Page 28 - Issue_78

GARRETT MARCHBANKS
250 MX / 8TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Garrett Marchbanks is one of many new faces on the circuit here in 2018. He is a rookie with the famed Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki squad. He has been with their amateur af liate since 2012 so he knows the bike and their operations making his transition to a profes- sional almost seamless. There was great hype surrounding the kid from Utah in the weeks leading up to Hangtown. He’s known to have wickedly fast speed and he certainly showed it last year at the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Championships by winning both champion- ships in the two classes he entered. He also won the 2017 AMA Amateur Motocross Racer of the Year award so it’s safe to say there are many good reasons why he has so much hype. At his debut last weekend at Hangtown, he struggled in the rst moto but showcased his speed in the second moto by nishing sixth. He was ready to have a more consistent day at round two at Glen Helen.
Marchbanks did not have the greatest of morning qualifying practice sessions but he still did well nonetheless. His fastest lap time was the tenth fastest in the class and he knew that time could get even quicker in the races when the adrenaline and intensity is heightened.
Marchbanks got an average start to kick off the day of racing. He started ninth but slotted into eighth by the end of lap two. He was attached to the rear wheel of his teammate, Joey Savatgy, and he did not let him get away. A lot of the attention went to Savatgy and the battle he was having with the riders ahead of him and that let Marchbanks quietly move into position to make a pass. After ve laps of stalking his teammate, Marchbanks nally made the pass after some mistakes from Savatgy. He looked solid up there and he made another move to take over sixth by passing Shane McElrath at the halfway point. It looked like he had the sixth-place nish in the bag but Savatgy, who had remained on his rear wheel after getting passed, fought back by Marchbanks on the nal lap. This resulted in Marchbanks nishing the moto in seventh.
Marchbanks suffered a terrible start to begin the second moto. The rookie rounded the rst
lap buried in seventeenth place. He responded quickly by picking off riders one by one on his journey to the front. He made quick moves and charged his way up to tenth at the halfway point. Once he got there, his charge died out mainly because the riders ahead of him were so far ahead. He ultimately would have to settle with nishing tenth for the moto. That would make it 7-10 moto scores for the day resulting in an eighth overall. It was an improvement on last weekend and it surely won’t be his last.
28 GRITMOTO • MAY 27, 2018