When it comes to Southwick, the unique sand racing surface will always prove to be arguably the summer’s toughest test. As a result, it’s common to see a local pro ascend to the upper-echelon of both divisions. This was the case in the 450 Class where Connecticut native Chris Canning leveraged his Southwick expertise to battle in the thick of the premier division alongside the sport’s biggest names. A top-five start in Moto 1 saw Canning mix it up with the factory riders for most of the moto before he ultimately settled for a 12th-place finish. It was a different story for Canning in Moto 2, where he started deep in the top 20, but his wealth of experience in the sand allowed him to march forward and improve upon his starting spot to finish the afternoon with another 12th-place result. By virtue of his 12-12 performance Canning recorded the best finish of his career, narrowly missing out on a top-10 finish in 11th overall. That effort made him an obvious choice for FMF Privateer Power Award honors at Southwick.
Southwick National:
#82 Chris Canning / Coventry, Connecticut / GASGAS
450 Class: 11th overall (12-12)
