BUBBA PAULI
The hometown boy, Bubba Pauli was ready to do work on his own soil when the day began in St. Louis. Although his nagging knee injury wasn’t treating him the best, he knew he couldn’t let down the hometown crowd. Bubba pushed through and showed his determination quickly as practice began. Bubba made his way around with ease as he knew exactly what to expect as the track broke down. He would go on to qualify a very impressive 24th overall. In the LCQ, Bubba had one thing on his mind and when the gate dropped it was easy to see. He launched off the gate and fought his way through the first corner to come out on top. He looked good as he led the pesky swarm behind him but it was no bother. Suddenly disaster struck as Bubba had a mishap going into the tunnel and was forced to give away the lead. He would shuffle all the way back to 20th but would finish the race anyways. By the end he secured 18th position.
CADE CLASON
Cade Clason continues to build his path to the top tier of riders every single week. His riding continues to improve and so do his results. Cade was ready to keep the train rolling when the day began at America’s Center. Cade found his fast lines quickly when practice began and was enjoying the perfect traction of the tacky St. Louis clay. Cade was determined to avoid the LCQ by getting into the top 18 fastest times and by the time the sessions were over he would just squeak in. Despite qualifying right on the bubble, Cade was confident and ready to shine. In the first race, Cade got a decent start and was running toward the middle of the pack. He would stay there all the way to the checkers and pull off an impressive 11th place. The next two races were very similar as he was riding great as he secured 12th and another 11th, respectively. His efforts would be good enough for a very impressive 11th overall on the day.
JOAN CROS
The LS2 riders have all been industry leaders in improvements this year and Joan Cros is perhaps one of the most impressive. Joan was determined to continue his streak of stellar performances when the day began in St. Louis and most of all he wanted to be sure he put his Madd Parts Kawasaki into the Mains being that it was a triple crown format weekend. Unfortunately, Joan did not find all the speed he needed in qualifying, although still impressive as he would finish up 27th fastest. The LCQ hole shot hero, as of late, would go on to that race with determination and when the gate finally dropped it was his instead his teammate, Bubba, who would get the hole shot. Joan was just outside the top 5 as he chased his teammate down, and suddenly a mistake by Bubba encouraged Joan even more to make it happen for the team. In the end, Joan would find his way into qualifying position and line up for the Mains with confidence. Unfortunately, early on in the very first Main of the night, Joan had quite a mishap that sent him straight into the stadium wall. Luckily, he was ok after the incident but would ride very passively just to get his points. He would end up a commendable 20th overall on the night.
JOSH CARTWRIGHT
Josh Cartwright just keeps proving that he is a contender week in and week out. His performances have been very exciting at times and there are definitely some good times ahead with Josh. In St. Louis, Josh had the hometown vibes running through his veins as that is where their team is based off of. He used it to his advantage as he came out very aggressive in practice. He qualified a very solid 16th and put himself directly into the three main events. When the first race began, Josh got off to a great start and was running about mid pack early on. He put his head down and kept pace with the riders in front of him as he cruised it into a commendable 11th place. The second race took a turn for the worse rather quickly as Josh found himself on the ground in a hurry. He brushed himself off and was able to come back to 14th.In the last race he would end up with a respectable 13th which would seal the deal on a very impressive 13th overall.
JOSH GRECO
Josh Greco came into this weekend with a big confidence boost as he contended in the 250 class before the break and did very well. He was eager to use that confidence as he signed up for the premier class once again and was ready to put in work against the big boys in St. Louis. When the practice sessions began, Josh looked as aggressive as ever as he picked up his speed quickly. Attacking the whoops lap after lap, he seemed to be a shoe-in to the night show but unfortunately the triple crown format only takes the top 18 instead of the usual 40. Josh was forced to go to the LCQ but it looked like he would have the speed to get it done. When the gate dropped, Josh did not get the start that he needed and unfortunately that would end his night early in St. Louis. He will go on to Atlanta looking for some redemption.
SCOTTY WENNERSTROM
Scotty Wennerstrom was ready to get his day started when the festivities began inside the Dome at America’s Center. The perfect dirt looked to give the riders all they could handle at first as the ruts began to form. The whoops began to cup out as well but Scotty used his veteran experience to push through the challenging conditions. By the end of qualifying, Scotty didn't quite have the speed to straight through to the Mains and was forced to line up for the LCQ. When this one began, a non favorable start was the culprit for Scotty as he circulated his way around the track towards the back of the pack. Nevertheless he pushed all the way to the checkered flag and was looking great with his freshly painted Subverter. He would end up 20th in the LCQ, and was forced to call it a night early.