Page 134 - ISSUE 40

SCOTT CHAMPION
450 SX / 22ND
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / LANNAN DESIGN / WILSON
>> Scott Champion has had a roller coaster of a season so far in 2017. He started off his year aboard the smaller 250 machine and found many ups and downs. Scott nearly found the top ten in Phoenix only to finish up with a 20th the weekend after. He then made the jump to the big bore machine just a few weeks ago as the series switched to the east coast region and his ups and downs have followed. Scott qualified for the 450 Main in Atlanta but had struggled to find the same success until the day began on Saturday in Daytona. He looked to find his flow in practice early and off to the races he went. When the gate dropped for 450 Heat 2, Scott got a decent jump and was running just inside the top fifteen early on. He made his way up to 12th place by the finish but would go on to the Semi. When this race began, Scott got a great start and was able to hold a steady middle line around the first corner. He maintained 8th place for
a little while but would slip to 10th by the end of the race. In the LCQ, he was determined to improve as he took over 4th place quickly. He would hold on to the spot all the way until the checkers, securing his ticket to the Main Event. When the gate dropped for the big show, Scott was
lined up all the way to the far outside and did his best to get a good start. Things didn’t work out quite the way he wanted as he was forced to settle for 20th on the first lap. Things didn’t get any better for him as the rough and tough track proved to be a competitor of its own. Scott would cruise on to a 22nd place finish in Daytona.
134 GRITMOTO • MARCH 12, 2017