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JOEY SAVATGY
250 MX / 8TH
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / TILLS
>> 2017 has not gone quite how we envisioned it would for Joey Savatgy. The Mon- ster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider struggled to seal the deal in Supercross and lost it all in the final corner of the championship. The whole ordeal took a toll on him but he was determined to come out swinging outdoors. He struggled at Hangtown but was poised to finish on the podium at Glen Helen but a mechanical ended his day ear- ly. He responded by winning Thunder Valley the following weekend but relapsed again last weekend at High Point with an average seventh place finish. He needed a big day at Muddy Creek to try and claw his way out of the deep championship points hole.
He’d emerge from qualifying practice with the ninth fastest lap time but threw down the fastest time of the second session. He looked strong on the Tennessee track and was ready to get back on top.
The first moto began and the worst possible thing happened to Savatgy. He got clipped in the first turn and went down along with Jeremy Martin and Dylan Ferrandis. The three riders all remounted together and charged forward. Savatgy was in the mid- dle of the group and they all started dicing through the field. It was fascinating to watch three riders fly through the field of riders in a train. Ferrandis would sneak ahead of Savatgy late in the moto after Cunningham was stingy and would not let Savatgy by. And then Martin would wash out leaving Savatgy alone officially breaking up the train. Savatgy would ultimately end the moto in eleventh. Clearly he was disappointed but the battles during the surge through the field were fun to watch.
The second moto started better for Savatgy as he started in ninth. He hounded Chase Sexton for most of the first half of the race but initially could not find room for a pass. When he finally did most of the field had rode away. He was able to get around Colt Nichols a few laps later at the halfway point but the damage had been done. He’d fin- ish in a lonely seventh. His 11-7 scores were certainly not what he envisioned before the weekend began. He will have to channel that frustration into a stellar performance next weekend in front of the wild, sea of fans at Red Bud.
50 GRITMOTO • JUNE 25, 2017