Page 46 - Issue_sixtyfive

AARON PLESSINGER
250 SX / 7TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Aaron Plessinger is the man with all the momentum in the 250SX West Championship series. The Ohio native has won at back to back rounds and three out of the first five races so far this season. All of his wins have been convincing, come from behind performances that have sent statements to all
of his competitors that he is the alpha and man to beat in the class. Arguably, his most impressive of the three wins came last weekend at Oakland when he was deeply under the weather with the flu. He somehow gutted out another win after starting in the middle of the top ten and passing his way up. It was truly a championship caliber performance. With a long break coming up, he’d like nothing more than to extend his points lead by winning his third race in a row.
Plessinger looked good in qualifying practice. The Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha rider used his machine to set the fourth fastest lap time of his class. His speed was on par yet again and he could not wait to go racing.
His heat race did not start of so hot. He suffered a bad start, which has been his only weakness so
far this year, but he immediately took initiative and started moving towards the front. He followed
his friend, Shane McElrath, most of the way before passing him as well on lap five to take over the fourth-place position. It then took him one lap to catch and pass Kyle Chisholm but after that, the two leaders, Adam Cianciarulo and Joey Savatgy, were too far gone to make a run. He’d settle with a third and head back to the pit area determine to get a good start in the main.
Plessinger’s main event started even worse than his heat race. He rounded lap one buried in tenth place. He had his work cut out for him yet again. He used his aggression and excellent whoop speed to help get him carved through the field and up to sixth just four laps into the race. Here he linked
up with McElrath yet again and he applied the pressure. McElrath did a nice job fending him off for
a good amount of time but Plessinger eventually wore him down and took the spot away from him.
He continued his push forward until he hopped onto the rear tire of Savatgy. Savatgy, like McElrath, played stingy and hard to pass and this led to Plessinger forcing the issue up the inside of the whoops and going down. Luckily, he’d remount rather quickly and only fall back to ninth place. He’d swiftly pick up two spots back that were held by Chisholm and Mitchell Harrison to get him back into seventh but by then the damage was done. Everyone else was too far ahead and there was not enough time for a run. Plessinger would finish right there in seventh. After a rough seventh place, he still has to
be feeling good because he only lost five points to Savatgy. He still owns the red plate and the points lead heading into the break, albeit now just by three points.
46 GRITMOTO • FEBRUARY 11, 2018