minutes but Christophe is no slouch and the Husqvarna started gaining momentum on lap two, eventually getting to 15th a few laps later. Continuing forward, Pourcel moved to 14th seven minutes into the race and started to work on reeling in 13th place rider, Dean Wilson. With a big crash from front runner Ken Roczen a lap later, Pourcel ended up being handed 13th but still saw the #15 of Wilson ahead. Unable to reach Dean, Pourcel got another gift in a mistake by Malcolm Stewart, who was inside the top ten, that put Christophe into 12th with five minutes to go. With the track deteriorating and the pressure building by the lap, a charge by Broc Tickle and Justin Brayton in the final moments of the race moved Pourcel to 14th with no time to return the favor. Although losing two positions in the final laps of a main is difficult to accept, the finish earned Christophe his first 7 points of the season and the rider is now inside the top twenty in the standings. It’s only the beginning for the French- man who has much more to offer as 2017 continues in the coming months.
80 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 22, 2017