Heavy rainfall Saturday morning resulted in an abbreviated schedule with just the two qualifying sessions to adjust to the conditions at the Camping World Stadium. Plessinger showed some sparks early on but ultimately qualified 11th. Lined up with all three of his teammates in the heat race, he didn’t get off the gate like he hoped and finished eighth. The Ohio native also had a tough beginning in the Main Event, crossing the line 15th after the first lap. Undeterred, Plessinger charged his way through the pack to cross the line sixth, his second-best result in the premier class.
As for Stewart, his day started off well. The Florida rider qualified third and although he didn’t get the start he was looking for in his heat race, he made his way forward to finish fifth. In the Main Event, he placed himself in the top 10 after the start and worked his way up to seventh a few laps later. Stewart battled for position but started to ride tight and made some mistakes. He ultimately finished ninth in the challenging conditions to secure his sixth top-10 finish this season.
Ferrandis spent the day working to find his comfort zone on the hard-packed track. He qualified 13th and finished ninth in his heat race. When it came time for the Main Event, the Frenchman found his stride, getting off to a good start in seventh. Unfortunately, he went down in one of the rhythm sections before the third lap and was hit by another rider. Ferrandis had the wind knocked out of him and retired from the race but thankfully was okay.
The Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing 450 team returns for more action at the Camping World Stadium next Saturday, February 20, for Round 8 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship in Orlando, Florida.
