The Quad Lock Honda Racing Team faced another weekend of mixed results, but Team Principal Martin Davalos remains focused and has a clear plan to elevate their performance on the track in the coming rounds.
“It’s straightforward—Joey [Savatgy] has needed time to adapt to the 450 class,” explained Davalos. “Last year, he raced a 250, and the year before, his team didn’t finish the season. That meant he missed half of 2023, and in 2024, he only competed for half the year, also on a 250.
He’s improving gradually, and his lap times during the main event this weekend were solid. However, his start held him back. If 11th is his worst finish, from here on, I’ll take it—but he needs to push into the top 7. On the bright side, we were the highest-placed privateer team, and Joey came from 18th to finish 11th. What he needs now are more laps, more gate drops, and more confidence,” said Davalos.
Savatgy echoed Davalos’ sentiments, sharing his determination to improve.
“The result was okay—it’s not something I’m happy with, but considering the day I had, it’s a step in the right direction,” said Savatgy. “I crashed twice in the morning, including a tough one in the whoops, and then I went down again during the start of Qualifying 2. That said, we’ve built a solid base, and with a few tweaks to the bike this week and better starts, I’m confident I can race inside the top 7 or 8. That’s where we should be. It’s coming, and my confidence is growing.”
For Shane McElrath, the day brought frustration as early speed in practice didn’t translate into the result the team had hoped for in the main event. Davalos addressed the situation candidly.
“Shane showed speed in the morning, but unfortunately, he couldn’t carry it into the main event. We know he has the potential to run inside the top 10, but he needs to focus on building his strength and stamina on the 450,” explained Davalos. “We’ve developed a 4-to-5-week plan to help him get there. Racing the 250 over the past five months has affected his preparation for the 450, but we’re committed to helping him improve.”
McElrath agreed with Davalos, acknowledging the need for time to adapt.
“This is only the second weekend, and while I’ve had the speed to run further up, I just don’t have the stamina to maintain it for 20 minutes yet,” said McElrath. “The positives are that I felt more comfortable, and the speed is there. We’ve got a plan in place, and I’m confident we’ll see better results in the coming rounds.”
Images by Michael Anotovich
