Atlanta, Georgia - The Edgar Renner Motorsports / 2B Moraco / Munn Racing Husqvarna program made the voyage from their home outside Tampa, FL to the visually-striking Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia. After being absent from the 2nd round of the AMA Monster Energy (East Coast) Supercross Series (in Arlington, Texas), ERM Husqvarna’sCedric Soubeyras looked to make an immediate statement; he is not to be slept on. While the rest of the 250 field was competing at Arlington, Cedric was competing in London (at Wembley Stadium) winning the AX2 class and solidifying his position as the Vice-Champion of the UK Arenacross Championship. He looked to carry this momentum into his return to this side of the pond.
With a family situation forcing our mechanic to permanently return home to France - Sophia (Incutto) jumped in and assumed the duties of said position. Throughout the morning, the crew tested a variety of suspension & tuning combinations to try and find a setting that worked best for the tacky Georgia Clay. Cedric ended Q1 in 14th place, in the mix of a group of (3) riders that were separated by less than 2 tenths of a second.This reiterated that qualifying was going to be an intense one - every inch counted.
After a last-second adjustment seemed to make a world of difference - everything seemed to click. Throughout Q2, Cedric was looking like a rejuvenated rider - from charging through new lines, and experimenting with larger sections (including a triple out of the corner that had eluded him since the beginning of the day). As the second round of Qualifying began to wind down, Cedric managed to capture his fastest lap time of both qualifying sessions, a 52.62. This lap-time propelled him into P9 of the A Group and P10 overall going into the night show!
After a great Qualifying session, Cedric was set up with a 5th place gate pick for Heat #1. Settling in right next to the box (the center of the start gate), he got a great jump but was overpowered down the start. Midway through Lap 1, in a congested corner, Cedric fell victim to a funnel of riders bunching up - resulting in him dropping to 20th. A valiant charge back into the midfield was halted when another rider collided with Cedric. This resulted in him hitting (false) neutral and stalling out. Once again, he began his charge back from the back of the pack - but at this point, time had run out. He crossed the line in 14th. Though he may have had an unfortunate time in the first Heat, it wasn’t all bad news. He had (consistently) been the fourth fastest Individual on the track - a feat that was achieved as he was coming through traffic.
After an unfortunate pair of incidents in the Heat race, Cedric had been sent to his first LCQ (Last Chance Qualifier) of the season. He got off to a phenomenal start, getting right into the Top 5. After a couple laps, he settled into 3rd - a comfortable, qualifying position. With younger and more wild riders in front of him - he made the conscious decision of staying put and doing what he can to bring the ERM / 2B Moraco / Munn Racing Husqvarna into the Main Event.
Starting from the furthest outside gate - Cedric managed to get a strong jump and came around the first lap within the Top 15. As the Main went on, he chipped away - bit, by bit - on the athletes in front of him, capitalizing on a few individuals misfortunes. Throughout it all, he was consistently putting down lap times that were within the Top 10. As they made their way past the halfway point, Cedric was on the heels of the group that was battling just inside of the Top 10. Throughout the last half of the race, he was putting down lap-times that were the fastest of the group (besting the likes of multiple factory athletes). With 4 Laps to go, he made a pass through the sand that propelled him into the Top 10 (for the first time of the season). Unfortunately, the spot was lost on the last lap; when the checkers flew, Cedric crossed the line in 11th.
At the end of an incredibly hectic weekend, 11th overall was still amazing! From: having to try multiple settings early on (throughout Practice & Qualifying), having to race the LCQ, starting all the way from the outside (on a hard to pass track) in the Main Event; it was definitely a race weekend that kept the heart-rate going. The group from 5th - 14th is incredibly close, anything can happen. We are continually pushing the development of our bike & doing everything we can to ensure that Cedric is comfortable & confident out on the track. We are excited for what the rest of the season has to offer! Onwards & Upwards, we are ready for this weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
Cedric Soubeyras #201, Athlete: “Weekend went well, I struggled a little bit to find the good setting during practice. Got the 9th position in the timed practice - and was really motivated to do well for the night show.
I made a mistake during the heat and had to go to the LCQ. Got my place in the Main and pushed my maximum to grab my first Top 10 this year, but Josh Hill came out of nowhere, was too fast, & passed me on the last lap. 11th is still a good result, after going through the LCQ and starting from the last gate on the outside. See You in Daytona.”
Ricky Renner, Owner & Racing Director: “I’m really proud of this dude. We’re out here doing everything we can - to get him the best we can & he keeps giving his best effort every time (on the track). Despite two crashes in the heat (and having to deal with the LCQ) he came through the pack and ended up 11th.
He is on the verge of Top 10. We will be there soon enough. We will keep putting on the work, building the program & climbing the ladder - onto the next one.”
Conor Edgar, Owner & Managing Director: “I am incredibly proud of the way that Soub has carried himself this season. He rolls with the punches & doesn’t let anything hinder him from doing what he knows he is capable of. I’m beyond proud of this crazy family of ours.
When you come from nowhere, with nothing, it’s a massively rewarding feeling (seeing Cedric do as well as he is - and coming off the track with an ear-to-ear grin). Now that we have a full-time mechanic (again) & Sophia overseeing the position, It makes me eager to see what he will be able to do once we get a little more out of the bike. I cannot wait for this weekend.”
Social Media: @ermhusqvarna
All Images by: LeBig USA.
