CHASE SEXTON | GRIT-217 | 450SX

CHASE SEXTON | GRIT-217 | SX 450

The championship aspirations of Chase Sexton weren't over by any means, following his performance at round thirteen of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. The Honda athlete had positioned himself within striking distance of the top two opponents in the point standing(s) (i.e. Eli Tomac and Cooper Webb) and many in the industry felt as if there was a rejuvenation of sorts coming on behalf of the number twenty-three. For practice, the Illinois native was a standout competitor; flying over the "SX" triple with a swagger that exemplified composure and poise from year's of experience. That mantra carried into heat racing as well, where he sped from the line and into the initial section of jumps near the pinnacle of the pack; hoping to engage in a series of laps that couldn't be rivaled by anyone else in this absolutely stacked heat race. It would be Sexton who claimed the lead on the first lap, with Barcia, Anderson, and Eli Tomac behind! But the number twenty-three wasn't faltering, and remained calculated despite a few subtle instances of front-end washing as he tried to keep a prominent pace intact. He would thrive in the split lane section, racing amongst the outside lane with brilliant step-on/step-off maneuvering that was polished and had the suspension of the Honda compressing at the correct amount of recoil, to catapult him into the following corner before the whoop section. Every once and a while, Sexton would glance over his shoulder to see the pack of intimidating opponents just behind him; but the number twenty-three wasn't fazed and proceeded to escalate his power output even more as he neared the checkered flag! Eventually leading nine laps in totality, the Honda rider would be excelling at the highest regard prior to beginning the main event. Once here though, the absolutely disastrous conditions of the race track would be labeled as the "twenty-third" opponent; where riders would speed down the start straightaway while splashing water every which way. But it was Chase Sexton who was the clear recipient of an early race lead, where he rounded the initial turn with a clean front number plate and the entirety of the field behind him. However by the end of the first rhythm section, it was Justin Barcia who would cut him off (over the small double before the mechanic's area) and push Sexton to third behind both the GasGas ride and Ken Roczen. In the next turn though, Sexton would pivot and push forward around the number fifty-one with a daring sprint of sorts...only for Barcia to make a definitive move in the corner prior to the whoop section not long thereafter! The New York native would cut across the berm prior to the rollers and slam into the front wheel of Sexton, who subsequently fell to the ground! Chase remained calm, and would do his best to gather his composure while restarting the motorcycle. The number twenty-three was now well outside of the top-five, but seemed to pass the likes of Dean Wilson, Benny Bloss, and Cooper Webb before the conclusion of lap five. From that point forward though, the gap to the top three riders (of Roczen, Tomac, and Barcia) was too large to overcome...and Sexton was forced to ride at a calculated pace, until the checkered flag was thrown. Finalized in fourth, he would be ready to go for the round of Nashville next weekend.

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