Jorge Prado made history again. In his second race in the prestigious American Supercross Championship (AMA), the rider from Lugo won one of the qualifying heats, something reserved only for a select few and something a Spanish rider has never achieved. The MXGP World Champion perfectly adapted to the very complex track conditions, on a rainy day in the city of California and in addition to winning his heat, he played a great role in the final, finishing seventh.
On a tangled circuit where it’s not easy to stay on two wheels, the organization has eliminated free practice and reduced qualifying times and heats, but without diminishing a show that dazzled the public with numerous crashes and overtakes . Prado, despite his second race in this difficult specialty, acted at all times with great maturity, did not suffer any falls throughout the day and used his strengths.
After setting a 12th time in practice, he stood on the grid for the first race with the conviction that he could make his first holeshot in America and he did. He started first and set a dizzying pace on the first lap to escape trouble and keep his glasses clean in a critical situation. The distance gained allowed him to ride alone and only at the end of the heat did the American champion try to stalk him, unsuccessfully. Prado crossed the checkered flag in first place (ahead of Sexton, Tomac, Roczen and Lawrence) and joyfully announced himself to the thousands of fans: “It’s been a dream of mine since I was little, to come here and be front. … And here I am, living the dream. I feel good on a path that is very difficult and I hope to continue on this path.”
In the final race Prado could not repeat the same start as in the first meters his Gas Gas crossed the mud and he reached the first corner in the middle of the group, suffering the consequent vision problems due to the mud. However, Jorge was patient and consistent, he started to come back, passing some of the big favorites of the discipline, until finishing seventh. The Galician left a very good feeling and left San Francisco more satisfied than a week ago in Anaheim, where it was more difficult for him to find his rhythm.
Next Saturday, in San Diego, his third and last race this season in the American championship and then he will return to Europe to prepare for the World Championship that starts in March. Now we can say that he will do it with a good part of his dream that has come true.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
