Page 28 - GRIT_75

SHANE MCELRATH
250 SX / 1ST
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Shane McElrath started off the season with a bang back at Anaheim 1. He was red up after narrowly losing out to Justin Hill in the previous year’s 250SX West Coast Championship and he appeared to be on a mission to claim what he believes should have been his. He was dominant at that rst round but since then, only two podium nishes. He also had two dismal nishes of thirteenth and fteenth that effectively derailed his title aspirations. He had some re in his riding at the rst few rounds, where he claimed two second place nishes, but narrowly came up short of the wins at those races which could have knocked the wind out of his sails. Sitting thirty-one points behind points leader Aaron Plessinger heading into Salt Lake City, McElrath will look to play spoiler and nish the season on a positive note.
After a few weeks off due to the 250SX East Coast rounds, McElrath looked pretty solid in the morn- ing qualifying sessions. The soil was slick making it hard to nd traction, but he was able to re off the fth fastest lap time of the class. He was in a comfortable position heading into the races.
When the gate dropped in the heat race, it saw McElrath get off to a decent start. He managed to stay steady as he jostled positions with Blake Wharton and Mitchell Harrison and emerge from the rst
lap in second place. Adam Cianciarulo got a clean start and had already built up a nice cushion by the time McElrath settled into second. McElrath kept Cianciarulo the length of the race but just could not get within striking distance. Late in the heat, he began to feel some pressure from Cianciarulo’s teammate, Joey Savatgy, but he was able to thwart it and take the checkered ag in second position. A good heat race for McElrath and he looked forward for the main event.
McElrath nailed another nice start to begin the main. He came around lap one in third but his heat winner, Cianciarulo, burst his way by to take the spot away on the second lap. Now in fourth, McElrath watched the leaders dice back and forth while quietly nding the quick lines around the course and learning from their mistakes. About ve minutes into the race things began to click. McElrath started closing back in on the leaders and would pass Plessinger for third on lap six. He kept the momentum going and squeaked by Cianciarulo on the following lap but Cianciarulo clapped right back to retake the spot. The two riders were running it in deep but keeping it clean. McElrath would nally make the pass stick one lap later when he would y by both Cianciarulo and race leader Joey Savatgy in the same whoop section right before the nish. He completed the “two-fer” pass and never looked back. He slowly pulled away from the eld and brought home the victory. His whoop speed just could not be matched by the rest of the eld and it certainly proved to be the difference. The win has to feel nice for the North Carolina native and good be the juice to energize him as he gears up for the motocross series which begins in a little under a month.
28 GRITMOTO • APRIL 29, 2018