race recap
JOSE BUTRON GRIT-226 450MX
July 11, 2023 · Jose Butron
JOSE BUTRON | GRIT-226 | 450MX
Spain's Jose Butron had traveled all around the globe to chase his dreams for numerous years now, gaining tons of experience in a multitude of formats prior to embarking on the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross National at, "The Wick 338." He was no stranger to courses with endless amounts of sand, flourishing amid the MXGP circuit years ago while remaining a standout amongst countless world-renowned athletes. And after learning the rather quick qualifying format of the American series, Button would bring that knowledge into the moto's that followed as well...including both races on Saturday. He would begin the first moto in ninth, while developing a fluid pace amongst the deepest sections of the course. His style was a bit different then many others on the course, where he would exaggerate as to how far he would sit aboard his GasGas chassis; putting as much traction to the rear wheel as possible, while battling inside the top-ten! He and Phil Nicoletti seemed almost identical in pace when they neared the halfway point, but the stamina of the Spanish rider was an attribute that ultimately prevailed as laps twelve and thirteen would arise. This would lead to him being behind Connecticut's Chris Canning, whom he'd try to overtake prior to the checkered flag, but would fall just short of. Yet still categorized with an incredible ninth-place moto score, Butron would look forward to battling in the latter stages of the second moto, believing he could thrive as circumstances grew tougher. Jose's start to the following race was less than desired, but the unwavering will to move forward was an attribute that couldn't be ignored by the competition. Butron was racing with "next level" speed, making moves in tandem while finding lines that were undiscovered by many in the latter half of the top ten. Twelfth became tenth, which became eighth, and he would reside behind that of Chris Canning and Adam Cianciarulo...but it was in the final two laps of action where Butron made a lasting impact on this particular venue. Digging-deep per se, the grittiness of the Spanish rider would leave those in the crowd in awe; pushing forward from eighth to sixth, as the checkered flag waved in the distance. And as he crossed the final double for one last occasion, Butron's infiltration of the sixth-place standing would be solidified; which moved him to sixth overall in the record book, as well!