Page 28 - ISSUE_62

JOEY SAVATGY
250 SX / 1ST
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> “The second coming, the new beginning, the truth is speaking, you should listen.” The aforemen- tioned quote being a signature, engrained into the mentality of Joey Savatgy, as he and crew trans- ported their means to the depths of Anaheim for round number three of the series. It was a place
of redemption, a new slate with absolutely zero overhead. The clouds are no longer looming, with glistening rays of opportunity beaming down on the stadium floor. And upon his arrival, it was though the seas had parted, making his initial walk down the tunnel as clear as can be. From the moment he twisted the throttle through the mounds of California soil, it was though the rear tire dispersed seeds of shear speed; and if you were quick enough to follow this particular trail, you too could be blessed with a daunting lap-time. With the chassis ricocheting off of each particular whoop, his front wheel would merely bounce off the top of the following knoll. Hammering the outsides of every bowl turn in sight, his transition from sitting to standing was impeccable, making the switch as swiftly as possible. Crossing the finish line for the final time, he would be escorted by his mechanic out of the arena, and look to congregate with his team beneath the canopy. After hours of qualification, he had solidified himself into the series of main events. Preparing with his ever so usual pre-race routine, he would await for the motors to roar around him, prior to the gate-drop. The steel would clash for the opening main, and bottled into the turn he would go. Heading the first lap of the field, Savatgy looked to return to his amateur roots. Adopting his California roots, there was no stopping the train of the Kawasaki, as the gap would widen ever so slightly with each particular go around. With the soil really begin- ning to blossom, he was truly excelling as a unit. With Christian Craig at his bay, there was simply no stopping the Pro Circuit rider, as he would go on to claim victory. Round number two, saw Savatgy get into a groove with familiar foe, Shane McElrath out front, while newcomer Chase Sexton would be in the runner-up position. Making quick work of the number 40, he had all eyes sat on the number 28 machine. However, the resiliency of the number 28 was impressive, pushing towards a nearly 4 second gap by the checkered flag. Consistency was the name of the game, and he was sitting hefty atop the leaderboard coming into the last stop. The finale then took place, it was Sexton who was
out front, and setting sail to the field. Scrubbing every jump with the utmost integrity, Savatgy was patient but persistent in the hunt of the Geico gecko. He waited, almost staking out from afar; when all the sudden he took aim through the scope, pulling the trigger on lap thirteen, and pushing Sexton to third. Meanwhile, Cianciarulo would hound his PC teammate; but the veteran mentality of Savatgy never faltered, and he would go on to take the win, a mere two tenths of a second in front of AC. What a ride!
28 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 21, 2018