race recap
JOSE BUTRON | GRIT-221 | 450MX
June 2, 2023 · Jose Butron
JOSE BUTRON | GRIT-221 | 450MX
The MXGP standout from Spain would travel to the opening round of the American Championship on Saturday, and Jose Butron believed that he could contend with the best in the United States of America as the gates would rise for moto number one. He would adapt to the hurried pace of qualifying rather well, and seemed to be on point...but many knew that as the moto's progressed, the Spanish rider would flourish. That's exactly what occurred as he skied over the largest step-up on the track on laps two and three, loosely hanging onto the bars while he battled with names like Grant Harlan, Freddie Noren, and Jerry Robin. Butron was contending extremely well, and his line choice would be one of an arcing manner as he proceeded to carve down each hillside while only lightly dragging the brake...knowing that momentum was paramount in a moto as tough as this. He would manage to hang onto the ninth place ride for quite sometime, and prove that his stamina was top-notch on this rugged raceway; but even with Ryan Surratt behind him, Butron wasn't going to fold. Instead, he would shift into a (figurative) higher gear as he neared the checkered flag, scrubbing the multitude of tabletops while eyeing the number seventy-eight of Grant Harlan. But it would be Butron who eventually resided in tenth prior to looking forward to advancing even higher in the next round. He would have to avoid the crash of Adam Cianciaurlo in the second turn of moto two, but after pulling tear-off's and escalating to a formidable pace inside the top-ten, it was Butron who stood seventh behind Freddie Noren. A brief battle and swapping of lines with Derek Drake would have Butron falling to eighth, and then ninth after being passed by Grant Harlan as well. But the number 107 refused to give up and eventually passed Jerry Robin before being overtaken by Adam Cianciarulo. Butron was doing everything he could through the multitude of right and left-handed corners in the infield; nearly dragging the clutch and brake lever as he arced through ruts that were deepening with every lap! However he eventually found a flow ahead of Venezuela's Lorenzo Locurcio, which would grant him eighth for the moto and a superb eighth overall in the final standing(s) of round one!