SAN DIEGO (Feb 2, 2019) –
Round 5 of the 2019 AMA Supercross Championship saw the second mud race of the early season on Saturday with less-than-ideal conditions at San Diego’s Petco Park.Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM Factory Racing’s Shane McElrath had an up and down day in San Diego but he managed to end the night on a positive note by finishing just off the podium in fourth. McElrath laid down the fastest lap of the timed qualifying session to earn top gate pick in his heat race. However, things didn’t fall into place for McElrath and he was forced to line up in the last chance qualifier. McElrath did what he needed to do in the LCQ to earn a second-place transfer spot into the Main Event. As the gate dropped for the 250SX West Main Event, McElrath found himself on the ground in the first turn and he began all the way back in 19th. He immediately put his head down and charged through the pack and with two laps to go, he put himself into a top-five position. Despite the chaos on the track, McElrath held strong on the final lap to ultimately claim fourth place where he sits second in the 250SX Championship Standings
|
|
 |
It was a tough day for Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM Factory Racing’s Sean Cantrell, who missed the Main Event by only a couple of positions in the LCQ.
As we head East to Minneapolis this weekend, you will see Troy Lee Designs/ Red Bull/ KTM riders of Jordon Smith and Mitchell Falk hit the track as we begin the first round of the 250 SX East Coast series. Last year in 2018, Jordon Smith fell just short of a 250SX Championship title, finishing 2nd on the East Coast. Jordon is looking forward to Minneapolis and plans to be back up on the podium this weekend. Mitchell Falk, new to the 250SX Class will be making his Rookie Supercross debut this weekend at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The muddy conditions that followed an afternoon and evening rain made for a challenging night for HRC’s Cole Seely. Seely, got off to a poor start and was left covered in mud as a result, prompting an early visit to the mechanics area for a fresh pair of goggles. After returning to action, Seely struggled to stay upright on the treacherous track, falling twice during the 12-lap race before finishing in 14th place.
With heavy rainfall coming down all morning and afternoon, the on-track schedule was delayed and condensed. Due to the brutal track conditions, the decision was later made to shorten the Main Event. These little groms battled it out for as long as they could, resulting in a race win by Maddox Moretz.
