SUPERCROSS
MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS, AN FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 8 / FEBRUARY 24, 2018
TAMPA, FLORIDA / RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM
P60
250SX EAST
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawa-
saki's Austin Forkner had a banner
day in Tampa. He started the day
qualifying a close second behind
Ferrandis (Monster Energy/Yama-
lube Star Racing Yamaha), then took
advantage of a mistake by race leader
RJ Hampshire (Geico Honda) to take
the lead on his way to his first-ever
supercross win.
After Forkner took over the lead, he
briefly had to fight off the advances
of points leader Osborne (Rockstar
Energy Husqvarna) before coming
under attack from Ferrandis, who
tried to physically move Forkner out
of the lead in a hairpin on the last lap.
Forkner just barely hung on to the
lead, then pulled away through the
ensuing whoop section to take the
win over fast-qualifier Ferrandis.
"Yeah, we got some good contact
right here, and I wasn't sure we both
weren't going to go down," Forkner
said. "But after that, I just sent it
through the whoops the last lap to try
to get a gap so I could be comfort-
able and not make mistakes, and I did
it! I'm so stoked right now. It's my first
podium of the season, and my first
win—ever! So, I'm super-happy right
now."
Behind them came Osborne after a
slight gap in third.
Hampshire hung on for a solid
fourth place just in front of Forkner's
teammate Martin Davalos, who ben-
efitted from a last-lap fall by TLD Red
Bull KTM's Jordon Smith, who still
managed to finish sixth.
Osborne still leads the points by
five over Forkner as the series heads
to Atlanta.
