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Ryan Surratt
250 SX / 16TH
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / KUHLHOFF DESIGN / WILSON
>> We all know that the stiffest competition on race day is the guy lining up next
to you on the gate, but The Emerald City dares to be different. This weekend in Seattle was all about rider versus track. Corona, California native Ryan Surratt
got to experience this firsthand in the second 250 heat race of the night. With shortened practice and race schedules due to typical cold and rainy Pacific North- west weather, Surratt was lining up with only ten minutes of practice under his
belt. The Nut Up/ C4MX / Kawasaki of Modesto rider needed to quickly learn the terribly rocky and constantly evolving track conditions if he wanted a spot in the Main Event. In the mere 5 minutes plus 1 lap heat race, the 338 was able to prove himself worthy of the Main with an eighth place finish. With each passing lap, the track was becoming more deteriorated and unpredictable energy surged as riders lined up in staging for the seventh 250 West Coast round of the season. The gate dropped and Surratt found himself in the 18th place spot early on in the moto. Rid- ers were quickly finding themselves in the throws of heated battles when the red flag flew. Ryan Surratt found himself in a restart. Once again, the gate drops. Sur- ratt finds some improvement and is sitting in the 16th place position early on in the race. With the Main being shortened to twelve minutes and ruts rapidly deepening, perseverance and consistency were key if these riders wanted a solid night. Ryan Surratt did just that and stayed in 16th place for the remainder of the moto. With a commendable heat race finish and a steady ride on an extremely rough track in the Main Event, I can’t wait to see what Surratt can put together in Salt Lake.
96 GRITMOTO • APRIL 9, 2017