race recap
ADAM CIANCIARULO - GRIT 229 450MX
August 16, 2023 · Adam Cianciarulo
ADAM CIANCIARULO | GRIT-229 | 450MX
The Floridian maintained his streak of consistency throughout the 2023 season, while racing at the Unadilla National on Saturday. It was no secret, that "AC" wanted to sustain longevity over the current calendar year rather than crash-out due to riding at a pace that wasn't sustainable. Therefore after a thorough practicing effort in Unadilla, the Kawasaki rider would release his clutch while launching from the starting grate and immediately envisioned his number nine machine barreling around through the opening bend at the front of the field...which helped him secure fourth by the end of the first lap. Though passed by Dylan Ferrandis rather quickly, Cianciarulo would do his best to mimic the flow of the Yamaha rider - leaping over the double-double step-up combination (before the Flyaway tabletop) with tremendous speed while simultaneously choosing one (of dozen's) of ruts to land in. Adam remained relentless when bursting through corners and straightaways alike, paying little attention to braking bumps and pot-holes alike, while combatting the largest of obstacles with handfuls of throttles and brute strength aboard the Kawasaki chassis. This enabled him to defend his position in the running order from Aaron Plessinger and Garrett Marchbanks (who he'd already passed). He was receiving cues from his mechanic to continue charging, as the end was in sight...and with the checkered flag being flown at the conclusion of the sixteen-lap contest, Cianciarulo had solidified his Kawasaki within a placement of fourth, with ample room to spare over fifth-place. For the second round of racing, Adam would contend with both Honda riders (Lawrence and Sexton) for the lead, while shuffling with the Illinois resident for second as the green flag waved. Though eventually passed, Cianciarulo then kept Jason Anderson at bay for three laps before eventually losing the position (while still maintaining a top-five designation) prior to the halfway point. He was displaying a methodical sense of race-craft while picking efficient line choices, and taking advantage of a smoother track (when compared to the rest of the tour) as the 450cc classification were the first of both divisions to compete. He and Aaron Plessinger would then partake in a duel that resulted in tons of energy being exerted, and even with the KTM rider eventually making his way around, it would be Adam who occupied fourth overall in the record book, via fourth and sixth (for his second-moto score) place finishes, respectively.