2014 AMA 250cc Supercross Heads to Phoenix
A podium finish at the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season opener in Anaheim, Calif., has GEICO Motorcycle Honda’s Zach Osborne ready to build on his success Saturday night at Chase Field.
Osborne was third in his 250SX West Series race at A1, which has been a springboard for his confidence.
Zach Osborne (GEICO Honda CRF250 Supercross) says: “I rode right there with the fastest guys in Anaheim. It gives me great momentum and confidence heading into Phoenix. I know what I can do and where I’m at in relation to everyone else.”
With only nine races on the West schedule, Osborne said there’s no room for error in the championship chase, and starting with a strong foundation right out of the gate has been huge.
Zach Osborne says: “I’m thinking big picture. We pulled 20 points from Anaheim, so I’m only five away from the red plate (given to the points leader). These points add up over the course of the season, and it’s important to get as many as you can from every race.
“Anaheim let me know that I can ride at a championship level. I’m ready to get after it again in Phoenix. It should be another great race for us.”
Osborne’s teammate Zach Bell finished 15th last Saturday, but following a rookie season where DNFs were common, just finishing the race was a huge step in the right direction.
Zach Bell (GEICO Honda CRF250 Supercross) says: “I’m starting off fresh and healthy and that’s exciting. Last year I had some setbacks and never was able to get a rhythm going. Being able to ride at 100 percent is really important.
“I didn’t have the best results in Anaheim, but there were things that were very positive and I felt like I had the speed I needed. In the past it seemed like I’d make a mistake every other lap. In Anaheim I felt like I had much better consistency. That will be key for us this year.”
Practice for Saturday’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross event gets under way at 12:30 p.m. MT from Chase Field. The opening ceremony starts at 7 p.m. Fox Sports 1 will begin its coverage at 9:30 p.m. ET.
