race recap
JASON ANDERSON | GRIT-207 | 450SX
February 7, 2023 · Jason Anderson
JASON ANDERSON | GRIT-207 | 450SX
Continuing to generate a notable resumé thus far in 2023, Kawasaki's Jason Anderson would approach the round of racing in Houston with aspirations of keeping his championship hopes alive. His string of wins to end last year's series would be phenomenal, and a feat that few others could attest to as the current championship came to fruition. He struck quickly to begin the qualifying sessions at NRG stadium, running within the highest tier of riders while conducting varying tripling options in the rhythm lane before the finish-line; which proved his versatility and ability to create pathways on the fly if necessary. That mantra carried into the first heat race of the evening as well, where Jason resided second (behind Cooper Webb) as he constantly sought to move forward around the KTM rider. And the aforementioned rhythm (where he leapt over the tabletop, and conducted a triple maneuver) amongst the lane of obstacles before the finish-line would be the defining factor in his quest for the lead! Now out front and racing a track that was his for the taking, Anderson shined. Blitzing the whoops with confidence while mastering the huge, quadruple jump with a routine seat-bounce, there was little that could stand in Anderson's way while he dashed toward the checkered flag. The final few laps were mistake free as he pushed toward the final double, keeping Aaron Plessinger and Cooper Webb at bay. For the main event, his initial registry was just around the fifth-place mark; where Cianciarulo and Cooper Webb surrounded him while attacking the sandy corner before the "SX" triple. He presented a prominent pace and seemed to be on a similar trajectory as many of the leaders of the division; until a halt in the action forced the field to restart, on the start straightway. An unfortunate injury to Dylan Ferrandis would have action paused for a brief while, before engines were ignited and the field once again took off with a blistering pace (albeit in a single-file starting grid). Anderson wasn't wasting anytime though, and would power through the aforementioned lane of jumps before the finish-line with a surging sense of confidence; pushing Aaron Plessinger to the top of the berm while taking over second place! Though Chase Sexton was on the move, from the positions behind him; and proceeded to make a daring pass in the whoops, on the sixth circuit. Now in third, it would be Anderson's position to lose in the laps that followed. Though the New Mexico native would excel and do what was necessary to clench the bronze as the race eventually came to a close, ending the day on the overall podium.