CHAMPIONSHIP
VOL. 55 ISSUE 8 FEBRUARY 27, 2018 P57
and start riding from then on. An exact
estimate, I don't really have yet."
HILL GOES BIG
AutoTrader/JGR Suzuki's Justin Hill was
hoping to sign a 450cc deal for 2018,
but couldn't find one. Instead, he signed
with JGR to race 250s for one more
year, then move up to the 450cc class
in 2019. But if his performance at the
Tampa Supercross is any indication,
last year when he said he's a natural
450cc rider, he certainly wasn't lying. He
qualified fifth, less than a half-second off
of Tomac at the top of the charts, then
went out and won his heat race. He also
busted out a big 3-4-4 rhythm in the lane
right off the start. "Blake [Baggett] did it
in practice," Hill said. "He did it one time.
We were sitting there back at AutoTrader/
Joe Gibbs Racing Suzuki at the truck
and it was like, 'Man, the guy's quading
there.' He only did it one time. I think he
was trying to hide it. I thought I could do
it all day, and as soon as somebody did
it, I just pulled the trigger." Hill started the
main just inside the top five, then worked
his way by eventual winner Tomac and
Webb before pressuring Musquin for the
lead. The crafty Musquin then just held
Hill up on a berm just a little longer than
Hill anticipated and Hill went down. He
ended up sixth but showed he had the
speed.
Briefly...
Justin Hill (46)
pressured Musquin
for the lead before
falling. Hill looked
amazingly fast
in his first career
450SX ride.
