Not too long ago, Aaron Plessinger came heartbreakingly close to his first Monster Energy AMA Supercross victory in the 450SX class.
After leading nearly the entire race inside Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on March 18, the No. 7 Red Bull KTM rider caught his foot in a rut with one lap to go and crashed off the track. Regardless, that night was the closest Plessinger had ever been to victory.
Five weeks after the fateful turn of events, the 450SX class regular continues to rest in his belief that he didn’t get to that position by accident.
“It hasn’t come together yet, but it will,” Plessinger said. “I believe in what I can do, it’s just a shame.”
The Ohio native admits he’s done what he can to mentally ignore the ache from his near-miss in order to keep trekking forward in his Supercross season. But physically, there have been a few lingering factors from Michigan.
The crash significantly affected his right leg, and while it wasn’t enough to take him out of contention for the following race, he was essentially “riding injured” in Seattle, Wash., that next Saturday. Despite his seventh-place finish in Seattle, Plessinger felt like his season began to snowball shortly thereafter.
Aaron Plessinger went down on the penultimate lap of the main event in Detroit, ending his potential run at victory. (Feld Motor Sports, Inc. photo)
“In Phoenix, I just wasn’t gelling with the bike very well and things have started adding up. Then [in Atlanta], my clutch went out in the heat race,” Plessinger said. “Just silly little things. Some of them are on me and some of them aren’t.”
The trajectory continued trending downward last weekend at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., when the No. 7 rider crashed hard during practice and was forced to sit out the night show.
Plessinger reported via Instagram on Tuesday morning that he was bruised and extremely sore from the incident, also noting that no major internal injuries were found. He plans to race at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., this Saturday.
Although the short-term view might look a little discouraging for Plessinger as he is seventh in the standings, the 27-year-old holds fast to the faith that there is more to come down the line in his Supercross career.
“I definitely have more in me. I’m not satisfied with what I’ve done,” Plessinger said. “I’m happy with what I’ve done, but I’m not satisfied with it.”
This year marks Plessinger’s fifth season in the 450SX class and his second Supercross campaign riding for Red Bull KTM. Throughout his premier class career, “Cowboy Pless” has only scored 10 top-five finishes — a statistic that has left him wanting more.
While this season might not have brought the results he was looking for, Plessinger is optimistic there are championship battles in his future. With a podium and three other top-five finishes to his name this year, the No. 7 rider doesn’t feel too far off from the lead pack.
“We’ve got Chase Sexton, Justin Barcia, Ken Roczen, Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb — and I’m right there, I just need to get a good start. It’s very crucial, a start in this class,” Plessinger said. “Once I get those down, I think I’ll have it down pat and I’ll be able to battle for wins and get up there in this championship hunt.”
Keyword: Plessinger Is Happy, But Not Satisfied With 450SX Career