2019 Las Vegas Supercross | Adam Cianciarulo GoPro Onboard
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2019 LAS VEGAS SUPERCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE
To see the last few laps of the 250 East-West Showdown at the 2019 Las Vegas Supercross play out was sort of surreal. With five minutes left in the race everything seemed set. Adam Cianciarulo had raced himself safely into position to clinch the 250 West Coast title, what was to be the first championship of his professional career. With the number one plate out of his reach, it was clear that Dylan Ferrandis was determined to win the race in dominant fashion, a final point to prove to the full field of 250 class competition.
On its own, Cianciarulo’s mistake in the short end zone rhythm section was nothing major. The racing line in that section of the track was narrow and choppy, and when the bike landed a bit sideways on a beaten up roller, it steered to the left and into a Tuff Block. The rock-hard dirt did extensive damage to the handlebars while Cianciarulo was lucky to slam the ground without getting injured. On an East Coast track with soft soil, a crash of this nature would not have been so severe.
The GoPro footage shows just how out of shape the KX250 was after the crash, as Cianciarulo was pulled to the right by the damage. A quick stop in the work area straightened out some small things, but with a handlebar swap out of the question (even with the well-stocked pit carts teams take to the line, there was no way a full repair could have been made), Cianciarulo went back onto the track in an attempt to score any sort of points or see if Ferranids would somehow have the same fate.
Cianciarulo completed the full race and even managed to hop a few obstacles in the final laps, an indicator of his respect for racing. He easily could have pulled out of the race, but didn’t, and had to come over the finish line to see Ferrandis’ celebration.
This is a big blow for AC and he’s taking it in stride. The on-camera interview behind the Pro Circuit rig and Instagram post show yeah, he lost but will be back to race again with just as much effort. With talk of a factory 450 contract either on the table or already signed, Cianciarulo is still getting the opportunity to take the next step in his career, regardless of that championship outcome. He has control of his future in the sport and knowing his personality, there’s no way he will waste the chance by giving anything less than his full effort.
Such a gut wrenching moment. His interview was a class act and showed his character and maturity to the situation. “To create more positive results in your life, replace ‘if only’ with ‘next time’.”