Page 54 - Issue_39

KYLE PETERS
250 SX / 8TH
IMAGE /MPG WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> It has been an injury riddled 2017 season for the Joe Gibb’s Racing Suzuki team; Weston Peick was forced out of action after a practice crash early in
the season, Justin Barcia missed the first six rounds due to a wrist injury, Matt Bisceglia has suffered two separate leg injuries that will keep him out of racing for the foreseeable future, Phil Nicoletti crashed at Press Day in Dallas and will miss the remainder of the racing season. Consequently, Jeremy Alrbrecht needed to find a replacement rider to race the 250 East SX division on a JGR Suzuki and
it just so happened that Kyle Peters fit that mold. The North Carolina native has plans to race in Australia this year on a Suzuki, but his obligations didn’t pose an interference. He has been able to grab two top ten finishes so far throughout the first two rounds of action and he qualified close to that standard in Toronto with the sixteenth fastest lap time of the combined sessions. Unfortunately, Peters set off to a dreadful start in the first 250 heat race as he came across the finish line in eighteenth position on the opening lap. The JGR backed Suzuki rider wasn’t able to make the progress that he needed to throughout the course of the race, forcing himself into the LCQ. He couldn’t have put himself in a better situation out of the gate as he grabbed the holeshot and immediately began to gap the rest of the field. Peters commanded the first transfer position for the entirety of the four lap race as he secured a spot in the main event ahead of Freddie Noren. The JGR Suzuki rider set off to a decent start in the main event as he settled into thirteenth position on the opening lap. Peters was involved in a battle with Jesse Wentland and Anthony Rodriguez throughout the opening laps. A couple of laps into the affair, he was able to move past the home country rider of Cole Thompson, pro- moting himself to twelfth position. Peters remained steady for the opening stages of the race, eventually working his way past Alex Martin, R.J. Hampshire, and Cameron McAdoo to force his way into eighth position. It was an inspired ride
by the JGR fill in as he moved forward through the field past some factory team regulars. Peters will be aiming to improve his results and inch towards the top five as his stint with the team continues throughout the season.
54 GRITMOTO • MARCH 5, 2017