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JACE OWEN
ARENACROSS
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Jace Owen carried the red plate into the second round of AMSOIL AX with a target on his back. The Illinois native backed up his perfect performance from the week prior with the fastest quali- fying time going into the night show. TiLube / Jack Link’s / TUF Racing Honda rider started racing off with a ceremonious bang
as he took second place in his heat race. His stellar form contin- ued throughout the Head 2 Head races as he handily swept Matt Goerke and Jacob Hayes in the first two races. Owen was pitted up against Gavin Faith in the finals and the two riders put on a bar- banging duel which went down to the final corner, but he ultimately had to concede to the Babbit’s Kawasaki rider before the check- ered flag was flown. Owen continued to show why he’s carrying the red plate on his Honda throughout both main events. He pulled a superb start in the first main event which put him in conten-
tion for the win just behind the Kawasaki of Jacob Hayes within a couple of laps. Hayes was setting a lightning pace at the front, but a mistake with only a couple of laps to go would put him out of the race and forfeit the lead and the victory to Owen. The second main event could not have gone any better if he planned it; Owen got out to the holeshot and set the fastest lap of the race right away. He pulled a small gap over Blose in second and maintained it for the entirety of the race, clinching the overall victory and securing the red plate for the next round in Baltimore.
42 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 15, 2017