Team Suzuki Press Office – January 19.
Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s Blake Baggett scored his first top-10 finish in Saturday’s third round of the 2015 AMA/ FIM World Supercross series at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.
After a nerve-wracking qualifying that witnessed Baggett needing to rally late in a Semi to get into the Main, he was fighting to score a top-five finish aboard his RM-Z450, when a hard crash set him back. But he displayed his typical never-give-up spirit and remounted to score his first career top-10 AMA/ FIM 450 Supercross result.
Said Baggett: “I didn’t get the greatest start, but ran it around the outside and just started plugging away and working forward. I tried to pick the best lines I could. I was trying to make passes and make them stick, as well as find traction on a track that was really slippery in the main line, so I was trying different lines to find a little cushion.”
Getting coaching help from Motorcycle Hall of Fame legend Rick Johnson, Baggett came into Anaheim II with a fresh approach, bidding to be a bit more aggressive in the races. The new game plan seemed to be working until unlucky lap 13 of the Main.
After fighting his way up from 14th to sixth, Baggett was trying to crack the top-five when he pulled alongside fellow Suzuki rider Broc Tickle in a whoop section, ran wide and crashed. He got flicked over his bike and landed chest first on the face of a jump.
“I worked my way up and just made a mistake on lap 13,” explained Baggett, who escaped injury in the fall. “I tried to pass Tickle in the whoops and ended up getting into the tuff blocks and just went down; then I had to regroup.”
In spite of the miscue, Baggett, who is now just two points from being ranked in the top-10, went away with new-found confidence that he’s capable of running inside the top-five, even as a rookie.
“By all means we were definitely better than we have been and it’s only round three,” Baggett said. “I’m looking to continue to run strong as the season goes on and I’ve got to give it up to the whole Yoshimura Suzuki team for the great effort.”
Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing’s next event is round four of the 2015 AMA/ FIM World Supercross Championship this coming Saturday, January 24th, at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, California.
Anaheim II 450 Supercross Results: 1. Ken Roczen (RCH Suzuki), 2. Ryan Dungey (KTM), 3. Eli Tomac (Honda), 4. Justin Barcia (Yamaha), 5. Broc Tickle (RCH Suzuki), 6. Cole Seely (Honda), 7. Jason Anderson (Husqvarna), 8. Dean Wilson (KTM), 9. Davi Millsaps (Kawasaki), 10. Blake Baggett (Yoshimura Suzuki).
