CHASE SEXTON - GRIT 252 450SX

GRIT-252 | 450 SX

June 4th, 2024 11:00 pm

With many in the industry labeling Illinois' Chase Sexton as a title contender, the KTM athlete was extremely focused when circling the track for practice on Saturday. Every aspect of the course would be analyzed, and as he gathered lines for the multiple moto's that were ahead, the former Supercross champion appeared "ready to go" as gate(s) fell in the early afternoon hours. However, a disastrous start to his 2024 season then took place...with a wash-out of sorts on the opening circuit causing him to clip the rear wheel of Dylan Ferrandis and crash to the ground atop an ant-hill! This forced him to seventeenth in the running order, and Sexton had no choice but to claw his way back into the top-ten. He had somehow made his way into seventh by lap five, passing Malcolm Stewart and Phil Nicoletti...but another miscue would cause Sexton to slide another standing behind in the running order - having him reside eighth, before rekindling his flow from before. Battling amid lackluster vision while trying to take lines that weren't necessarily optimal, he fought through the tightest of windows to pass Justin Barcia, Dylan Ferrandis, and Justin Cooper (with a slick, inside move amongst a challenging rut to overtake the Yamaha rider) to somehow claim fourth at the checkered flag! For moto two, he quickly moved into fourth, and then third, after a brief feud with Phil Nicoletti. Once around the veteran, Sexton had the idea of maximizing as many points as possible on his mine...and proceeded to engage in a three-rider battle that continued as twenty-minutes had transpired in the second endeavor (with he, Hunter, and Jett Lawrence)...but with ten minutes left on the clock, Sexton appeared to have had enough. A sly, cutting maneuver was conducted in the corners after the finish line, setting up Hunter Lawrence and forcing the Australian to the outside while obtaining second (definitively) in the corner after the opening bend. Now attempting to track-down Jett Lawrence, the pressure he was putting forth was incredible to watch. Certain lines would be followed, while he drifted into unorthodox pathways in order to try and work his way around (which would cost him, at one time, when going off the race-track amid a downhill section). The effort put forth by the Illinois native was admirable, and proved that he had the speed to contend with the defending champion. However as the checkered flag flew, Sexton was categorized as the eventual second-place resident...and when paired with his first moto performance, led to third overall in the final standings.

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