Page 120 - Issue-46

Keith Tucker
450 SX / 20TH
IMAGE / LANG WORDS / KUHLHOFF DESIGN / WILSON
>> MTF/Yamaha/ProTaper/Answer/Stheart/Scott/DWR rider Keith Tucker put on a good ride in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. The number 641 machine out of North Carolina came out swinging and proved that he was worthy of a spot in the Main Event when he finished the first heat race of the evening in the ninth and final transfer position. Keith Tucker was advancing straight into the Main Event. As riders lined up for the Main Event, they all knew that the track was extremely rutted and full of many line options. While line options are usually seen as a positive thing, at MetLife, the rut you chose could be the difference between first and last place. Lap after lap, the track was taking riders by surprise. Staying cautiously consistent was key if you wanted to
get a solid result under your belt heading into the final round. Keith Tucker came off the line with confidence and found himself sitting in an awesome thirteenth place spot on lap five. After a wild ride in St. Louis, Tucker was in Jersey to show everyone what hard work looks like. By the eighth lap, Tucker was still sitting in a very solid fifteenth place but soon ran into some misfor- tune and dropped back to twentieth place on lap nine. Twentieth is where Keith Tucker would finish the evening when the checkered flag flew. This may have not been the result that he was looking for, but I think that Keith Tucker really proved what he is capable of early on in the night and at the beginning of the Main Event. Hopefully he can bring some of this confidence into the next round and stay within the top fifteen.
120 GRITMOTO • APRIL 30, 2017