When the teams rolled into the Anaheim pits on Friday afternoon the forecast was calling for rain and lots of it. While there were a few showers overnight Mother Nature was kind enough to hold off on the real rain until the main events were complete and the 2008 AMA Monster Energy Supercross series was underway.
With an abbreviated schedule limiting the riders to only one practice session it was imperative the riders learn the track quickly and put down some fast qualifying times. Ryan Grantom (SX Lites, #294), Eric Sorby (SX, #917) and Antonio Balbi (SX, #55) all qualified safely into the night's heat races with Sorby leading the way in 9th place.
Ryan Grantom lined up for the second Lites class heat race hoping to get the season off on the right foot. As the pack rounded the wet first turn Grantom was sitting in 11th place looking to move into qualifying position. Throughout the six lap race Ryan rode well and held his own but was unable to qualify as he crossed the finish line 11th.
Antonio Balbi qualified into the Supercross class' first heat race and got off to a strong start rounding the first turn in third place. As the pack shuffled around throughout the early part of the race Balbi was riding well holding down fifth place. Unfortunately a mistake before the whoop section saw Balbi wash his front eout and hit the dirt. He remounted in 11th position but was unable to make it back into qualifying position as time ran out.
Coming off a top 10 qualifying time, Eric Sorby lined up for the second Supercross class heat race. Sorby grabbed a mid-pack start and immediately made it passed a few riders completing the first lap in seventh place. As he leapt through one of the rhythm sections on third lap, Sorby passed another rider and moved into sixth. For the next couple of laps Sorby stalked the rider in front of him and made the pass just before entering the same rhythm section. With a clear track in front of him Eric rode consistent on his way to a fifth place finish and a spot in the main event.
The Lites class last chance qualifier got under way with Ryan Grantom earning an eighth place start. Ryan took everything he learned from his first heat race and used it to work his way into fifth place. The LCQ is a short race and time would ultimately run out as Grantom fell one spot short of the main event. With his fifth place finish however, Grantom was invited to the podium to receive the Asterisk Medic Card. While on the podium Ryan talked about the race, thanked the team and said he is looking forward to making the main event next weekend in Phoenix.
The Supercross class last chance qualifier found Antonio Balbi out in the lead after nabbing the holeshot. For the first few laps Balbi engaged in a battle for the lead with factory rider Mike Alessi and was looking strong. Unfortunately it was not to be as Antonio bobbled and went down on the fourth lap. When the checkered flag flew Balbi crossed the line sixth, a few spots short of the main event.
With the Supercross class main event loaded into the gate the entire stadium was on their feet. Eric Sorby got a decent jump out of the gate but got crossed up coming down the long muddy start straight. The field quickly sorted themselves out and the battles began. Sorby, battling with numerous factory riders, moved into seventh place after the third lap of the race. When the half way mark came out Sorby was riding well holding onto eighth place. A crash at the end of the whoop section relegated Sorby back to 14th position but he never gave up. With two laps left he moved into 12th place and rode strong until the checkered flag flew. Even though he didn't finish as well as he would have liked, Eric earned top privateer honors and has his sights set on moving inside the top 10 next weekend.
Next weekend the series travels out to Phoenix, Arizona and Chase Field for the second round of the AMA Monster Energy Supercross Series. Be sure to stop by the Hooters-Moto XXX truck to show your support and to have your picture taken with the beautiful Hooters girls from 12:30 pm - 5:30 pm. See you there!
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