race recap
JACE OWEN | GRIT-208 | 250SX
February 14, 2023 · Jace Owen
JACE OWEN | GRIT-208 | 250SX
Prepping the bike for a myriad of conditions at Raymond James Stadium, Jace Owen knew that this may be one of the toughest events of the year prior to competing in Tampa. Traction would be of abundance (in places) but coupled with the sand and moisture in the area, there could be a litany of possibilities that were set to be unveiled by the time the main event came. Nevertheless, he would burst into practice with his Honda engine pinned to the highest degree; accruing momentum (both literally and figuratively) as he leapt through the longest rhythm lane on the track. The sand section was giving riders fits, but he managed to find a pathway on the inside that was optimal prior to transferring into the night show. Once here, it was questionable as to what mother nature would bring in; but he proceeded without caution as he flew into the opening bend of his heat race, immediately quarreling with the best in the division. Located near the fifth-place position, there was little room for error with a field of this magnitude. The whoop section would be an opportunistic portion of the track, where he blitzed into the set of moguls time and time again at the height of fourth gear! The back to back ninety degree corners that surrounded the "SX" triple were crucial in maintaining his transfer position, with countless competitors looking to cut to the inside and divert him from attacking the takeoff, or the step-on, step-off that was immediately thereafter. Receiving support from his mechanic, there were only two laps left when Henry Miller really began to make a charge, just a few seconds behind. But he wasn't going to oblige to the competitor, and stepped-up his momentum en route to the finish-line with poise...claiming ninth before heading to the main event. Conditions had shifted at this point, with the track now deemed as the toughest trial of the day thus far. Yet he still braved the circuit with confidence, and would round the first lap of the main event in eighth. Pulling tear-off's as quickly as possible, he fought for clear vision while staying high throughout many bowl turns, avoiding the grotesque lines that were now being generate upon each inside. Laps four, five, and six, would be an undertaking that allowed him to separate from Caden Braswell, running his chassis into corners with an extra bit of drive that many outside of the top-ten. He also maintained precision in the two corners before the whoops, skating around the flattened surface (after the finish-line) all the while feathering his clutch and keeping the rear wheel entrenched into the ground below. This was a mantra that continued throughout the entirety of the race, and as he grasped ninth overall at the finish-line, his feeling of accomplishment was certainly justified.