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Shane Mcelrath
250 SX / SD
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / WILSON
>> As families take a stroll through the legendary Balboa Park on a serene, Saturday afternoon, they stop and take a moment to claim the moment they have been bestowed. Lush greenery, birds chirp- ing, all seems to be tranquil and well, until a faint bark in the dis- tance seems to rise with every passing second. A sense of vibration overtakes the surface from which onlookers stand, and as they look off into the distance, a fleet of two-wheeled pioneers are soaring through the Western Hemisphere. Among those at the head of the fleet, was Shane Mcelrath. Looking to build off of last week’s event, McElrath set the tone early in the practice sessions, jolting to the front of the field as usual, and the first to conquer territory. Following his dominant heat race win, he knew the target was now placed on his back, the red dot having a heat sensor and gravitating towards the TLD KTM ride. After a midpack start, McElrath quickly worked his way up to the fourth place position, truly throwing hands with rookie, Austin Forkner. A chess match of sorts, a rook to his bishop, and following a series of block passes, McElrath finally made the move on Forkner after being pushed wide and off the landscape. Making his way passed the rest of the field, he found his way into the runner-up ride, violently chewing and nipping at Davalos heels. Multiple inside moves were counteracted with elbows of Davalos’ own, however, the young man from North Carolina has never been one to quit, and tonight’s effort was a visual representation of that. Although contested from what seemed like the entire top 5, Shane would hold on to capture his second win in a row, and a plethora of momentum heading into round three.
24 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 15, 2017