Team Suzuki Press Office – March 21.
Things were on-track for Yoshimura Suzuki’s Blake Baggett in Saturday’s 11th round of the AMA/ FIM World Supercross at Ford Field in Detroit until he was forced to make a pit stop in the Main Event to change a tyre.
Baggett started well on his RM-Z450 in front of 46,259 fans and was running well inside the top-10 and seemed on his way to score his best result of the season when he crashed. He got back on the circuit after the stop, but by then he was three laps down and finished 19th.
It was a disappointing end to what otherwise might have been another strong step-up the ladder in Baggett’s comeback from shoulder injury. Yet in spite of the difficulties he faced, Baggett left Detroit with the confidence that his comeback to full fitness is progressing – perhaps even ahead of schedule.
He began the day in Detroit qualifying 13th. He then finished a solid second in his semi to make the Main and once the gate dropped, Baggett tapped into the muscle of his Yoshimura Suzuki and emerged near the front of the pack.
“I had a solid Main Event going,” Baggett explained. “I got a really good start and drove it down into the first turn and came out pretty good. I didn’t get through the whoops as well as I wanted to on that first lap, so I got shuffled back pretty bad right there. I was working my way forward from there, got into sixth place and then we had the mishap (the flat) and I had to come in to do a pit stop. That set us back for sure, but it’s just one of those things that happen in racing every once in a while and we’ll bounce back. I’m looking forward to getting back on the track in two weeks in Santa Clara.”
Baggett leaves Detroit 18th in the series standings with five rounds remaining.
Yoshimura Suzuki team-mate James Stewart did not race in Detroit. He continues rehabbing from bruising suffered in his crash at Daytona and hopes to return at Santa Clara.
The series now takes a rare weekend off before heading cross country to Santa Clara, California, and Levi’s Stadium on April 2nd.
