VOL. 54 ISSUE 14 APRIL 11, 2017 P39
grandfather on the drive up on
Friday when he received news
that his grandfather passed away
unexpectedly that morning,
making the weekend emotionally
trying.)
Gerston also took a pull at the
front of the pack on his Motul/
Kenda/Klim-backed 390 RR
in the early going. "I've been
knowing that I can get out front
all year and I know I can get out
front and win one so it was kind
of more like, 'Finally!' I'm where I
belong and where I should be!"
he shared. "So I'm like, 'Cool,
I'm going to put down a pace so
nobody can follow me' and I tried
to put down a pace. Next thing
you know, you've got this little
Trystan Hart fellow coming up
on me hard and I'm like, 'What
got into this guy?' And I kind of
conveniently tipped over and he
went right by me."
That put Hart in front to stay
on his Kenda/Motul/O'Neal FX
350, allowing the Canadian to
redeem himself after the eighth-
and ninth-place finishes at the
previous two rounds which he
felt weren't indicative of his
potential.
"[Round three at] Gorman was
not my style; I wasn't into that at
all," he declared. "Since I did so
bad there, I wanted redemption
so I came here because I knew
this one was going to be tighter."
He described his race: "I've
never been one to be crazy
off the start and just hammer
everyone, so I got in my groove
and on the second lap I started
picking people off and that's just
how I do it normally."
Hart completed that second
lap in 45 minutes and 28 sec-
onds—the fastest lap of the race
by anyone—and kept a comfort-
able cushion to the finish over
Burson, Gerston and Bolin.
Tremaine crossed the finish
fifth, but now awaits a decision
by the AMA as to whether that
will stand. IRC Tires GasGas
rider Fiasconaro was sixth to get
the checkered flag followed by
Yamaha-mounted Justin Bonita,
Purvines DA8 Racing Yamaha's
Axel Pearson, SRT KTM's Ste-
ven Godman and SRT Husqvar-
na rider J.T. Baker, the FMF Pro
250 winner for the third time this
season.
Mark Kariya
(Above) FMF Pro 250 winner J.T. Baker (center) celebrates on the
podium with Dillon Sheppard (left) and Calum Campbell (right).
(Right) Kyle Kerling earned his first win of the season in
dominating the Big Wheel race over Logan McChesney and
series points leader Mason Matthies.
