Looking back at the start of the 20-lap Main, Metcalfe regretted his gate pick: He came off the line and went sideways, winding up at near-the-back of the pack. He tried to pick his way through the tight and twisty field, launched over the triple-jump only to narrowly-miss landing on another rider. Although contact was made, both riders resumed racing, but for Metcalfe, the contact resulted in a bent shift lever that was stuck in second gear. Regardless, he was still able to manage an eighth-placed finish.
"That first lap was just really, really crazy," said Metcalfe. "The track's tight and there were bikes jamming-up everywhere. I hit the triple and I nearly landed on somebody and it really scared me. Then, I realised that my shifter had 'gotten bent so I was stuck in second gear. Luckily, this was the kind of track where you could get away with using one gear for the whole lap, so it wasn't so bad for me. After that, I backed it down because I just wanted to finish the race. That was really it for me for the night. I'm just happy I got through it."
Always looking forward, the Yoshimura Suzuki rider is already focusing on next weekend's race in Georgia.
"I think everyone loves to go to Atlanta because the dirt's really good and the track's always fun. I just want to have a solid week of practice, get some rest and get ready for Atlanta," Metcalfe concluded,
