Page 38 - Issue_sixtyfive

SHANE MCELRATH
250 SX / 5TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> After Anaheim 1, it appeared Shane McElrath would be the man to beat in the 250SX West Championship, but he has struggled a bit since that opening night race. More specifically, he has struggled at the last few rounds. He has yet to find the top step of the podium again since that first round but was still in the thick of the title fight. That is, until last weekend. A crash put a severe damper on his evening in Oakland and he crawled out of there with a dismal fifteenth place finishing hurting him big-time in the points standings. And with only a few rounds left and a long break coming up after San Diego, he knew he had to score the maximum number of points by getting a win and enter the break with his title hopes still alive.
McElrath looked decent in qualifying practice. He managed to set the sixth fastest lap time of the class, but he seemed a little less dominant than what we’ve been used to seeing for most of the series. He’s usually right at the top of the charts but he seemed a little bit tight heading into the night show.
McElrath suffered from a poor start in his heat race as he did not round lap one until he crossed in seventh place. He had Plessinger on his rear fender, so he tried moving up through the field as fast as possible. He climbed up to fifth by lap four but the whole time Plessinger was breathing down his neck. McElrath would leave the door open and Plessinger would get passed him. He remained in fifth however because he’d get by Dakota Alix on the same lap he got passed. McElrath kept plugging along and he would indeed pick up another spot at the end, passing Chisholm, to finish in fourth.
The main event started off pretty uneventful for the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull KTM rider. He started in fifth place and remained there for several laps. That is until his old buddy Plessinger came knocking on his door again. Plessinger would force his way passed him again despite McElrath fighting back with a few moves of his own but they would prove to not be useful. He stayed back in sixth for a few laps but then got bumped back up to fifth after Plessinger took a tumble in the whoop section. From there, the rest of the race is history for McElrath. He’d ride home with a quiet fifth place finish. Certainly not the result he’d like heading into the break but maybe he could use the break to rekindle that fire he had at Anaheim 1.
38 GRITMOTO • FEBRUARY 11, 2018