race recap
JETT LAWRENCE | GRIT-219 | 250SX
May 9, 2023 · Jett Lawrence
JETT LAWRENCE | GRIT-219 | SX 250
Knowing what was at stake for this round of Denver, series points leader Jett Lawrence was seeking to acquire the championship in the easiest way possible. He'd established his presence as one of the greatest the sport has ever seen, and yearned to clench this title before heading to the finalé next week; but his road to the final podium was anything but ordinary, despite having showcased yet another series of stellar lap-times in qualification. However his astounding trajectory would change, immediately for heat two; where he rounded the first corner in the middle of the pack, and would fall victim to an unfortunate crash amid the rhythm section! He and other riders were down on the raceway and scattered in a variety of ways, but Lawrence was unscathed and remounted his motorcycle as quickly as possible. It was then a process of gathering as many positions as possible while staying composed and limiting mistakes; and Jett would possess the necessary attributes to conduct that process. He would complete the first lap in fourteenth and would storm through the next few laps while constantly grasping higher position(s) on the leaderboard. Conquering a transfer position (i.e. ninth) by lap five, it was then a matter of acquiring a higher gate choice by the time the checkered flag was thrown. Methodically, Lawrence would push his way into fourth and do what was needed to obtain a main event bid. For the finalé, however, Lawrence's start wasn't ideal; completing the first lap in ninth prior to seeing the landscape of the competition in front of him. It was at that point when Lawrence engaged in a thought-out process of passing, knowing his point(s) accumulation would be more than enough if he could just retain a substantial single digit overall. Shortly thereafter, he had moved into seventh by the end of lap six, with his competitiveness insisting on climbing even higher! Obtaining fourth by the eighth circuit, Lawrence would then look to move around Enzo Lopes, which then was completed by the tenth lap of this main event. At this point, the leaders (Levi Kitchen and RJ Hampshire) were in a race of their own, and there was no need for Lawrence to take any risks in order to clench the championship...and as the final flag was thrown, his third-place residency was enough to solidify him amongst the greats. Ending the 2023 Supercross season, as the King of the 250cc West Coast division!