Page 28 - Issue-35

MARTIN DAVALOS
250 SX / OKLAND
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Martin Davalos came into Oakland on a crest of consistency as the veteran Rock- star Husqvarna rider has finished in the top five in each and every main event so far
in 2017. The native Ecuadorian has been able to pull together multiple heat race wins so far throughout the season, but the main events have been the crux of his downfall. Davalos has shown the speed on multiple occasions throughout the year -- he even led the main event at the second round in San Diego right up until the final lap, but he has ultimately failed to hang on until the checkered flag. The Florida import has been looking more and more comfortable on his Rockstar Husqvarna with each passing weekend, proving exactly that with a fourth place qualifying time on a rough and tricky track in Oakland Colliseum. Davalos blasted out of the gate to a solid start as he put his Rockstar Husqvarna in the top three on the opening lap. The veteran rider found himself with a front row seat to an exceptional opening lap battle between the Yamaha duo of Dan Reardon and A.J. Catanzaro. As the two of them swapped positions, it al- lowed Davalos to close into striking distance, setting him up for the pass on Catanzaro on the second lap of action. He didn’t waste anytime tracking down the Australian na- tive at the head of the field as he forced his way into the lead on the very next lap, put- ting his head down and setting his sights on another heat race victory. The thirty-year old did just that as he clicked off consistent times against the grain of the challenging track for the second half of the race, eventually crossing the finish line in first position with over ten seconds between himself and second position. Martin Davalos stormed out of the gate in the main event, putting himself at an early advantage ahead of the rest of the pack. He was able to avoid the incident in the second corner that burdened so many riders, dramatically separating the front of the field early on. The Rockstar Husqvarna rider led the majority of the opening lap, but he wasn’t able to hold onto the lead all the way until the finish line. Davalos was forced to concede the position to Justin Hill and settle into second place where he would stay for the remainder of the race. From that point onward, it was a fairly processional showing from the Florida resident as he clicked off the laps and stayed afloat on a rough, choppy track. Hill dangled a carrot in front of Davalos after the Kawasaki rider made a mistake within the latter stages, but the Husqvarna rider wasn’t able to take advantage and pounce on the leader. He was able to make an improvement for his best finish of the season thus far, holding onto second place, but Davalos will undoubtedly be looking to take that next step when the gate drops in AT&T Stadium next weekend.
28 GRITMOTO • FEBRUARY 5, 2017