CULLIN PARK | GRIT-217 | 250SX

CULLIN PARK | GRIT-217 | SX 250

Being a native Floridian, Honda's Cullin Park was no stranger to racing amongst the rain and precipitation...however the sand of the Sunshine State would soak-up the moisture, while the hard-packed surfaces of New Jersey would create quite the opposite effect as the night show came to fruition for round fourteen of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. However the road to the finalé, wasn't nearly as troublesome, in regard to track condition(s). The layout in East Rutherford would break down very easily, with riders forced to remain on-point throughout every facet while leaping through doubles, triples, and the abrupt whoop section that would have a difficult initiation and conclusion segment(s) before entering and exiting the corner, respectively. But Park was timely and precise with his throttle, wheel-tapping and moving off the main line while staying light on the front end, hopping his way through the entirety of the course with rhythm before heading into the heat race. The number sixty-seven would battle amongst the top eight for a good while as he passed the green flag, but with the entirety of his fellow opponents (from East Coast competition) within this specific sanction, it was difficult for him to gain ground in comparison to a usual qualifying segment. Throughout the laps that followed, Park would battle with Michael Hicks and Henry Miller; holding-down a transferring designation before a slight mistake would deter him from outside of the top nine, and he was forced to claim eleventh before heading into the LCQ. Once into the sprint of sorts, his focus was only on obtaining a main event bid...which would be conquered with a brilliant third place performance, prior to embarking on the "swamp" of a racetrack (i.e. known as the main event) not long thereafter. Once here, Park would thrive; sweeping through the outsides of berms while missing the lowest points of the racetrack where water would settle, and managing to leap onto several plateaus with a stabbing of the clutch which propelled him forward and ahead of the competition. This would allow him to continuously pass riders, ascending from an initial fifteenth place on the leaderboard, where he would overtake the likes of Tom Vialle, Chris Blose, and Michael Hicks, amongst numerous other opponents. Park would arguably be one of the most comfortable riders on the track, in regards to maintaining a solid pace amongst the mud; where he was never overwhelmed with the conditions and continued to make passes before time expired. And as he gathered eighth-place in the final standings when crossing the finish-line, those in the supporting cast of the number sixty-seven knew he'd given it all he had.

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