Jason Anderson lit up the Swedish GP after boosting his world championship chances with a vital win in the fourth round in Stockholm.
Anderson, who came into this season with expectations of challenging for victories, has found them hard to come by.
Following the Australian GP, he jetted back to Florida to spend two days riding his Suzuki to find a set-up that he was comfortable with.
Anderson then flew straight to Sweden, where the Pipes Motorsport Group rider took victory on the night after winning the second sprint race and the main race.
But after Joey Savatgy excelled in Superpole and the first sprint race, Anderson was fearing the worst. He said: “All day I was floundering and thought Joey had me, but going into the last race, I knew I had to kick in and hit my marks and also send it at the same time. I got in front and I thought I was going to pull away, but Joey was on me all the way.”
Savatgy took second place in the event but was left disappointed after setting the early pace and winning the first sprint race.
In Race 2, he went down to throw the advantage to Anderson, while Christian Craig also made a mistake that gifted Anderson victory in the second race and turned the tide of the evening.
Savatgy said: “It is a little tricky; it looks brand new, but I might have played it a little too safe early in the moto. Ultimately, it was a positive day, but I just need to be a little better than that, and I will be happy.”
Craig, who came off his Quad Lock Honda in the second race and was running 10th before fighting back to finish fourth, was left nursing a sore leg.
He said: “I struggled in the ruts, and the corner speed was not there. These guys were on it; I wish I was a little closer and matched those guys. I had a fall in the second race, and it was fun to come through the pack.”
It leaves the title race delicately poised ahead of the final round in South Africa, with Anderson, Savatgy, and Craig all separated by just a point.
