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IMAGE/JACKEDWARDS
Now that the long awaited pro debut of Austin Forkner is out of the way, it will start to become more and more apparent what the amateur superstar can bring to the professional ranks. He admitted after Hangtown that he was incredibly nervous at the beginning of the first moto which caused him to ride a little bit tight, but it became apparent what he’s capable of after the first race jitters were out
of the way. He showed flashes of brilliance throughout the entire day at Hangtown; he rode a very mature second moto in which he demonstrated racing attributes that can hardly be taught. Forkner had the race craft to hold off the defending series champion and force him into a mistake, he had the speed to pass Jordon Smith for 3rd place, he was able to practically match the lap times of the leaders until late in the race, and he had the maturity to back it down when he began to tire toward the end of the second moto. Not to mention that he qualified 4th fastest in practice just behind a couple of his Pro Circuit teammates as well as the defending 250 West SX champion, Cooper Webb. Forkner’s results were good enough to earn him an 8th overall; he finished 13th in the first moto after a rookie mistake, and he finished 7th in the second moto after running in podium contention for more than half the race. As Forkner begins to adapt to the back-to- back weekend schedule that the pro motocross series offers, he’ll only get better and better as the series progresses. If there were any questions about how his speed will match up with the top contenders, those questions have definitely been answered. If Forkner is able to put himself in a good position out of the gate, it’s not unrealistic for him to finish on the podium in the next couple of rounds. Glen Helen is one of the roughest tracks on the circuit, it’s always brutally hot as the track is located in Southern California, and it’s referred to by riders and industry folk abound as a ‘man’s track’. This coming weekend will be a huge test of the Pro Circuit Kawasaki rookie’s mettle as well as his endurance, but expect the Missourian to really start turning heads when the series heads to Pennsylvania in late June.
AUSTIN FORKNER
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GRITMOTO • MAY.30.16
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