The level of excitement and anticipation was up after a weekend away from racing since Round 1. The field was cut and ready for the rigs to park and track work was already underway to make changes that the Pro day at Walton has not seen in over 10 years.
On race day the Walton track crew had the track looking perfect. The morning practice went well for the team riders, with only minimal bike changes being made. At the end of Qualifying practice on Saturday Sam qualified 8th. Feeling comfortable heading in to the first Moto of the weekend, Sam was ready to battle. As the gate dropped on Moto 1, Sam started in 10th and fought his way up to 8th by the time he got the checkered flag.
As dusk fell on Saturday night the Walton track crew was busy prepping the track for another day of racing Sunday, ripping it deep and putting lots of water on it to ensure a good, rutted racetrack. Early Sunday morning saw unexpected heavy rain. This led to a delayed start to the morning the give the track crew some extra time to work and prep the track. Gaynor decided to put in a few optional practice laps to feel out the muddy track conditions.
When the gate dropped for Moto 2, the first mud Moto of the year, Sam was in the top 10. The race quickly turned into a race of survival. The goal became to stay off the muddy ground and not overheat the bikes in the deep and heavy mud. Sam finished the gruelling Moto in 7th.
The track had finally started to come around for the final Moto of the day for the 450’s. The track became very tough and technical with limited line choices. Sam started in 8th and battled the entire Moto with multiple other riders. A small mistake on the last lap would cost him a position. He finished in 11th.
Moto Scores
Sam Gaynor 8-7-11 9th Overall
1. Dylan Wright #9 1-1 (150)
2. Phil Nicoletti #54 2-3 (124) -26
3. Matt Goerke #2 3-2 (118) -32
4. Tyler Medaglia #5 4-4 (111) -39
5. Shawn Maffenbeier #3 5-6 (96) -54
6. Sam Gaynor #28 6-9 (83) -67