AARON PLESSINGER – “we’ll be back with a vengeance”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger fell agonisingly short of his first AMA Supercross victory in the premier class. After pushing into the lead early, Plessinger set sail, leaving the field to scrap over the minor positions. With only two-laps remaining, a mistake spat the KTM rider off his bike and heavily into the ground.

Aaron Plessinger:

“That one hurts, that one hurts a lot. I was riding so good and, man, I didn’t stand up in that rut the whole moto – I sat down and put my foot out… The one time I think it’s alright to stand up, it catches my foot and rips me right off the bike. I couldn’t believe it, flying through the air like that and I just tried to tuck, because it was a hard hit. I tried to get back up – I probably could have finished – but man, that hurts. You know, get back up on the saddle and I’ll get back up there in Seattle. I love it there, so don’t count me out, I’m not done yet. I was riding so good, I’m so proud of my riding and I love these fans. I could hear them the whole way! You know, it happens, we’ll be back with a vengeance. My starts are good, I’m good, my fitness is good… I’ve just gotta stay on the bike next time. Thank you to the fans, I wish I could have won it, but we’ll get them next year!”

Could this be the breakthrough that Plessinger needed? The likeable rider has shown he has the speed to win and has vowed to bounce back immediately.

It’s incredibly tight up the front of the 450SX field, with only three points separating leader Cooper Webb from Eli Tomac, while Chase Sexton sits in third just 14 points behind Tomac. However, Ken Roczen, Justin Barcia, Jason Anderson and Aaron Plessinger have shown they have the potential to rock the boat. If these four riders begin to snatch wins from the three championship contenders, we could find ourselves with a very interesting end of the season.

Monster Energy AMA Supercross Standings – 450SX
450SX Class Championship Standings

1. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (225)
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (222)
3. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda (208)
4. Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Ger., Suzuki (182)
5. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki (180)
6. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS (174)
7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (164)
8. Christian Craig, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna (136)
9. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki (107)
10. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM (103)