Page 53 - AX-2018

EASY
While Williamson looked to hunt down Sayles for the lead out front, Cooper was able to jump up
to seventh after Lap 1, but then dropped to 10th on the following lap. After patiently waiting for his opportunity to make a pass for the lead, Williamson successfully took control of the Main Event on Lap 4 and proceeded to check out on the field. From there all eyes were on Cooper to see if he would be able to make enough passes to clinch the title. As Williamson’s lead grew to double digits, Cooper was going to work, methodically making critical passes over the second half of the Main Event. He broke into the top five on Lap 12 and needed only to pass his main championship rival, Babbitt’s KTM rider Isaac Teasdale, for fourth to become champion. Williamson was dominant en route to his second Main Event win of the Eastern Regional Championship, crossing the line 9.7 seconds ahead of Sayles, with Zont rounding out the podium. Cooper made a late charge on Teasdale for fourth, but came up just a couple feet short at the finish. The victory by Williamson moved him from third to second in the Eastern Regional standings with one round remaining, 15 points behind Cooper. The fifth-place result by Cooper left him just one point shy of clinching his first professional title. Only he and Williamson will be eligible to claim the championship at the finale in Las Vegas on May 5.
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“I GOT A GOOD START AND JUST PUT MY HEAD DOWN AND TRIED TO BE FAST RIGHT AWAY,”