JOEY SAVATGY | GRIT-208 | 450SX

JOEY SAVATGY | GRIT-208 | 450SX

With the series arriving on the east coast, fans from differing parts of the country were now offered the chance to see Monster Energy AMA Supercross live and firsthand. As many assumed, Joey Savatgy would be a favorite for all attendee's to acknowledge; with many yearning for an autograph or picture with the Kawasaki competitor. His positive demeanor would translate to the qualification course for practice as well, where he expedited his series of circuits to arrive in a prominent position by the conclusion of time(d) trials; which set the stage for an excellent showing in both the heat race and main event to follow. After the 250 SX heat races had concluded, he and opponents such as Justin Barcia were designated to battle in front of thousands. And he rose to the occasion, defending and fighting for a transferring positionas lap number one concluded. Leaping into the prolonged sand section, he could feel the rear of the chassis swapping side to side as he attempted to engage the rear brake; hoping to duck into the inside portion of the following left hander. Though nearly clipping a tuff-block on the second circuit, his focus and pinpoint accuracy would corral the inner most rut when it mattered most; forcing the competition to try and sweep around on the outside. However a mistake prior to embarking on the halfway point would push Savatgy outside of the top-nine; and with little time available to retain the ground he once accrued, his score of tenth would push him into the LCQ. Once here, he would do what was necessary to obtain the lead, and an eventual victory; granting him a bid to the finalé, which was the priority of his operation. There wasn't much time to waste prior to the main event, where twenty-one opponents waited to rival him upon the Raymond James Stadium racecourse. He would then dive into turn number-one with his elbows wide, surrounded by a sounds of engines revving, fans cheering, and the occasional yell from an opponent as well. Seat-bouncing his way through the section of obstacles after the finish-line, he had to be mindful of how cupped the first "takeoff" was becoming. Managing to be precise with the throttle (along with compressing the rear shock), he would stay smooth and eliminate mistakes while monitoring his gap over Colt Nichols. The Honda athlete was fast on the second-half of the circuit, but he (Savatgy) seemed to be outstanding from the landing of the finish-line through the "SX" triple. With his gap over those outside of the top-ten now spanning well over ten-seconds, he concluded the final instance of competition in ninth-place...which was admirable given the caliber of the field.

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