Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Shane McElrath continued to represent the team in impressive fashion, earning one of three Main Event wins on the way to second overall. His finish helped him return to the top spot of the championship standings in a tie with three of 10 races complete.
The Western Regional 250SX class will only experience the triple race format once this season, but it seemed to bode well for McElrath. When the gate dropped in the first Main Event, McElrath showed his speed as he charged through the pack. He was trying to make a pass for second when he went down in the first turn. Getting up quickly, McElrath ended the race in fifth.
McElrath learned from the first main event and was aggressive in the opening lap of the second main event. It paid off with him emerging as the leader, clicking off laps and coming away with the victory. It came down to the final race of the night and even with a mid-pack start, McElrath wasn’t about to let an opportunity slip away, passing for fourth on the final lap to claim second overall.
“I had a lot of fun out there,” said McElrath. “It was crazy with the different format and I had to fight for that last one [main event finish]. This season has had a lot of injuries and I’m just thankful to be here and healthy. I didn’t realize right away that we got the red plate back, but I will do my best to hold on to that next weekend.”
The KTM Junior Supercross Challenge put on a show for fans for the second time this season with Seth Dennis putting down the hammer early and leading all three laps. Brandon Eade settled into second early and came away with the runner-up spot while Talan Staggs rounded out the podium in third.