ENZO LOPES | GRIT-209 | 250SX

ENZO LOPES | GRIT-209 | SX 250

No stranger to success, Enzo Lopes would focus his mindset on accruing a high-profile(d) finish while racing in Northern California. The soil had been submerged with precipitation in weeks past, with remnants of flooding still being identifiable as bikes began to circulate the course for qualification. Regardless of what the conditions were though, Brazil's Lopes felt confident and capable of mastering the myriad of ruts that were set to litter the raceway. His technique was remarkable, as he stayed aboard the midpoint of the frame and distinguished adequate traction to both front and rear wheels. It would spare him the mistake of knifing the front-end, which was far too often the case of opponents in the right-handed bend after the "SX" triple. His efforts of thorough calculation would be rewarded with seventh on the overall leaderboard, which had him residing in his heat race with a solid gate choice. Upshifting into second gear, the sprockets were set to turn with an unleashing of his clutch lever, and as the field funneled into the tight left-handed (opening corner), he seemed to be residing around fourth in the moments that followed. It would be Jett Lawrence who eventually led the pack around, though his pace was paralleled to the Honda rider, especially to the casual fan who sat in the chair backs just hundreds of feet away. The rhythm lane after the longest whoop section was one that was beginning to be chewed apart; especially on the takeoff of the initial single, and the downslope of the fourth (landing ramp) within the tenure of obstacles. He remained calculated here though, and made sure to land the combination with precise timing as the moto went on. Laps five and six were crucial in his quest for fourth, which was ultimately captured prior to departing to the finalé. Action was fierce and would promote applause from the fans as the green flag waved, where he and Mitchell Oldenburg were mere feet away (on a number of occasions) from locking bars. He was steadfast though, and proceeded to maintain a tight line around the corner that housed a number of singles (just before the "SX" triple) which would defend his position from the previously mentioned Honda rider. The multitude of switchbacks allowed him to monitor the leaders of the field, which were slowly propelling forward (though he was continuing to post solid lap-times of his own). The furthest rut to the outside (in the corner after the whoops) was deteriorating fast, making him configure and inside pathway in the last four minutes of competition...which worked in his favor, especially with Max Vohland (whom he'd passed earlier) lurking in the background. All in all (though), he made sure to stake his place in the standings, for sixth, which was well-respected in a field of this magnitude.

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