Page 82 - Issue43

JESSE WENTLAND
250 SX / 11TH
IMAGE / LANGSTON WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / WILSON
>> TiLube Honda rider Jesse Wentland has spent the first six rounds of the 250 East Coast series fishing for a finish inside the coveted top ten. He has been excruciatingly close on a few occasions including an eleventh at the season opener and a twelfth at the most recent race in Detroit. His speed is certainly top ten level but that is not what has been hurting him. His starts have been hindering him greatly especially when it counts in the main event. Last year he proved he has what it takes to battle up there because he earned three top tens including a career best fifth in Toronto. He has yet to find that groove here in 2017 so he was hoping St. Louis would be the race he found it.
Wentland performed well in qualifying practice by putting in the sixteenth fastest lap time. He seemed smooth and ready to show out in the main. He started out ninth in his heat race and knew he had to anchor down the position and move forward. However, he bounced back to eleventh, out of a transfer spot, after one lap. He bounced back and clawed back forward and eventually settled into eighth. He looked to have a sure transfer but a late race bobble sent him back to tenth just outside of the top nine transfer positions. He would have to test his luck in
the always risky LCQ. The LCQ went much smoother for him as he grabbed the holeshot and led it all the way to the finish. He then spent the time to prepare for the main.
Wentland got another average holeshot in the main event by rounding lap one in tenth place. He got jostled around throughout the opening laps but once things quieted down he settled into ninth and held it down for most the race. He looked to have that position on lock but late in the race he bobbled and lost two spots falling back to eleventh. He would not be able to recover and he’d have to settle with an- other finish just outside of the top ten. Another frustrating night for Wentland and he will surely look to recuperate during this short break in the series.
82 GRITMOTO • APRIL 2, 2017