Page 67 - MPG20

theGRIT
IMAGES / dustyOLIVER
Zach Osborne was looking to get back to the top five and maybe even a podium this weekend in Colorado. He railed off the twelfth quickest time in practice and looked pretty good in doing so. He’s been struggling with starts so far this season and knew if he corrected that he would be right at the
front. Osborne lined up at the very inside gate hoping he would get a decent start by hugging the inside all the way through the first turn and he would do just that. He was buried entering the turn but snuck through the inside exiting in seventh place. He would inherit fifth place a few laps in due to Plessinger and Alex Martin going down and he made sure to take advantage. He started throwing down some fast laps catching Jordon Smith each lap. He finally got within striking distance at the halfway point and he put a thrilling pass on the Geico rider. He squared up the first corner and just motored to the inside sealing the line into the next turn. It was a textbook pass and it put him in fourth. From there he would just ride away in no mans land finishing in that position. A really solid moto that was much needed for the Husqvarna rider. Moto number two didn’t start off as great for Osborne as a crash heading up the start straight pinched him off. He still hugged the inside to salvage position and surprisingly came out in fourteenth. It could have been much worse. He was kind of stuck in that position in the opening laps as chaos was happening all around him but as the early moto intensity wore off, he began to move forward. He moved into eleventh after ten minutes and then got Harrison for tenth at the halfway point. Then later in the race when all eyes were on the battle for the lead, Osborne went back to work. He passed several riders in the final laps one by one including Webb, Tonus, Nelson, Cianciarulo, and McElrath on the final lap to finish a nice come from behind sixth place. His 4-6 moto scores were could enough for fourth overall by far his best finish on the season.
words/SETHHARNISHFEGER
WWW.GRITMOTO.COM
67