JORDON SMITH - GRIT 251 250SX

GRIT-251 | 250 SX

June 4th, 2024 11:00 am

After examining the track for press day, Jordon Smith felt rather positive about the outlook of how the track was going to break down on Saturday. The layout seemed to flow extremely well, with each lane being an option of advancement, with varying ruts providing opportunistic advantages on different occasions. His speed in the back to back right handed bends (before the "SX" triple) was some of the strongest of the division, where he flat-tracked the chassis to the top of the aforementioned lip, and compressed the suspension as needed to lessen his airtime. These intricate details were a means of standing out from the pack as the West Coast heat arose. Amid the first few minutes of competition, the battles between he and teammate Nate Thrasher were some of the most fierce on the track. A slippery canvas was a means of adding an extra opponent to the track, but he managed to cultivate a bit of traction in the corner after in the left-handed bowl turn, just following the double, tabletop-single assortment of obstacles. An occasional glance to his left would monitor the infiltration of Jo Shimoda who was attempting to overtake his spot. But a number of inside lines, and prompt turning techniques (where he nearly clipped a few tuff-blocks) would nullify the charge that the Honda opponent was putting forth. They both dashed to the finish line, but in the end, it was the blue colored fender of Smith who took the position of fourth. Into the first turn he would sweep, doing his best to dodge the clusters that arose while simultaneously moving forward. His expertise was apparent in the first five laps, where he navigated to a standing of third, passing RJ Hampshire and Nicholas Romano while keeping the likes of Jo Shimoda at bay as well. Over the tunnel jump and into the forthcoming left-handed corner, he rang his Yamaha motor to the highest extent while at the height of second gear...rapidly shifting in order to disengage in the feud that he and RJ were involved in. It was a battle of milliseconds, and both athletes were desperately trying to reach the pace that race leader, Haiden Deegan, was setting at the front of the pack. He had to stay focused when entering into the final portions of the moto, with the track causing countless riders to crash, due to an absence of traction. Therefore with only a few laps left to complete, and after he and Haiden Deegan began to play a game of cat and mouse, Smith went for a daring pass in the corner before the finish line...which result in clipping his opponents motorcycle, and a subsequent crash as well. As a result, he would lose a few positions...but managed to rekindle the third-place residency after passing Jo Shimoda and ultimately earning the third-place score at the finish line!

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