Buchanan, Mich. (July 8, 2018) – Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner showcased his true grit and determination at the RedBud National, overcoming a big get off in Moto 1 to race to second in Moto 2. Even without scoring points in the opening moto, Forkner still collected seventh overall. Joey Savatgy also suffered from misfortune in Moto 1, but came back for a fifth in Moto 2 to score 11th overall. Garrett Marchbanks had a great first moto back from injury only to get caught up in the first turn pile up in Moto 2 and was unable to continue, putting his moto score at 6-39 for 15th overall.

Austin Forkner #35
The start of Moto 1 was a wild one with plenty of passing and lead changes. Forkner was right there in the mix after claiming his second holeshot of the season. Just after halfway through the race, Forkner made his way around the leader but as he was coming around the outside of a turn was hit by another rider that sent him flying off his bike. The get-off was substantial enough to bring Forkner into the pits and end his race.

Bruised but not broken, Forkner set out to prove he could still salvage a good finish with a strong Moto 2 result. With another great start, Forkner was again with the front-runners and eventually came across the finish line second to claim seventh overall.

“This has been a season that has pushed me harder than any other I’ve raced so far with the amount of adversity, whether by my own doing or not, that I’ve been up against,” said Forkner. “Starting with Round 1 all the way until now. Motocross really is tough racing and I hope we’ve shown that we aren’t ready to quit anytime soon. I will be enjoying the one week break and will be ready to come back strong at Millville.”

Like Forkner, Savatgy was right there mixing it up with the front-runners in Moto 1. He was holding steady in fourth and moved into third just before Forkner went down. Savatgy inherited second but had a mishap of his own that pushed him back to 17th where he would eventually finish. The second moto was also one of redemption for Savatgy who was up front with the leader on the opening laps. He was in second for over half of the race before a few riders snuck by, forcing him to finish fifth in the moto. His 17-5 score pushed him just outside the top 10 in 11th.

“I love coming to RedBud and the fans were really the thing that keeps us going when times are tough out there,” said Savatgy. “We had some challenging moments but in the end we want to push for the entire race. If we can overcome a tough day like today, it puts us in the right frame of mind to get back up there next race at Millville.”

Marchbanks made his return to racing at RedBud after sitting out to let an injury heal up that he suffered at High Point. He jumped right in with an eighth place start in Moto 1 and was quick to push into sixth. He was able to hold off advances and tied his best moto finish of the season with an impressive sixth in his first moto back. The second moto was over for Marchbanks before he even made it around the first turn as he was collected in a pileup and was forced to end his moto early.

“The first moto was awesome and it felt great to be back,” said Marchbanks. “The RedBud fans lived up to the hype and I was really feeling good in that first race. Unfortunately, I went down at the start of the second moto and wasn’t able to continue.”

To find out more about Pro Circuit products, visit www.procircuit.com. Don’t forget to follow the Pro Circuit race team on FacebookTwitter and Instagram using the handle @pcraceteam and subscribe to the Pro Circuit “Inside the Shop” email newsletter here.

250MX Class Results (Moto Results)

  1. Aaron Plessinger, Yamaha (1-1)
  2. Alex Martin, KTM (4-3)
  3. Dylan Ferrandis, Yamaha (3-4)
  4. Shane McElrath, KTM (5-9)
  5. Justin Cooper, Yamaha (8-7)
  6. Chase Sexton, Honda (11-6)
  7. Austin Forkner, Kawasaki (35-2)
  8. Michael Mosiman, Husqvarna (9-11)
  9. RJ Hampshire, Honda (2-40)
  10. Mitchell Harrison, Husqvarna (13-8)
  11. Joey Savatgy, Kawasaki (17-5)

      15. Garrett Marchbanks, Kawasaki (6-39)

250MX Class Points Standings

  1. Aaron Plessinger, Yamaha, 283
  2. Alex Martin, KTM, 248
  3. Justin Cooper, Yamaha, 201
  4. Shane McElrath, KTM, 198
  5. Austin Forkner, Kawasaki, 191
  6. Jeremy Martin, Honda, 176
  7. RJ Hampshire, Honda, 176
  8. Chase Sexton, Honda, 166
  9. Jordon Smith, KTM, 163
  10. Dylan Ferrandis, Yamaha, 149
  11. Joey Savatgy, Kawasaki, 148

      14. Garrett Marchbanks, Kawasaki, 87

About Pro Circuit
Based in Corona, Calif., Pro Circuit Products, Inc. is a leader in off-road motorcycle and ATV exhausts and aftermarket performance parts. Started in 1978, Pro Circuit is the go to shop for recreational riders and professionals for everything from suspension work to complete engine packages and everything in between.

Created by former desert racer Mitch Payton, Pro Circuit proves its products and services week-in and week-out through its tagline “We Race.” Every product that dons the Pro Circuit stamp stems from the legendary Pro Circuit race team. A staple in the professional paddock, Pro Circuit Racing has earned 30 AMA championships and more than 250 race wins in more than 30 years of competition.

Author

Dan Lamb is a 12+ year journalist and the owner of MotoXAddicts.