JORDON SMITH - GRIT 234 250SMX

JORDON SMITH | GRIT-234 | 250 SMX

With his vision set on claiming the highest feat of his career thus far prior to beginning action on Saturday, Yamaha's Jordon Smith would blaze an astonishing trail around the Los Angeles circuit throughout the myriad of practice sessions that took place for this particular SMX round. His prowess amongst the split-lane(d) sand section was proficient, where he maintained a stellar sense of rolling speed amongst the moguls prior to selecting his gate choice for the opening main event of the evening. As the lights were brightened to their highest extent, it was Smith who immediately upshifted while transitioning his weight to the rear wheel before embarking on the first corner. The pack was extremely close and after fighting for a fourth-place position, it was Jordon who inflicted an aura of authority amongst those who surrounded him. The process of working his way through the 250cc field was challenging, but Smith showed absolutely no-sign of slowing down as laps began to amass...and he continuously put forth some of the strongest lap-times of anyone in the field! It was evident that his "SX" roots flourished on the more technical portion(s) of the racetrack, where he acquired third by the time the fourth lap had been completed. It was then a matter of tracking-down his teammate Haiden Deegan; which was conquered with a brilliant pass on the outside of the sand section, and accompanying corner that followed before the tenth lap was done! It was at that point though, when a pivotal swing of momentum was destined to his favor...and Smith then proceeded to attack the rear wheel of Vialle with all of his might - making a phenomenal run over the tunnel jump, and uphill section that followed, to take the lead by the conclusion of the eleventh lap! It was then a process of prolonging his lead with the checkered flag in sight...and throughout the final seven circuits of the moto, Smith's gap was amplified rather substantially - equating to a moto victory, and chance at an overall SMX Championship! For moto-two, he generated significant traction as his rear knobbie(s) interlocked upon the starting grate; and Smith would do all in his power to secure a solid standing prior to taking the green flag. However, he and Dilan Schwartz would come together in the corner after the "SX" triple; sending Smith flying into the outer tuff-block(s) where he unfortunately crashed to the ground! Though attempting to remount as quickly as possible, Smith was a victim of unfortunate circumstances in regard to how far his fellow overall contenders would distance themselves in the earliest of stages. He refused to quit, however, and wanted to conclude the 2023 season with a strong showing for his fellow Yamaha assembly....and after clawing his way to a final admirable score of tenth, the North Carolina native would be resisted in sixth overall for his tenure in Los Angeles.

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