VOL. 52 ISSUE 25 JUNE 23, 2015 P37
With sections at their mud-
diest, Smage did good to
match his nine-point score
from lap two on his third and fi-
nal lap, giving him a total of 24
for the day and the win. Webb
maintained his consistency,
as well, and posted anther
13-point lap to finish the day
with 45 and second overall.
The battle for third came
down to the final lap between
Roper and Putt, with Putt
finally grabbing the last step
of the podium after logging a
stellar 17-point final lap and a
total of 64 points. Roper fin-
ished four marks behind Putt
with a total of 68 for fourth.
Day two was more of the
same. And while the rain held
off, the damage had already
been done, as the riders
were greeted with another
day of muddy sections. Webb
was not among the starters
on Sunday, having become ill
over night that required a trip
to the hospital.
Once again, Smage
jumped out to a narrow lead
after the first lap with 13
points. Putt was sitting in
second at 16 points, followed
by Roper with 27.
Smage edged Putt by three
points again on the second
loop, 17 to 20, while Roper
bettered his first lap by six
points to post a 21-point lap.
Heading into the final lap,
Smage held a six-point lead
over Putt. Smage knuckled
down and pulled off an amaz-
ing 11-point lap and waited in
the pits for Putt to turn in his
card. When Putt finally came
in, his third-lap card totaled
26, giving Smage the clear
win.
Putt finished second with
56 points, 15 behind Smage's
41, while Roper rounded out
the podium with a total for the
day of 75.
"It's pretty amazing," said
Smage. "To have one title is
pretty amazing, but I never
dreamed I'd reach eight. It feels
really good, and with Cody
Webb coming back to ride this
year, I really wasn't expecting
to do this well. Putt and Roper
are riding really well, too, and I
didn't know if they would over-
take me this year or not, so it's
kind of a surprise to wrap up
the title early."
Shan Moore
Andrew Putt
was the
second-most
consistent
rider in
the slick
conditions.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
SHAN
MOORE
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
SHAN
MOORE
Pat Smage
clinched his
eighth AMA
National Trials
Championship
in Ohio.
