AARON PLESSINGER GRIT-227 450MX

AARON PLESSINGER | GRIT-227 | 450MX

The number seven of Aaron Plessinger had been stellar thus far in 2023, and continued on the trajectory for round number seven of the AMA Pro Motocross championship. His style would mold into the elevation changes of Millville, which translated into the first moto of the afternoon where he began the trek in third! Plessinger would do his best to defend the podium designation from Chase Sexton, but the Honda rider couldn't be stopped as "AP" then diverted to a fourth-place standing on lap number-three. Jason Anderson, too, would eventually work his way around, but the free-flowing style of Plessinger continued to excel through the countless rollers that littered this Minnesota raceway. Minutes would pass, but the foundational speed of Plessinger wasn't an attribute that was going to deter, even amongst the highest stage in the sport. He would look to his mechanic for briefing(s) on how much time would transpire, and as he pursued the thirty-minute mark with all of his might, those in the crowd couldn't help but applaud for the Ohio native! He had been passed by Kawasaki's Jason Anderson, but managed to defend his fourth-place position on the racetrack from that of France's Dylan Ferrandis, as the checkered flag loomed in the distance...and with the seventeen-lap circuit eventually coming to a close, Plessinger would be just short (under two-seconds) of passing Anderson for third - claiming fourth, for finality in the first round of racing. The following thirty(plus) minute sector of competition was one of extreme effort(s) by the KTM rider, where he battled inside the top-five while seeking to overtake Dylan Ferrandis and Adam Cianciarulo who eventually established themselves just in front of his chassis. Around the halfway-point though, Plessinger would prove that he possessed an incredible ability to excel even amongst fatigue; where he zeroed-in on the rear wheel of the Floridian (Cianciarulo) while lookin to infiltrate the fourth-place residency. With thorough scanning of the raceway, that move would eventually be made - putting Cianciarulo behind him, in the left-handed sweeper prior to the last roller section of the two halves. It was then a matter of staying as close to Dylan Ferrandis as possible, and it was apparent that Plessinger was pushing (with a few subtle mistakes) being a ripple effect of his extension of speed(s). But "AP" continued to walk the line of nearly crashing, while demonstrating complete control of his KTM 450...all the way to the finish line, for the entirety of this seventeen-lap contest. He eventually accrued a second-moto score of fourth, which was a paired with a paralleled standing in the first moto, for fourth-overall as well.

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