Klatt and Gibson Ride to Top Ten Finishes
Klatt and Gibson Ride to Top Ten Finishes Cooke has an epic battle in the Womens Motocross class to finish on the podium |
Riverside, CA (May 28, 2008) - Ste. Julie, Quebec was the host of the first round of the CMRC Canadian Motocross Nationals and the Monster Energy Cernics Kawasaki riders entered the race ready to defend their National Championship. The fast and dry track proved to be a tough track to pass on as both riders suffered some setbacks and secured top ten finishes.
Dusty Klatt proved he is a championship contender by finishing second place in the first moto of the Monster Energy CMRC Canadian Motocross Nationals. After a top five start he quickly moved into second place and entered a two-rider battle for the lead. The two riders distanced themselves from the rest of the pack and battled throughout the race. Klatt was able to make the pass toward the end of the moto and settled into his pace, not knowing that Colton Facciotti had caught the two leaders as they battled. Klatt was caught off guard when Colton Facciotti passed him and he couldn't put up much of a fight to regain the lead. Klatt crossed the finish line in second place to gain his first podium of the season.
Meanwhile, Jeff Gibson had to battle his way through the pack after a horrible start in the first moto. Gibson battled hard and passed riders until he developed a large blister on his right hand, forcing him to slow late in the moto, finishing tenth.
Both Monster Energy Cernics Kawasaki riders were in the top five as they entered the first turn of the second moto. As Gibson came out of the first turn in first place, Klatt found himself on the ground and being hit by another rider. Gibson led the early laps of the moto but settled into fifth by the midway point and stayed in that position to the finish line. After picking himself up, Klatt exited the first turn in last place with the rest of the field far ahead. Klatt showed his championship spirit by continuing to ride hard and passing numerous riders. However, in the end Klatt was only able to work his way back up to thirteenth position for a fifth overall finish on the day.
The team's Womens Motocross entry, Heidi Cooke finished third overall for the day with a 3-2 finish. Cooke grabbed the holeshot in the first moto and sustained the lead for the first few laps of the opening moto. Two riders eventually got by and Heidi settled into third place to grab a podium finish. The second moto saw the same three riders battle for the lead throughout the entire race. All three riders were no more than two bike lengths apart for most of the race, giving the crowd a great race to watch. After numerous passes during the battle, Heidi crossed the finish line in second place.
"The weekend went good and I'm happy with the results," exclaimed Cooke. "I think I could have done better but I rode really tight in the first moto. But, that second moto was just awesome. The three of us had a great battle and it was a really fun race."
Even though the results weren't what the team expected, the Monster Energy Cernics Kawasaki team understands that there are still a lot of races left in the series. "There are still sixteen motos left in the series," said team manager, Derek Sorenson. "We definitely didn't have our best showing this weekend but it's a long series and we expect to do better next week. We head to a much tougher track next weekend so our guys should be able to do well."
The Monster Energy Cernics Kawasaki team will travel to Gopher Dunes in Courtland, Ontario next weekend for round two of the Monster Energy CMRC Canadian Motocross Nationals.
For more information visit www.cernicskawasaki.com
Team SponsorsMonster Energy - Cernics -Canadian Kawasaki Motors
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