Last to 5th after a first turn crash at East Coast season opener!

Disappointed with the result, not putting myself in the best position to capitalise on how I was riding, but happy to come through the pack and salvage championship points. Gained 15+ positions in the main event.

I came into the weekend a little under the weather after recovering from a man-flu, but once I got on the bike, I felt like we had what it took to win here in Arlington. I just didn't do myself any favours in the main event by crashing in the first turn and having to fight through the pack.

Qualifying went really well. I qualified second in both sessions and was the first rider to unlock a pretty mean quad in one of the rhythms. I didn't really feel the need to push -everything felt great. We knew the whoops were going to be challenging come main event time, but I was confident.

 

Heat 1 was really positive for me. I got a solid start, led every lap, rode smart, and won by 5 seconds. It was exactly the kind of race I wanted heading into the main.

The main event didn't go to plan. After a huge crash in the first turn, I had my work cut out for me. On lap one, I was way back in 17th and really had to get through the pack to try and catch the leaders. I managed to claw my way back to 5th – 15 positions gained, the majority of which were made in the whoops section, where I felt really solid and the bike was working well.

All in all, I'm happy with how I rode despite the 5th place in the main event. The bike felt amazing, and after what felt like the longest off-season for me, it feels like everything that went into it came together at the right time.

I'm looking forward to Daytona next weekend and a bit of redemption. It felt unreal to be back at the races and doing what I love the most.

A huge thank you to the team – we knew what this weekend was going to bring with the resources Star Yamaha provided us, and it's something amongst many things I am grateful for.

Cole 🤙