Page 46 - Issue-61

ADAM CIANCIARULO
250 SX / 7TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> After several seasons competing on the 250SX East Coast Championship series, Adam Ciancia- rulo has finally taken his talents to the West Coast Championship. The long-time Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki rider was ready to contend for another title after being in the thick of a wild champi- onship title fight in the East Coast series one year ago. He proved to everyone he could beat the best of the best after winning the toughest supercross race of the year at Daytona and then winning the East/West shootout in Las Vegas at the season finale but now it is time for him to prove to everyone he can have those kinds of performances on a consistent basis. Now a veteran of the class, it is his time for than ever to go out and win some races. Cianciarulo rolled into Houston fresh off a solid third place performance at his first Anaheim 1. He showed that his speed was on par and he would do so again in qualifying practice this week. He would set the fastest lap time of the class by an impressive half a second. He clearly meant business and many riders feared what he was capable of come race time. Cianciarulo picked up right where he left off in practice in his heat race. He rocketed out to the early lead and never looked back. He took the heat race win with a comfortable cushion and without a challenge from anyone. He seemed to be the man to beat heading into the main event.
The holeshot evaded Cianciarulo in the main but he was able to push into third by the end of lap one. There he settled in behind race leaders Joey Savatgy and Shane McElrath. He quickly found his groove and began setting the pace. Just a few laps into the race he was applying serious pressure to McElrath who was applying his own serious pressure to Savatgy. McElrath was caught between the two teammates and he eventually falter giving up second place to Cianciarulo on lap six. Ciancia- rulo then immediately went to work on Savatgy. He was all over him and may have gotten too antsy because next thing you know, he tucked the front-end of his machine diving to the inside of Savatgy. He would remount quickly but since the field was so tight he fell to fifth. He did not fret as he regained his composure passing back Christian Craig rather quickly to get into fourth. He then spent the rest of the race tracking down McElrath to retake third. He’d finally do so with four laps to go but it was short- lived because with two laps to go, he would go down again, this time looping out of a rut in the exit of a corner. He’d remount sixth but would surrender another spot on the final lap to Mitchell Oldenburg sending him back to seventh. A devastating main event after previously having such a fantastic day. He will surely have a sour taste in his mouth all week leading up to Anaheim 2.
46 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 14, 2018