GRIT 304 — SMX NEXT — 1st — Deacon Denno

An incredible intensity was displayed by Triumph's Deacon Denno as practice transpired on Saturday. While watching the great(s) of the sport, including Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb, and Hunter Lawrence, he would begin to analyze the top-tier members of the genre - and place attributes of their riding style, into his arsenal. Throughout every facet of the course, Denno would seemingly make his charging efforts look effortless. From the whoop section, to the largest gaps the track had to offer, the athlete who sported the number 199 across his machine seemed to thrive. He could blend together his momentum from high-paced areas, to the slowest sectors) of the circuit fluidity - seemingly nullifying any instance of stopping, while continuously carving through the deep, Florida terrain. Those within his supporting cast, applauded his efforts as they game-planned for the finalé. The track, for the night show, was set to be unrecognizable (in comparison to what was previously encountered). Though regardless of what was thrown Deacon's way, he would be destined to find a way to excel at this legendary venue. Denno's start to the main event was phenomenal. He immediately aspired to break away from the pack, but would be rivaled by Kawasaki's Kade Johnson. Johnson would make his way past, with the established competitor presenting remarkable whoop speed in the earliest stages. Though Denno wasn't going to go-down without a fight per se. and continued to maintain an admirable margin, behind that of the Kawasaki athlete. This led to a valiant effort being showcased and each would nearly come into contact with one another, amid a tight, left-handed bend on the far side of the circuit! Luckily, both competitors remained upright while Denno maintained the runner-up accolade. Even with the aforementioned circumstances, Deacon's intensity never lessened. This perseverance, led to another pass attempt (which was successful) in the same area, which was previously described...only minutes later! Though this time, the pass would stick!

Denno would take the first-place position before flying over a gigantic double, and from there, there was little that could stand in his way. He began to stretch his lead over the rest of the pack, and as the crowd cheered, Deacon seemed to embrace the moment. The checkered flag then waved in the distance, and with an admirable gap over Yamaha's Gordon, it was Deacon Denno who was crowned victorious for this SMX Next event in Daytona!