“On paper it was better, but I still struggled a bit in the mains. I have to get going and run up front with those guys and learn that pace more. Starting at the back doesn’t help. Other than that we went 7-8-8. I’ve got to get better and we’ve got Daytona coming up so we’ll keep working. I’m moving up in the points, but still want more.”
“It was another tough one for me but we kept pushing and made some progress throughout the night. Ninth was not the result we were looking for, but it was still a good learning experience under difficult conditions. We just want to keep working.”
“Another Triple Crown, and a very tough night at the office for me. I didn’t agree with the course and had some mistakes and crashes. I had some bad starts and put myself in bad positions. Fortunately, we get to try again in seven days at Daytona; I really like that place and I’m looking forward to it. I just have to wipe it clean from tonight and focus on next weekend.”
“The race was tough,” McElrath reported. “It felt good to really run every race. I mean, I fell off a little bit at the end of every race, but we’re making great progress overall and I’m excited about the progress and learning we’re doing. We’re just working together as a team , and that’s what I’m really excited about.”
“Coming through Arlington. I had a little crash there at the end so I’m sore, but overall I had some good moments. I just missed moving forward by a couple of tenths of a second and I had to go to the LCQ. But we made the most of it. It’s never fun being in the LCQ, but if you’re going to be in it, you might as well win, right? So it was good. The night of the third race I worked my way up and with only a few laps to go I got a little squirrely in the butt, hit some Tuff Blox, and went down pretty hard. I’m sore, not really hurt, more just mad at myself. I just want to be a little closer to the front. I’m looking forward to it me to Daytona. I like that race.”
“Today was good. I felt comfortable in practice, qualified seventh and that was my best so far – I felt good on the track. In the first race I was P5 but struggled a bit with the start in the second and was ninth. The third race was a lot better and came second in that and I was very close to the winner at the end so I was happy. We’ve made good improvements in the last few weeks, we’re getting closer and fourth is a positive result. Now I’m looking forward to next week at Daytona.”
“Man, it felt like after the last two races we really went to work and made some adjustments to the bike and it was a lot better on the practice track. It really felt like we had gained some momentum on the side at home and that should carry it into the weekend, but we came here looking for a bit of comfort and feel. I had a couple of bad starts and I just need to get my confidence up. All we can do is take the positives and move on. I am happy with my start in the third main and running close to the front. It’s disappointing, but I’m glad we corrected the mistakes of the first two and managed to put it up against the front in the last one.
“I had a lot of fun at my first Triple Crown. I had a bit of an unfortunate first race, but we keep learning, which is the goal. I’m really excited for Daytona next week!”
Said Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing 250 Team Manager Jensen Hendler:
– I am very happy with how the weekend went. I don’t think we could have done much better. Daxton won the futures final, and Nate and Jordon finished first and second overall in the Triple Crown format. Going into the last race Nate was tied for the lead and Jordon was one point down from there so we were in a good position. In the last race all three guys got great starts and with things happening all over the course we finished 1-2 overall. It was amazing!
“Deegan had good starts in all three races. Small mistakes kept him off the podium tonight but he’s learning fast and definitely has what it takes to be a podium finisher. We’ll continue to gain experience every race and hope to see him up there soon.”
“The format of three main events is challenging because starts are so important. Luckily I was able to stay away from any crashes and find a good position in the first two races. The track was very fast and made it difficult to gain time when we got through the first couple of laps. I’ll take ninth, but I’m really working towards a top five.”
