COLT NICHOLS | GRIT-215 | 450SX

COLT NICHOLS | GRIT-215 | SX 450

Though plagued by a few injuries and crashes thus far in 2023, Honda's Colt Nichols would return to racing action hoping to thrive on the hard-packed terrain of Glendale. The former Arenacross standout was no stranger to these types of conditions, and quickly portrayed a comfortable aptitude throughout all facets of the raceway as he qualified directly into the night show. As he aligned his machine on the starting grid shortly thereafter, an excellent jump from the gate would have him within the fourth-place residency; proving that his sprint speed was there, despite an absolutely world-class roster of riders all around him. Nichols would then do his best to remain situated inside the top-ten, finding a flow in eighth as they neared the halfway point. He would have Adam Cianciarulo in front of him, with Aaron Plessinger not too far behind, which pushed him to charge with determination as they made their way into the final four laps of action. Though the KTM rider would be constantly searching for ways to push him to the outside, it was the thought process of Nichols that ultimately prevailed. He would round the final corner on the racetrack in eighth, crossing the checkered flag here, while looking to the next moto with confidence. Colt's tenth-place residency for round two would would quickly change to ninth after passing Dean Wilson, where once again he trailed the tandem of Aaron Plessinger and Adam Cianciarulo as they neared the halfway point of the thirteen-minute contest. Nichols would seek to move around his KTM foe, however, and his persistence would eventually pay off prior to the eighth circuit being completed; where he edged forward (and passed) the Ohio native while obtaining an eighth-place residency. Now behind Cianciarulo, he would trail the number nine machine throughout the rest of the thirteen-lap quest; accruing another eighth place score before embarking on the finalé. His start to the latter stage of the trilogy was incredible, where he initially contended for the lead and would take reign of the field for a few corners; prior to descending to third as he leapt passed the green flag. He would do his best to maintain an incredible flow on the deteriorated raceway, seat-hopping his way out of various bowl turns while being mindful of how much pressure to apply to the front tire. All the while, he was battling with the best in the division and would defend the eighth-place registry from Dean Wilson who trailed. He would hold this position for the remainder of the moto, finishing just behind Florida's Cianciarulo as engines ceased; claiming eighth overall, before moving onto round thirteen.

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