Cycle News

Cycle News 2019 Issue 10 March 12

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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SUPERCROSS MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS, AN FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 10 / MARCH 9, 2019 DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY / DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA P54 two-and-a-half seconds faster than me, and I'm sitting there question- ing myself. We had to play catch up and make improvements after each practice. In the main, it took a little bit to get in the groove and got shuffled [back] to third, and then I finally found the lines and the flow. I was making good time in the whoops, and it just started coming to me." Points leader Webb worked hard for his second place. He started off in fourth, dropped back a spot for a lap, then slowly worked his way forward. Webb took second away from Baggett on the seventh lap and held the position the rest of the way de- spite heavy pressure by his Red PLESSINGER'S HEEL BREAKER Aaron Plessinger (Monster Energy Yamaha) looks like he'll be sidelined for a while. After jumping out to an eighth-place start in the 450SX main, he mistimed a rhythm sec- tion and landed hard on the face of a jump and was catapulted off the bike. He landed even harder on his feet, which resulted in a broken heel. No word yet on how long he will be out. NO BARCIA Justin Barcia sat out the Daytona Su- percross, his second race in a row. He suffered a concussion before the previous week's Atlanta Supercross. No announcement has been made regarding his return. MCELRATH'S FIRST 450 RACE (SORT OF) Sean McElrath got his first taste of racing in the 450SX class, although he wasn't on a 450. The 250SX West rider for the TLD/Red Bull KTM Team filled in for the team East racers because both of them, Jordon Smith (wrist) and Mitchell Falk (who will return next week), are sidelined with injuries, as well as West rider Sean Cantrell (wrist). But instead of competing in the 250SX East class, McElrath rode his KTM 250 SX-F in the 450SX class, mainly because of the short notice and didn't have time to prepare on the big bike properly. (Smith's been rac- ing ever since injuring his wrist at the Arlington Supercross and decided to give the wrist a rest after last week's race in Atlanta.) McElrath got a 15th- place start against the 450s in the main and eventually finished 12th. TRIPLE DUTY Ryan Sipes is currently in the middle of a jam-packed week at Daytona. He competed in the 250SX East class Saturday night, then lined up for the three-hour GNCC race in nearby Palatka on Sunday morning, and will compete in the AFT TT at the Daytona Speedway on Thursday. "It's been six years since I've raced supercross, or even been on a track. I've basically lived at the supercross track the past month," Sipes said of his preparation. "I've been getting used to that because supercross is one that you can't just show up and fake it. You have to be ready and prepared. So I've been doing that, still riding some off-road and a little bit of flat track. I've got supercross, GNCC on Sunday and then flat track on Thursday. It's going to be a busy week, but I'm looking forward to it." Riding a Red Bull/Leatt-back KTM, Sipes took 14th in the 250SX East main. TOUGH TRACK As gnarly as it looked, the Daytona track wasn't the toughest. "I'd say for the Daytona's I've raced in the past, it wasn't the worst one," Eli Tomac said. Marvin Musquin agreed, com- menting, "They did a pretty good job of tuning up the track. Maybe a few of the corners were one-lined. It was definitely technical, but I thought it would be a little worse, especially the big rhythm. It was good for rac- ing." BLINDED BY THE SAND Dean Wilson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) had to play catch-up after just one turn in the race. "I feel like my riding was really good in the Briefly...

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