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DEAN WILSON
450 MX / 8TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MPG
>> Dean Wilson got his 2017 outdoor season started with a bang at the first two rounds.
He notched two fourth overall finishes at Hangtown and Glen Helen which were both career bests. He was nailing solid starts and putting together good, consistent motos which we have been hard to come by for anyone it seems this season. At our last race in Colorado, he slipped down the ranks just a bit with a seventh overall but he still paired together two top ten motos. He looked to do so again but get back up in that top five this weekend at High Point.
Wilson struggled some in qualifying practice only coming away with the twelfth fastest lap time. The track was grueling and it would dry out and be much more manageable come race time so it was of no worries.
Wilson got off to an average start in moto one coming out of lap one in tenth place. Tickle bumped him back to eleventh early but he’d regain tenth a few laps later after getting by his Rockstar Husqvarna teammate Martin Davalos. Then near the halfway point he would pass Swedish rider Fredrik Noren for ninth and never look back. He locked down the spot but could not make any more moves ahead of him and would have to settle with the position. By the time he finally got into ninth the front pack was gone. He knew he’d need a better start in moto two if he wanted that to not happen again.
And get a better start is indeed what Wilson would do. He grabbed the green flag in the second moto in fourth place. He looked strong and steady up there holding it down for
the first six laps before he would make a huge bobble and get dropped down to seventh place. A frustrating move because he would end up in a lonely seventh and have to bring it home to the finish there. He would go 9-7 on the day mirroring his scores from the last race in Thunder Valley. This time they’d only be good enough for eighth overall. He has to be disappointed he let a potential top five slip away but he will bounce back next weekend in Tennessee.
28 GRITMOTO • JUNE 18, 2017