Image: Supplied.

Joey Savatgy says his season-best performance at Minneapolis’ sixth round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship last Saturday is a step in the right direction.

The 450SX rookie led majority of the 26-lap encounter, succumbing to pressure from the regular front-runners to secure fourth position – his best result since stepping up to the premier class.

Displaying plenty of promise, the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider’s confidence has received a significant boost after enduring a mixed start to his campaign.

“Man today was just awesome,” Savatgy expressed. “Of course I would have liked to win the main event, but we learned so much. You have to start somewhere with getting the experience of leading laps and tonight we accomplished that. My KX450 was a rocket ship all day long and helped me get the day started properly as we qualified first and then got third in the heat race.

“In the main event, I got a great jump out the gate and was able to make a quick pass into first. I need to clean up a few mistakes but tonight was a big step in the right direction.”

The main event was ultimately taken out by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cooper Webb, a three-time winner this season, while Ken Roczen (Team Honda HRC) controls the points standings by one marker over the number two.