NOTOCROSS
LUCAS OIL/AMA PRO MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS
ROUND 7 / JUNE 7, 2018
BUCHANAN, MICHIGAN / REDBUD
P72
side after his moto-one crash,
rounded lap one in fifth and
fought his way up to second by
the halfway point, but this time,
he wouldn't get close enough
to Plessinger to challenge the
points leader for the race win.
Plessinger took the win over
Forkner, Martin, Ferrandis (who
had another late-race charge
for fourth), Forkner's teammate
Joey Savatgy, Chase Sexton,
Justin Cooper, and then Har-
rison in eighth and McElrath,
recovering from the first-turn fall
to take ninth. Nichols was 17th
and Smith was 20th.
Plessinger managed to add
In moto two, it was Pless-
inger's former teammate Mitchell
Harrison (now racing for Rock-
star Energy Husqvarna) who
took the holeshot, while there
was a big pileup before the first
turn that took out McElrath, his
teammate Jordon Smith, Pless-
inger's teammate Colt Nichols,
and Hampshire. Hampshire
ended up with a DNF from the
crash.
Plessinger didn't wait long to
slice through the top few racers
and take over the lead, while the
rest of the field started gobbling
Harrison up, too.
Forkner, starting from way out-
turns later, Forkner went to the
outside after the sand whoops
and Plessinger dived into the
inside line fully committed. When
the lines intersected, Forkner
went down hard, his front wheel
climbing Plessinger's rear wheel
as they exited the turn.
Plessinger went on to take
the moto win over RJ Hampshire
(Geico Honda), Plessinger's
teammate Dylan Ferrandis,
McElrath's teammate (and
second in points) Alex Martin,
McElrath, and Forkner's team-
mate Garrett Marchbanks, in his
first race back since straining his
MCL in his knee at High Point.
Shane McElrath
(28) is chased by
Austin Forkner (35)
and Plessinger.
