When Justin Bogle’s holeshot device malfunctioned at the gate drop of the first heat race in St. Louis, it was a precursor of sorts for a main event that pounded the proverbial and penultimate nail into the reigning champion’s fading hopes of a successful title defense.
The last not-quite foregone conclusion of 2015 Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship, would be all but settled just twenty feet past the starting gate of the next-to-last East Coast main event.
Despite points leader Marvin Musquin’s relative dominance throughout the series, Bogle had kept his title-defense hopes alive in the 250 East Region with great starts, speed that increased as fitness issues related to preseason injury woes abated, and on-the-box appearances at every event—including a big win in Detroit just one week previous.
That streak of strong starts and podium finishes came to an end Saturday night in St. Louis, and Bogle’s championship chances faded from a flame to a flicker.
The two title hopefuls gated alongside one another for the main, and Musquin virtually secured the championship with a well-placed elbow just ahead of Bogle coming off the line. Musquin pinched off Bogle’s line to the first turn, then made short work of Jeremy Martin on his way to yet another wire-to-wire win.
Bogle was relegated to rounding the first turn near the tail-end of the field, and despite an impressive charge through the pack to fourth place, he would be off the box for the first time this season and almost completely removed from the championship picture as the night ended.
Musquin needs to score only 5 more points when the East Region resumes in New Jersey to finally secure his first 250 title that most expected to come years ago.
