A minor mistake while running in third position was costly for Aaron Plessinger in San Diego on Saturday night, denying him of a breakout result in 450SX.

The Monster Energy Yamaha rider has found increased confidence in the settings of his factory YZ450F, managing to circulate in third through the opening laps.

A crash while trailing eventual winner Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM) on lap seven ended his podium hopes, but it was still an inspiring effort for the 2018 250SX West champion.

“San Diego was a big step in the right direction,” Plessinger said. “I was kind of struggling in practice, but then we got the bike working really good in the final session.

“I got a great start in the main event. I was riding right with Cooper Webb and made a little mistake and went down right before the whoops. That cost me, but it’s good to get up there and run with those boys.

“Now I know I can do it. I’m looking forward to this week, we’re going to get back to Tallahassee and go do some more work to get ready for Tampa. I’m excited for it and looking for more up front rides like that.”

After taking a 10th-place finish in the military appreciation round, Plessinger is ranked 12th in the Monster Energy Supercross standings ahead of Tampa this weekend.