Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne showed that he still has some fight left in him as he came from behind to score his fourth Monster Energy AMA 250SX East Supercross Series win at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Saturday night, and it may have huge championship implications after series points leader Joey Savatgy was penalized for improperly re-entering the track after a crash.
Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo pulled the holeshot before his teammate, series points leader Savatgy took over the lead. GEICO Honda’s Cameron McAdoo, Yamalube/Star Racing Yamaha’s Dylan Ferrandis and GEICO Honda’s Christian Craig battled for third place, with Ferrandis taking control of the position.
Savatgy began to put time on Cianciarulo up front, but Osborne was on a clear mission after starting seventh. The Husqvarna rider picked off the riders in front of him over the first few laps, ultimately passing Ferrandis for third place on lap three. Osborne ran down Savatgy to battle his title rival for the lead, and Osborne broke to the front on lap eight. Osborne pulled clear of the field while Savatgy landing on a Tuff BLok and creshing. Osborne went on to win the race by 4.5 seconds over Ferrandis, who carded a career-best runner-up finish.
“It was a tight track tonight,” Osborne said. “You had to be aggressive. I got a terrible start, like mid-pack, and barely made it through first turn. It was a struggle. The first couple laps there I was really nervous, but I was able to make the pass on Joey [Savatgy] and get into the lead and just ride my own race.”
Savatgy came home third, ending a streak of four straight runner-up finishes. Following the race, Savatgy’s reentry onto the track after his crash came under inquiry from race officials, who assessed him a five-position penalty. It shook up the points, giving the series lead to Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Jordon Smith, who was credited with third place after crossing the finish line in fourth place. Boosted by his win at the previous round of the series in St. Louis, Smith now holds a one-point advantage over Savatgy and Osborne, who are tied at 159 points, all but ensuring a bang-up three-rider battle for the series title in Las Vegas.
“I got to keep working,” Savatgy said. “It’s not always going to be easy. If it was there’d be more of us up here [on the podium]. I’ve got to keep the ball rolling. I’m not a quitter. We’ve been knocked down a few times and I came up short last year [for the championship], but I’m not about to let that happen again. We’ll come into Las Vegas with an open mindset, have some fun, and do our best.”
The 2017 Monster Energy Supercross season will conclude Saturday, May 6, with the 17th and final round of the championship at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. Live broadcast coverage can be seen on FS1, beginning at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET.
2017 Monster Energy AMA 250SX East Supercross Series
MetLife Stadium
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Results: April 29, 2017 (Round 8 of 9)
250SX East Main Event
1. Zach Osborne-Hus
2. Dylan Ferrandis-Yam
3. Joey Savatgy-Kaw
4. Jordon Smith-KTM
5. Adam Cianciarulo-Kaw
6. Christian Craig-Hon
7. Kyle Cunningham-Suz
8. Luke Renzland-Yam
9. Cameron McAdoo-Hon
10. Anthony Rodriguez-Yam
2017 Monster Energy AMA 250SX East Supercross Series Championship Points Standings (Provisional–After 8 of 9 rounds)
1. Jordon Smith-160/2 wins
2. Zach Osborne-159/4 wins
3. Joey Savatgy-159/1 win
4. Adam Cianciarulo-146
5. Dylan Ferrandis-126
6. Christian Craig-97
7. Luke Renzland-84
8. Anthony Rodriguez-80
9. Kyle Cunningham-77
10. Mitchell Harrison-74
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