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MICHAELGILBERT
SUPERSTOCK 600
Although he didn’t have the good fortune of competing in the opening round of the 2017 MotoAmerica series at COTA, Gilbert
picked up where he left off in 2016 as he placed himself in direct contention with the other Superstock 600 machines at the end
of qualifying. The Yamaha rider laid down the sixth fastest time overall in his class, placing him eleventh on the grid in the middle of the fourth row. He managed to make some major gains once the lights went out on the opening race as he took advantage of the shortened competition after the red flag incident. Gilbert was involved in a heated battle for Superstock 600 supremacy as he attempted to sort out second place in the class with the likes of Jason Aguilar and Conner Blevins -- with a guest appearance from the Supersport machine of Daytona Anderson. The Californian was able to tag onto the rear fender of Aguilar in the final laps of the race as the two of them separated themselves from the chasing pack. He came up just short as they greeted the checkered flag approximately three tenths apart, resulting in eighth place overall, and third position in the class. Gilbert continued to display the same stellar form and exceptional race craft in the second race as he found himself in a battle with the same suspects throughout the majority of the eighteen lap affair. He worked his way back from eleventh place on the opening lap, utilizing his superior late race pace in order to take his rivals by surprise. Gilbert bided his time for the first couple of laps, eventually working his way past Conner Blevins on the fourth time around the two and half mile circuit. He kept his powder dry until the final third of the race and picked his opportunity wisely, catapulting himself from tenth to seventh position in a matter of three laps, subsequently securing another podium finish with a second place in his class.
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