Page 78 - ISSUE49

SHANE MCELRATH
250 MX / 11TH
IMAGE / CAVAZOS WORDS / COPELAND DESIGN / WILSON
>> Troy Lee Designs KTM rider, Shane Mcelrath, is arguably one of the most improved riders in the class. After turning in a few decent rides in the 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Series, he burst onto the main scene this Su- percross season by dominating the first few rounds. Eventually the wheels fell off his title hopes but many felt Shane would bring his speed from the indoors into the outdoor series. Round one wasn’t what most expected to see from Shane. He had a rough moto one and a mediocre moto 2 going 16-10 for 13th overall. As a rider with the speed that he has shown in the past, that isn’t the finishes he needs to be in the title chase. He looked to improve his results on the steep hills of Glen Helen, a track he and other pro riders are very familiar with from testing. The first moto of the day was very competitive inside the top 15 and Shane was in the mix in 10th after the first few laps with a decent start. He ended up slipping back to 12th place on the challenging circuit. The second moto was more of the same with another decent start, the only difference was that this moto he was able to improve his position finishing 9th and 11th place overall on the weekend. Shane has the potential to challenge for podiums and wins. With better starts and some confidence of running up front, Shane could find himself on top of the box
at some point. Next weekend’s round is another opportunity for him to make improvements on a slow start to the 2017 outdoor season.
78 GRITMOTO • MAY 28, 2017