AARON PLESSINGER | GRIT-212 | 450SX

AARON PLESSINGER | GRIT-212 | SX 450

Ohio's Aaron Plessinger would attract quite the hometown crowd as he arrive at Lucas Oil Stadium. He was accustomed to every bit of this atmosphere and would thrive from the moment practice began. Mastering the whoops with his lanky frame, his history on the GNCC circuit would be a defining factor in his infiltration of the top of the leaderboard; and have many fans listing him as a betting favorite for a top-five overall. Clicking into gear for his heat race, his starting position of third would be just near Chase Sexton and Eli Tomac. Following the Honda rider as closely as possible, he too would zero-in on Tomac's lack of mid-whoop speed as the Yamaha rider darted through the mogul section. Something appeared off in regard to the red-plate holder's velocity, and Plessinger was going to take advantage of it alongside Sexton. Shortly thereafter the Illinois native would push forward, leaving the number seven just behind the Yamaha athlete as they neared the halfway point. However it was prior to lap six beginning (at the end of the whoop section) where a coupling of immense technique and fearlessness would aid his overtaking of the number one. Solidifying the pass in the step-on/step-off section thereafter, he would scrub over the subtle double that followed and leap into the air over the "SX" triple with a sense of swagger that was hard to deny. In the laps that followed, it would be Plessinger who attempted to hunt Sexton down but came up just a bit short; and as the dust settled for this heat race exhibition, Plessinger's accrual of second overall was well-deserved. Now to the main event, where the action between the top of the field was exhilarating; and "AP" managed to stay relevant amongst the conversation of podium contenders. Skimming the whoops to the best of his ability, his ability to soak-up airtime in the longest rhythm section on the track was eye-opening. Which led to an initial eighth-place standing being erased for spot inside the top five by the time lap seven began. He would watch from afar as Chase Sexton crashed to the ground, proceeding to work his way past the Honda rider and Adam Cianciarulo (as well) in the laps that followed. As the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth minute came to fruition, it was Plessinger who remained calculated and composed amongst this substantially marred terrain. He couldn't be denied, entering into the last two laps of competition with adequate stamina and a mindset that was set on conquering a fourth place standing. Concluding the moto here (in fourth) would be a well deserved result, for the KTM rider; who displayed a world-renowned skillset amongst the highest competition in two-wheeled racing.

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