Page 16 - LS2_DENNISKIRK_ISSUE_1

THIS IS IT... THE
. WORK WILL BE
REMEMBER..
WORTH IT
“I’ve learned that you fully have to give
up the normal teenage life if you want do this right and that’s what I’ve done.”
COLE SEELY |
CThe upcoming 2018 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season will most likely serve as an important milestone in the career of Cole Seely. The Californian has always been seen as a supercross specialist with the majority of his success on a dirt bike coming indoors, but it’s been since his rookie premier class season in 2015 that he’s tasted victory. The Factory Honda
rider even proved himself as an eventual 450 SX title contender when he still competed full-time on a 250, scoring his first top five finish in 2012 and his first podium finish in 2014. The Californian showed a lot of potential before moving up to the bigger bike, and his buttery smooth riding style seems to favor the 450, but he hasn’t quite shown the consistent success that some may have expected from him on the indoor circuit. Honda made radical changes to the ‘17 CRF450R and it’s been proven as a race winning machine in the hands of Seely’s teammate, Ken Roczen. The Californian has shown the ability to fight for the top five each and every race, only finishing worse than sixth position on two occasions last year, but he only managed to land on the podium in two out of sixteen races that he contested. If Seely wants to keep his seat on the Factory HRC team, he’s going to have to find a way to take that next step and land on the podium
16 THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 2018
with more frequency. Since making his full-time 450 SX debut, Seely’s consistency has improved but his podium finishes per season have decreased -- the Californian scored five podiums in his rookie season, four podiums in his sophomore year, and just two in 2017. He’ll have to find a healthy balance of speed and consistency throughout the season if he hopes to stay ahead of the young guns that will soon be moving into the fray from the 250 class. In addition to his teammate Ken Roczen, Geico Honda’s Jeremy Martin will be stepping up to the 450 class for the west coast rounds of the 2018 season, and there’s no doubt that his results will be measured against the two-time 250 Pro Motocross Champion. It only took Martin one 450 SX race to score a podium finish in 2017 when he showed up at Daytona and battled Eli Tomac for the win for the first half of the main event, therefore providing Seely with a bit of motivation during the off- season. The sport of motocross racing exemplifies Darwinism in its purest form, and if Cole Seely doesn’t step it up this year, the next generation of racers are waiting to fill his spot.