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Arnaud Tonus was looking for redemption when he arrived at Budds Creek this weekend. Late race problems and not being able to run in the second moto surely left a bad taste in his mouth. He channeled that distaste
into some solid qualifying sessions ending up with the seventh fastest time. Tonus did not get the greatest of starts in moto one securing the green flag back in twelfth place. The Swiss native did not get overwhelmed and began making moves towards the front. He picked off a rider about every other lap in the opening stages until he locked into eighth place fifteen minutes into the moto. He remained hungry and made a few more moves including one on Martin Davalos to get up into sixth in the latter stages of the moto. He looked to make a run at fifth but a fired up Cooper Webb would come storming by at the white flag but Tonus did not make it easy on him. They swapped positions but Tonus would not be able to get back ahead as he would finish just behind Webb in seventh. Tonus nailed a better start in the second moto coming out in eighth but quickly moving around Cunningham to take over seventh. He kept drifting towards the front passing Savatgy and Charboneau to get all the way up to fourth several laps into the moto. He remained strong in that position for the next fifteen minutes until Cooper Webb came knocking but once again Tonus put up a fight. The two riders engaged in a healthy battle for the better part of a lap before Tonus cased a double allowing Webb easy access to get by. Alex Martin would also get by shortly after sending him back to sixth but he still had a solid moto going for him. Tonus was riding strong in the waning laps but then he would make a critical mistake and go down. He would drop all the way back to seventeenth where he would ultimately finish. Not the way he wanted to end the pretty solid day he had going. He will have one last race to avenge this 7-17 performance and try and stay inside that top five.
words/SETHHARNISHFEGER WWW.GRITMOTO.COM
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