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Tyler Bowers is finally starting to get in his groove after starting the season far from 100%. He has basically been racing himself back into shape and getting stronger at each round. He got going at Metlife Stadium with a seventh place qualifying time. Not really where he
expects himself to be but many times those times don’t mean anything come race time.
Bowers got his Monster Energy Kawasaki going right out of the gates in his heat race firing out to an early second place. He got to work by blitzing through the whoops and getting by McElrath for the lead. We haven’t seen this intensity from Bowers all year so it was exciting to see him get after it. But the very next lap he would make a mistake in the sand and surrender the position back to McErath. Bowers did not give up and actually made the pass back for the lead in the same spot that he was passed in the lap before! It was great racing and it looked like he was about to ride to the win when Aaron Plessinger came storming into him in the final corner and stealing the heat win. Despite not winning, Bowers has to be happy that he showed he still has the speed and the fight to win.
Bowers got out to another great start in the main event maneuvering into second place. The first few laps were hectic and it saw him lose a spot to points leader Malcolm Stewart but after that he settled into third place. From there he put in a solid ride but around the halfway point he made a couple of mistakes allowing Martin and McElrath by dropping him to fifth. Then when it looked like he was a sure bet for fifth, Plessinger yet again came storming through to steal the position late
in the race. Bowers would have to settle for sixth place. It was easy to tell he still doesn’t have the endurance to keep up the front pace for a full fifteen but he is getting closer. Next week is Las Vegas, where he has won in the past, so you can
count on him to go out and try and end his season strong.
words/SETHHARNISHFEGER
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