Page 34 - GRIT_75

JOEY SAVATGY
250 SX / 3RD
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Many pegged Joey Savatgy as the favorite to win the 2018 250SX West Coast title after the dramatic way he lost the 250SX East Coast title on the nal lap of the nal race a year ago in Las Vegas. There would surely be a re burning deep down in his body to fuel him forward to a shot at redemption here in 2018. Things started off promising for him this season with a fourth, a second, and a win at the rst three rounds but something was missing. He was so close twinning at round two in Houston but succumbed
to late race pressure from Aaron Plessinger. He rebounded with the win the following weekend but since that round three win, he has just been a tick off. He has led a number of laps at four different races so far this season but only has one win to show for it. He has struggled signi cantly of late with a tenth and a twelfth at the last two rounds; So, he comes into Salt Lake City desperately searching for something posi- tive as he still clings to his very slim title hopes.
Savatgy looked solid per usual in the practice qualifying sessions. The tenured Monster Energy/Pro Cir- cuit Kawasaki rider performed well up in the altitude and was able to throw down the third fastest lap time of the class, just two one-thousandths of a second off Aaron Plessinger’s lap time in second. He looked poised and ready to throw down in the races.
Savatgy kicked off his heat race by getting out to a top ve start. He had to dodge and weave his way through some rst lap scaries but ultimately secured the green ag in third place. He had a bit of a gap between himself and Shane McElrath in second and he started to go after him. Savatgy inched up and got close a few times but McElrath was able to negate any possible advance. Savatgy would have to be content with the third-place outcome and head back and prepare for the main event.
Savatgy got exactly what he needed to begin the main. A holeshot. He hopped through the rst lap rst and tried to run away from the eld. However, this would prove to be tough because he had three other title contenders right on his rear wheel. He did nice job in the opening laps but Plessinger closed the gap a few minutes in. The two began dicing back and forth before Savatgy was able to pull back ahead just a bit. A few more laps went by before he began to feel pressure from his teammate, Adam Cianciarulo along with McElrath. The pressure of the battle forced Savatgy to bobble in the whoops midway through the race allowing both Cianciarulo and McElrath to get past him. That move summed up Savatgy’s sea- son. Leading several laps early only to squander it with a simple a mistake. The competition is too close to allow him to get away with slight blunders like that, but he would recover and nish the race strong
in third, defending every charge from fourth place Plessinger with success. Heading into Las Vegas, Savatgy sits third in the points standings, twenty-two points off the lead. He would need a miracle to pull off the upset, but he should know, of all people, that anything can happen in Vegas.
34 GRITMOTO • APRIL 29, 2018