CHASE SEXTON - GRIT 239 450SX

GRIT-239 | 450 SX

The Illinois native embodied the necessary characteristics on Saturday for another championship run in 2024. Chase Sexton appeared superb on his KTM machine for practice, where his array of strong laps were acknowledged by fans and competitors alike - sending him into the second heat of the afternoon program, where he took the green flag around the fifth-place position. His chassis appeared to be in total synchronization with the prepped soil beneath his tires, with the 450SX class being first in the program's itinerary and as he moved into fourth (around Shane McElrath) he sought to track-down the likes of Jett Lawrence, Jason Anderson, and Ken Roczen. However the trio of riders were riding extremely well, and Sexton's mentality of late seemed to reiterate the idea of patience. Therefore he was calculated and rode within a certain realm of speed, letting the race come to him, instead of overriding the track and losing what he'd worked for. For the rest of the ten-lap moto, Sexton resided fourth, respectively...finishing here and seeking to improve on the result in the main event, where critical championship points were on the line. His start for the finalé was rather impressive, battling alongside Jett Lawrence and Eli Tomac as they exited the opening corner. Three, remarkable championship contenders were now bar-to-bar when flowing through the opening sections...but Sexton quickly established his presence in the runner-up position behind Jett Lawrence. It was a process of chipping away at the checkered flag from that point onward, where Sexton remained calm amongst the developing lines; and would change his pathways as particular grooves became too deep. There were few signs of front-end washing or too much force being applied amongst slick conditions, and as the race progressed, Chase appeared to acknowledge where he was at (in comparison to Jett Lawrence) while appearing content with how the race was developing. Only a subtle error in the whoops was made at one point in the moto...but Sexton quickly rekindled his flow and proceeded to charge forward. Minute by minute, he seemed to wait for Jett Lawrence to make a mistake...and though the Honda rider nearly endo(ed) in the final stages of the moto, Lawrence's save and established gap wasn't enough for Sexton to overcome, despite the defending champion making a commendable push in the final stages. As the checkered flag waved and the rider who sported the number one plate earned a solid second overall score, it was then time to focus on round six and the remaining venues, as a means to keep the championship in his grasp.

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