Page 24 - MPG18

theGRIT
Plessinger didn’t waste any time moving around the Pro Circuit Kawasaki debutant, Austin Forkner; he put in his fastest lap of the race (2:02.9) to relegate the rookie back to 12th and it was at that point
that he latched himself to the matching rear fender of A-Mart. The two of them steadily worked their way into the top 10, overtaking the likes of Alex Frye and capitalizing on a Martin Davalos mistake. Plessinger would end the moto in 9th place, but he knew full well when he came into the pits that he could do some damage with a top 10 start. The second 250 moto started marginally bet- ter for the Ohioan, he found himself in 8th place across the finish line on the first lap and was immediately sucked into a battle with Shane McElrath. They rode side by side for practically half a lap; Plessinger worked the smoother outside lines of the track in an attempt to com- bat McElrath’s defensive riding style and he made it work as he was able to carry more momentum through the rollers. Until the halfway point of the moto, Plessinger was at the back of a Star Racing Yamaha freight train and found himself stuck in 7th spot, but Alex Martin did him a favor by forcing Jordon Smith into a crash coming out of the half pipe section - this promoted him to 6th place. This is when things began to happen quickly - Jeremy Martin made a rare mistake attempting to pass Austin Forkner which forced the Kawasaki rider off the track, Plessinger took advantage of the 2 for 1 special and continued to follow A-Mart to the front of the field. The two of them worked their way around a fading Jesse Nelson and Plessinger was able to hold off a late charge from Zach Osborne to secure a 3rd place moto finish as well as 4th place overall on the day. It’s scary to think what would happen if Plessinger didn’t have to play catch up and allowed himself a clear track to work with at the beginning of the race.
24 GRITMOTO • MAY.23.16
words/LAKEKILPATRICK
IMAGE/WONDERGOAT