Pat Smage Dominates Tennessee US MotoTrials

Nine-time champ continues to sweep the 2018 AMA/NATC series

Sherco USA’s Pat Smage showcased the skills that have won him nine US National MotoTrials titles at this weekend’s US National MotoTrials Series event at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tennessee. Facing sections that featured extremely technical rocky creeks and massive boulders that turned as slick as ice when a rain storm moved into the area on Sunday, Smage dominated the action, turning in performances that saw him win Saturday’s event by a whopping 47 points, and Sunday’s event by 40.

The nature of the sections featured in Tennessee were considerably different from those the riders faced in New Mexico and Colorado. Pat Smage talked about how that affected the strategy. “Today’s event required pinpoint accuracy and there was no room for mistake because of the technical nature of the sections, with all the jagged rocks scattered around,” Smage said. “The rocks were all jumbled up and if you missed your line at all, then you got thrown off course and it ends up costing you a point or two to get back on line.”Shan Moore
Anticipating a midday rainstorm on Saturday, Karl Davis Jr. rode Sunday’s event at a quick pace in order to beat the rain. “I knew it was going to rain on Sunday, so I jumped out in front and tried to get through the sections before the rain hit, and I made it all the way into the second lap before it did,” Davis said. The strategy paid off and the Scorpa USA rider finished an impressive second on Sunday, despite its being the first national he had ridden in nearly a year.Shan Moore
Fresh off of a runner-up finish in the Women2Trial division at the TrialGP in Japan on the previous weekend, GasGas North America’s Maddie Hoover swept both days of the Women’s Pro class in Tennessee.Shan Moore
Scorpa USA’s Alex Myers took a first and a second in the Expert class.Shan Moore
GasGas North America’s Daniel Blanc-Gonnet gets the front wheel high in the next-to-last section on Saturday.Shan Moore
Sherco USA’s Sam Fastle launches his Sherco during Saturday’s round.Shan Moore
Beta USA’s Andreas Niederer commits to an extremely narrow line over the log/rock combination.Shan Moore
GasGas USA’s Alex Niederer went 2-3 over the weekend and sits in second overall in the Pro standings behind Smage.Shan Moore
Beta USA’s Jerome Gregorowicz makes a high-speed run up a steep and slippery climb on Saturday.Shan Moore
After six rounds, Pat Smage holds a 42-point lead in the series standings in his pursuit of a 10th US Trials title.Shan Moore

Tennessee National MotoTrials Results - Saturday

Position Rider Brand Points
1 Pat Smage Sherco 8
2 Alex Niederer GasGas 55
3 Karl David Jr. Scorpa 57
4 Daniel Blanc-Gonnet GasGas 64
5 Sam Fastle Sherco 80
6 Andreas Niederer Beta 87

Tennessee National MotoTrials Results - Sunday

Position Rider Brand Points
1 Pat Smage Sherco 37
2 Karl David Jr. Scorpa 77
3 Alex Niederer GasGas 86
4 Daniel Blanc-Gonnet GasGas 87
5 Sam Fastle Sherco 112
6 Andreas Niederer Beta 126