HUNTER YODER - GRIT 237 250SX

HUNTER YODER | GRIT-237 | 250 SX

Seeking to repeat his efforts from round two of the current championship, Kawasaki's Hunter Yoder would rev his engine with authority as practice segments were initiated on Saturday. Even with significant amounts of precipitation supposedly in line for the night show, Yoder was able to choreograph a plethora of notable laps in day-time qualification after piecing the course to together rather fluidly. His native West Coast roots seemed to thrive on the hard-packed base of the track, which translated into the evening program as well. As the thirty-second board went sideways for heat number two, Yoder was able to plunge into the depths of corner number one with his eyes set on moving forward. Pulling tear-off's to obtain clear vision, his run through the laps on circuits number one and two would be paramount, with the crests of the moguls remaining slick which seemingly nullified the drive of his opponents who's entrance speed was delayed. The track worsened as moments passed, with sloppy soil filling the knobby pattern of each tire while causing many in the field to slow down...but Yoder would do anything but that, as he accelerated past the halfway point with authority, and eventually to the checkered flag - where he had defended the seventh place position from Robbie Wageman and Anthony Bourdon, while narrowly missing out on sixth to that of Honda's Carson Mumford. With his rear wheel locking into the grate beneath him, shortly thereafter, Yoder unleashed the clutch and allowed the sprockets of his Kawasaki motorcycle to rapidly turn...translating to a prominent output of speed within the first three minutes of action in the main event. The skillset within the mud was applaud worthy for that of Yoder, whose early seventh place position would be sustained for a significant amount of time. Hunter's ability to remain calm and collected as transitions were filled with peg-deep muck, allowed him to persevere amongst a sea of yellow flags that were constantly being thrown. Doubling his way the through rhythm lane after the whoops, Yoder was always aware of how his bike was tracking; focused solely on the path ahead of him, rather than worrying about opponents like Anthony Bourdon and Robbie Wageman. But the battle between he (Yoder) and DiFrancesco was notable and rather strenuous, as both riders were giving it their all, with the once "smooth" ruts, now becoming too deep to really encounter. Nevertheless, Yoder switched his pathways around and though being overtaken by the GasGas rider in the final stages, his performance under the bright lights was beyond admirable. As the white flag, and then eventual checkered flag was presented, Yoder's final standing of ninth was regarded as another exceptional performance for the native Californian thus far in 2024.

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