GRIT 311 — SMX NEXT — 2nd — Kade Johnson

Game-planning, in every aspect, was pivotal to excel for Saturday's event in the Northeast. It was destined to be a chess match of sorts, though regardless of what was thrown Kade Johnson's way, he knew that he could thrive. Following a series of dry laps for qualifying (with significant precipitation set to move into the area, he knew that versatility, was going to be a component that would set him into a high-level standing by the end of the forthcoming main event. He would do his best to nullify wheel-spin when launching from the grate in the finalé, and after transferring his weight to the rear of the motorcycle while powering amongst the muddy first straightaway), he would be registered in an approximate standing of second. He wasn't far from the rear wheel of Deacon Denno - and the tall frame of the Texas competitor, was allowing the established competitor to balance his way through the adverse conditions. Despite recently moving to the Kawasaki brand, Johnson was certainly proving that he adapted well to the pristine motorcycle — and while residing in the runner-up standing, a significant flow was being constructed on the Philadelphia SX course.

The pursuit to try and track-down, Denno, was continuous. The Kawasaki athlete pursued the Triumph competitor through the aformentioned sequences, replicating line choice(s) while also searching for any portion of dry terrain (for futhered) traction that could grant him an advantage, on any of his adversaries throughout the SM Next Pack. As the precipitation amplified and the Philadelphia surface progressed further into an unpredictable canvas, the Texan exhibited an impressive sense of fortitude — nullifying the notion to become overzealous in sections where others unfortunately underwent a series of mistakes, as this canvas wouldn't allow anyone to really charge at their hardest velocities! There were subtle instances where the gap seemed to seemingly be maintained per se particularly as lapped riders began to factor into the main event equation, though Deacon's consistency ultimately prevented a true. eye-opening challenge for the lead coming to fruition. The crowd continued to cheer, as the race carried onward. However, Kade's main event was still categorized as exceptional. He absorbed pressure from those who trailed - most notably opponents such as Jeremy Fappani, while continuing to execute clean laps. Continuously, the drops of precipitation were still soaking the course! His body positioning remained disciplined, often standing tall over the handlebars and chassis to allow it to move rather freely beneath him in the rutted corners, with the slick-exits of the bends) now becoming more of an imminent factor than ever. While subtle mistakes would be showcased by everyone in the pack, particularly in the final moments of the race as conditions worsened, Johnson was quick to omit the slip-ups and maintain velocity in a forward-moving manner. Amid the concluding sequences, with visibility now at a minimum and the circuit becoming extremely treacherous in every facet, Kade leaned on experience and readiness (throughout all sectors of the landscape) to secure the runner-up overall standing. This performance, in the Northeast, would reiterate that the talented competitor was now ready to excel at the highest level of the sport.