GRIT 304 — 450SX — 8th — Shane Mcelrath

With precipitation falling in the area on Friday evening, the track in Daytona was set to be a bit moist. The water would add yet another element to this unique course, creating quite the riddle to solve for all in the 450 SX division. Though Shane McElrath managed to power through the racetrack with remarkable vision, line choice, and balance as qualifying laps took place on Saturday. There was minimal room for error, especially as certain grooves would cross one another and overlap, though he managed to dodge the most troublesome of trenches en route to the finish line. As he gained further knowledge of the track more obstacles would be completed with ease and fluidity. He seemed to be totally in-tune with his chassis, and there was no doubt that he could reside at the front of the field for the forthcoming main event of the night show program. And through the hours that followed, he aligned on the grid with a readiness that was identified by many in the crowd. He shifted into gear and as gates fell, he burst onto the raceway while rapidly upshifting through the transmission. He would put as much weight to the rear wheel of the machine as possible while vaulting further ahead, and when flying past the green flag, he was located in an approximate standing of seventh. From there, McElrath would continuously climb forward while passing athletes including Dylan Ferrandis, Cole Thompson, and Jordon Smith. Though simultaneously, Shane would be overtaken by Ken Roczen...but in the process, Aaron Plessinger's substantial mistake, would enable Shane to briefly secure the fourth-place residency! The battle between he and the KM athlete was admirable, but in the end, Shane would have to settle for fifth as the final flag was thrown! There wasn't any room for error, with a track of this degree. The main event layout, was comprised of endless ruts, that would challenge all athletes in the category! Though he flew through the opening circuit with a quick decision making and could decipher the layout while revving the engine of his machine with a remarkable amount of torque. As he was spotted around an approximate position of ninth, he knew that consistency would have to be portrayed if he wanted to garner a successful finish. And in the laps that followed, Shane would gain a position after passing Christian Craig. He was then eighth, and would maintain that standing through the fifth circuit. At that point, he would be passed by Aaron Plessinger. From there, the North Carolina native would battle through the rugged terrain of the Daytona landscape with remarkable skills. The track was constantly breaking down. But Shane's prowess, aboard his machine, was identified by all in attendance. Ninth was maintained for a significant amount of time, before he would track-down Malcolm Stewart, with two laps remaining. Stewart was riding well, however, McElrath found a way to surpass the Husqvarna athlete with minimal time remaining. Thus, eighth place would be collected for Shane at the finish line!