GRIT 301 — 250SX 9th — Avery Long

When scanning the layout on Saturday, Avery Long knew that entirety of his KTM transmission was going to have to be utilized. This layout was one-of-a-kind on the tour, and had details which resembled that of the former Las Vegas finalé, or more recently, the Monster Cup track design of the late 2010's. He welcomed the faster pace of all in practice — and he would couple a bit of engine braking with perfect application in terms of dragging the rear brake. When synchronized, he would skate the rear wheel into the flattened turns of the course, just before catching a subtle edge, and from the bank he accelerated — translating to phenomenal laps. Once practice completed, the totality of his segment times were among the best in the division. In the heat race, he embodied an aggressive riding style which rivaled that of Parker Ross and Lux Turner. With Parker Ross briefly going off the track, Long quickly moved into second for this tenure in heat race one. This translated to a remarkable showing through the white flag circuit, collecting a result of fourth after only losing positions to Levi Kitchen and Maximus Vohland. In the main event, advancing positions was pivotal at the start of the quest — and Avery vowed to expend every bit of energy necessary in order to claw his way up the leaderboard. He would find a line which avoided the toughest bumps and edges that were forming, and his vision remained precise through the halfway and three-quarter mark(s) of the contest. He had battled with opponents including Max Anstie for a significant amount of time...and after an incredible rivalry with Parker Ross, it was Avery who surpassed the Yamaha athlete on the final circuit...to claim the aforementioned standing of ninth!