Page 94 - Issue-35

HEATH HARRISON
250 SX / OKLAND
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / WILSON
>> CycleTrader Rock River Yamaha rider Heath Harrison’s 250 West Coast series debut a week ago at Glendale did not go as planned as he failed to qualify for the main event. We’ve seen Harrison consistently in the top twenty in the 450 outdoor series but he has rarely lined up at a supercross and in those rare entries, he had only qualified in one main event. He looked to make that two and first of the season this weekend at Oakland. He put down the eighteenth fastest lap time in practice and was ready to put up a fight to get into that prestigious main event.
In his heat race, Harrison rounded lap one in tenth place, one spot out of a transfer spot. He recognized his position and started to power his way into that top nine. He was so locked in, he flew up to sixth place in a mere three laps. He was not letting anyone take away his chances at his first 250 main event. Although he did surrender one position to Forkner on the final lap, Harrison still finished and seventh and was well on his way to the main event.
Harrison was hyped up to be in the main and he proved it by firing out to an eighth place start. He looked to stay smooth and steady throughout the race and not risk catastrophe. He lost two spots to Plessinger and Cole Martinez early on and that seemed to wake him up as he began to loosen up and settle in. He would hold onto the tenth-place position from then through the end of the race to secure a top ten in his first 250 main event of his career. Harrison must be stoked on the ride and the night as a whole. He’ll aim to make it two mains in a row next weekend at Dallas.
94 GRITMOTO • FEBRUARY 5, 2017