race recap
JOSH HILL | GRIT-220 | 450SX
May 16, 2023 · Josh Hill
JOSH HILL | GRIT-220 | SX 450
The talented Team Tedder rider would again return to action for the final round of racing in Salt Lake City, where Hill felt as if an incredible overall finish could be gathered if he limited his mistakes throughout the evening. Practice was indicative of Josh's talent on the motorcycle, where he tripled onto the plateau after the whoop section with ease and made these technical rhythm lanes seem as if they were lackluster and required little skill! Which couldn't be further from the truth, but it was Hill's natural ability that portrayed a sense of fluidity that was hard for others to match...and translated into a superb run within the heat one classification as the night show came to fruition. Beginning the moto in fifth, he could see that of Tristan Lane not too far ahead and proceeded to hound the rear wheel of the Floridian in the initial stages of the quest. Squaring-up corners with fierce pivoting of his rear wheel, there was little that stood in the way of Hill eventually making the move on the number ninety; which granted him fourth, after a number of minutes had passed. There was little time to waste once he and the number ninety would conclude their battle, yet even with hampered vision, he would lunge toward the Suzuki of Kyle Chisholm in hopes of making his way to third...but it was to no avail and Hill would be finalized in a fourth-place standing prior to embarking on the main event. Beginning the final quest in ninth, he quickly turned the aforementioned standing into a seventh, where he followed his brother (Justin Hill) and Honda's Dean Wilson around the rutted racing surface that was hardly recognizable in comparison to the course that was practice on. Josh intensity would allow him to keep a significant pace when passing Kyle Chisholm as well, where the number 751 throttled through the finish-line section with determination; landing from the backside of the tunnel jump with an emphasis on releasing the brake(s) and pushing into the whoop section that followed with incredible fortitude. This mantra carried into the final stages of the main event outcome with an admirable gap being made between he and Justin Starling; where the Oregon native eventually secured sixth, and would exit the raceway knowing he'd given it his all for the entire 2023 Supercross season.