Anaheim, Calif. (January 7, 2017) – Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM’s Shane McElrath claimed his first career victory inside Angel Stadium as the 2017 supercross season got underway. It was a near perfect day for the North Carolinian, who grabbed the heat race win on his way to an emotional main event win. Mitchell Oldenburg wasn’t far off his teammate, finishing just off the podium in fourth.
Entering the season opener healthy, a welcome change from 2016, McElrath proved from the first gate drop that he meant business. He claimed a dominant heat race win that gave him a great gate pick for the main event which paid off as he shot out and grabbed the first holeshot of the season. McElrath kept his pace the entire 15 minutes plus one lap to be the first point’s leader of the season.
“It’s so unreal,” said McElrath. “This is such a great feeling. I’ve been working really hard and this is the first time in a while where I’ve entered the season healthy. We’ll keep working hard and pushing each weekend to be up on the podium.”
Like his teammate, Oldenburg got off to a great start at the season opener. He finished third in his heat and started inside the top 10 in the main event. Oldenburg made some quick passes in the early laps to settle in quickly to fourth where he crossed the finish line.
After a great start for the team, the second round takes the crew to Petco Park that features a beautiful backdrop of downtown San Diego.
The riders were sporting the
SE Corse Orange Limited Edition racewear and the
SE4 Team Orange helmet. See all of the
2017 gear sets and the
2017 Moto Helmets online and at your
local TLD retailer.
250SX Class Main Event Results
- Shane McElrath (KTM)
- Aaron Plessinger (Yamaha)
- Martin Davalos (Husqvarna)
- Mitchell Oldenburg (KTM)
- Justin Hill (Kawasaki)
- Jeremy Martin (Honda)
- Dan Reardon (Yamaha)
- Austin Forkner (Kawasaki)
- James Decotis (Honda)
- Kyle Chisholm (Honda)
About Troy Lee Designs:
For over 30 years, Troy Lee has been customizing helmets "For The World's Fastest Racers." TLD's relentless commitment to creating products that exceed the cutting edge of style, design and quality, has earned them the reputation as an innovator in many different fields of racing. Troy Lee Designs has since expanded into a full force operation, offering a complete line of helmets, apparel and premium protection for off-road motorcycling and bicycling, sportswear and accessories, and operating the TLD supercross and motocross teams. Based in Corona, California, Troy Lee Designs has a global network of distributors.
About KTM:
"READY TO RACE" for KTM, these three words are far more than a simple slogan. They stand for the entire company philosophy of developing vehicles that can without any modifications comprehensively assert themselves in any race. Direct from the dealer onto the track and into the battle for victory. Designers, engineers and riders are bound by a clear common denominator: an unconditional passion for motorcycles. The whole KTM family is a living example of this worldwide. Countless offroad World and European championship titles plus brilliant victories in the world's toughest races (International Six Days Enduro, Dakar Rally, Erzbergrodeo, and many more) all speak for themselves. And KTM Supermotos, Naked Bikes, Superbikes and the X-Bow all demonstrate what an "orange" lead means on asphalt.
Photos: Cudby
