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BROC TICKLE
450 SX / TEXAS
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Broc Tickle has been finding his feet thus far in the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross season. The RCH Suzuki rider has been involved in the battle just outside of the top ten throughout most rounds of racing, but his results have been held back by unlucky circumstances and poor starts. He’s coming off of his best race this season after an eleventh place finish in Oakland -- a track that undoubtedly played into his strengths; Tickle has the technical precision and agility on a motorcycle to navigate a soft, rutted track like the one found inside the Oakland Coliseum one week ago. The result on the edge of the top ten will have done loads for the Suzuki rider’s confidence coming into Arlington. He continued on that plane of form once timed practice got underway at AT&T Stadium, eventually finishing up both sessions in twelfth position overall. Tickle didn’t get the best start in
the first heat race as he came around the first corner in the midst of the pack. The Michiganian persistently worked his way forward, making his way past Michael Akaydin and Vince Friese on two consecutive laps. At that point, he hit a bit of a standstill in eighth position as he closed onto the rear fender of his fellow Suzuki rider, Jake Weimer. The two of them were evenly matched for the remainder of the heat and finished within practically a second of one another at the checkered flag, but neither were able to transfer straight to the main. Tickle set out to a stellar start in the first semi qualifier as he came across the line in third position behind the Smartop MotoConcept’s rider of Vince Friese. He made quick work of the Honda rider as he forced his way into second position on the first flying lap, subsequently setting his sights on Chad Reed in the lead. Tickle was able to lay down solid laps throughout the middle of the race, progressively closing the gap to the front. The RCH Suzuki rider kept the pressure on all the way until the checkered flag, but ultimately
had to settle for second position. Tickle didn’t set out to the best of starts in the main event as he dropped into eleventh position just behind Rocky Mountain ATV/MC’s Blake Baggett and the pair of them came under pressure from Dungey in the opening laps. Tickle temporarily dropped back to thirteenth position on the fourth lap as he became enveloped in a battle with the Yamaha of Reed, but he didn’t let that throw him out of his rhythm. The Michiganian replicated his performance in the semi as he stuck to the rear wheel of the Australian, eventually promoting himself to ninth place due to the series of unfortunate events that unfolded at the front of the field. One lap later, Reed was forced to pull into the mechanics area with some sort of bike issue, moving the RCH Suzuki rider up into eighth position in relatively processional fashion. He smartly rode his own
race and kept things consistent on the challenging track in order to move his way past a downed Blake Baggett a handful of laps later, putting him soundly into sixth position. Tickle rode out to the remainder of the race with a healthy gap on either side of him, safely greeting the checkered flag with his best finish of the 2017 season. The Michigan native will be looking to keep himself inside the top ten as the series heads back towards his home state next weekend.
20 GRITMOTO • FEBRUARY 12, 2017