Image: Octopi Media.

Untimely contact with a tuff-block in race two saw 250SMX contender Tom Vialle ruled out of contention with a broken gear shifter in Chicago, the Red Bull KTM rider now searching for redemption at the LA Coliseum season finals.

Vialle impressed with a strong P2 overall at the opening post-season event in Charlotte, citing that finding his rhythm from last year was key in his SMX uplift.

The two-time MX2 world champion set the tone for his day in Joliet by posting the seventh-fastest time in qualifying and raced to an encouraging fourth-place result in the opening moto. Moto two commenced with a top 10 start for the Frenchman, and after storming his way to third position, he was ruled out with a damaged gear-shifter following contact with a tuff-block.

“Today was good,” Vialled recalled. “I finished fourth place in the first moto and we were all super-close, so it was fun to be fighting for the win. And then second moto, I didn’t get a very good start, but I came back really strong and was in P3.

“Unfortunately, I clipped a tuff-block, which broke my shifter with three laps to go, and I had to pull in, which was disappointing. This is motorsport though and now we have one more to go in LA, where we will finish the season strong.”

The race two dramas meant Vialle finished a lowly P14 overall for the round and enters LA Coliseum this Friday and Saturday eighth in the 250SMX standings, 35 points behind red plate-holder and Chicago winner Hunter Lawrence (Team Honda HRC).