BLAKE BAGGETT SURVIVES A NIGHT OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY
February 7, 2015
SAN DIEGO, CA – Nothing comes easy in the AMA/FIM Supercross Series as Blake Baggett found this weekend. Like a well-written Hollywood suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat, there was never a dull moment for Baggett and crew in San Diego. The Yoshimura Suzuki rider survived the tension-filled laps of having to make the night’s feature by way of the final qualifying spot in the Last Chance Qualifier. Once in the Main however, Baggett made an amazing charge on his Suzuki RM-Z450 from last place to seventh, in spite of a crash. All of this pandemonium took place in front of a sellout crowd of 42,017 at Petco Park, in the inaugural series visit to the home of baseball’s San Diego Padres, situated scenically in the heart of downtown.
It was also a special Military Appreciation Night in San Diego, a national center for the military. It’s an annual opportunity for the Supercross community to show their appreciation for the fine men and women who proudly serve America.
Baggett’s seventh in San Diego matched his best result of the year and marked his fourth consecutive top-10 finish. It also gave the Supercross rookie sole possession of ninth in the championship.
A solid performance in Timed Qualifying where Baggett was ninth fastest, gave no indication of the upcoming night of living on the edge. Baggett said it took some time to find the right setup for his Yoshimura Suzuki RM-Z450 to handle the supremely technical San Diego layout.
“It got better as practice went along,” Baggett explained. “The first time out was a little bit rough. We made some bike changes after the first session and then again after the second and I just tried to keep going, trying to improve.”
The hard work by Baggett and the Yoshimura Suzuki crew paid off and he was able to qualify ninth. But that’s when the adventures began. First Blake found himself on the short end of the stick in a loaded Heat race, that featured most of the top riders. Then it went from bad to worse. After getting a sub-par start in his Semi, a rider inadvertently landed hard off a jump right on the back of Baggett’s machine. The impact damaged the bike and Baggett was forced to retire.
That’s when the tension on the team went sky high. Not only did Baggett now just have one final opportunity to make the Main, but also the team had to feverously work on the bike to make repairs in time just to put Blake on the line for the LCQ. In the LCQ he managed to squeak into the final by finishing fourth.
“It was quite a bit of a scramble, but my team came through and rebuilt the back of the bike after we got hit,” Baggett said. “I was the last one in through the LCQ and I that gave us the last gate pick for the Main, but at least we made it.”
The final starting gate in the night’s featured race hung Baggett out to dry at the start. “I basically came around the first turn dead last,” he said. But Blake quickly clicked it into race mode and starting charging his way through the field, ultimately making it as high as fifth place.
“I kind of worked my way through,” Baggett explained. “I made some quick moves right away when everybody was still bunched up. I think I was in fifth and was catching (Chad) Reed and I just made an error. I landed sitting down and just gave it a little too much front brake and lost the front wheel.”
The tip over dropped him back several positions, but Baggett rallied and managed to salvage a solid seventh-place result. It was a nice payoff for Blake and the team after what could only be described as a nail-biting night.
“I picked it up from there and worked my way forward,” Baggett concluded. “It was a good night all and all, after starting out so rough. I’m looking forward to going to Dallas. I’m hoping to run better there, have a good qualifying time. The goal is to make it to the Main through the Heat race.”
If you’re in the Dallas area on Friday, you have a chance to meet and get an autograph from James Stewart and Blake Baggett. They’ll be appearing at Arlington Motorsports, 2501 Centennial Drive in Arlington, Texas, on Friday, Feb. 13th from 6-7:00pm.
Yoshimura Suzuki is back in action again this coming Saturday (Feb. 14, 2015) at round seven of the 2015 AMA/FIM Supercross Championship, as the series moves to the Dallas Supercross at AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas. The race will be televised live - this week on Fox Sport 2 - starting at 8:00 pm Eastern.
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