A small mishap on the second lap, however, resulted in a tweaked ankle for the number 50, who from there was in damage limitation mode as he navigated the treacherous circuit while managing the pain. A spirited ride saw him make his way through the field after the fall, eventually crossing the line in P8.
“I entered today with a really good feeling after the team and I came up with a shock setting that had me comfortable,” Walton commented. “Everything was looking up for the round as my sessions up until the race were good, and even in the race we were P3 there for the first lap. Then a small mistake on the second lap resulted in a tweaked ankle, and that set the tone for the race as it was a struggle to get through from there. I was uncomfortable and just had to manage the race, so not the result we were after, but happy to come away with third overall for the championship after a tough season.”
For Rockstar Energy Husqvarna teammate Dalton Shirey, a strong start saw him running as high as P3 on the third lap. His pace in those early stages wasn’t able to be maintained though, eventually dropping to a ninth-place result in class and that same position in the final championship standings.
“I got a mid-pack start, then made a few passes and got myself into third place,” said Shirey. “First was starting to come back to me, but then I was starting to fade, too, around lap four and five. But, it was cool being up there in the lead pack, seeing what the pace was again, so I just have to keep working and keep progressing.”
Pro Class Standings
1. Dante Oliveira, 232 points
2. Ryan Surratt, 175
3. Austin Walton – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 167
…
9. Dalton Shirey – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, 107
