Page 120 - ISSUE 40

JACOB WEIMER
450 SX / 17TH
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / LANNAN DESIGN / WILSON
>> Jake Weimer is a past champion in the sport of Supercross and there is no doubt he deserves a spot in the races. Just a few months ago, Jake wasn’t even sure he would line up for the 2017 season and was wondering if his time in the industry may be coming to a close. Fortunately, things turned out just fine for Jake as he got a call to fill in on the JGR Suzuki team just a few weeks before the series opener. He took full advantage being back aboard a familiar bike and has been proving his deservedness week in and week out. His best finish so far this season has been a 7th place and there is no doubt that he has what it takes to get up there again before the season is through. Daytona Supercross was the next stop for Jake and he was looking forward to the change of pace. As the gate dropped for 450 Heat 2 in Florida, Jake’s rear wheel spun and he found himself searching for traction early on. He rounded the first corner towards the back of the pack and knew he had some work to do. He made quick work of the riders in front him as he clawed up to 11th by the second lap. Unfortunately, he was only able to make up one more position by the end of the Heat. In the Semi, Jake’s start was improved and he was able to hug the inside around the first corner. He came around in 4th place and was able to avoid the chaos as the laps clicked off. The number 12 kept his laps mistake free and took 4th place after the 5-lap quali- fier. In the Main, Weimer was finally able to get the start he was looking for as
he made his way through the first section in 5th place. Jake looked strong early on but lost two positions by lap 5. He was running 8th until lap 8 where he came shoulder to shoulder with the red plate holder, Ryan Dungey, as Ryan forced his way by. The backwards momentum continued for Jake as he unfortunately was swallowed up by another couple of riders. He held on to 11th position for a hand- ful of laps after this but then fell victim again to the rough track and hard charg- ing riders behind him. At this point Jake was ready for the race to be over as he cruised to a 17th place finish in Daytona.
120 GRITMOTO • MARCH 12, 2017