JULIEN BEAUMER - GRIT 240 250SX

GRIT-240 | 250 SX

Furthering his skillset every day aboard various practice tracks on the West Coast, KTM rookie Julien Beaumer appeared extremely comfortable aboard the demanding Glendale SX circuit during Saturday afternoon's qualification sessions. One of the smoothest of all 250cc riders when leaping onto the plateau after the finish line double, the calculation that was demonstrated by the Arizona native was second-to-none...and undoubtedly categorized him as a favorite for a top-ten finish, for those enthusiasts who played amongst various fantasy racing leagues within the sport. His (Beaumer's) competitive attitude then shifted toward the heat race thereafter, which occurred following that of the 450SX division...creating a bit of a rougher track than usual on one hand, but on the other, established lines had now been trenched in various portions of the raceway. Julien would manage to hold a standing of sixth following the opening segments of the heat race that were established, keeping the rear wheel of the pristine KTM chassis tracking extremely well before bursting through the sandiest aspects of the course. Glancing over his shoulder as he launched the multitude of "SX" triples, he would notice the veteran, Phil Nicoletti, remaining rather close to him on the far-side of the raceway...therefore as the tandem sped through the sixth minute of action, Julien's final lunge to the checkered flag was one of urgency you could say...resulting in a line of defense that couldn't be toppled by that of Nicoletti to secure a standing of fourth-place; which wasn't far from that of Mitchell Oldenburg, who claimed third. With fans atop their feet as the green flag waved for the main event, riders were scrubbing the face of the finish line with all of their might in order to gain milliseconds on the myriad of opponents who swarmed them. The insides of this Glendale SX course already appeared like glass per se, and Beaumer's ability to round the middle portion of the berms (while defending his standing from Ryder DiFrancesco, who trailed) would be incredible to see. The line of defense would remain intact well through the 7:30 mark of the moto, where the halfway point was on the horizon...and Beaumer's confidence (which had been garnered throughout the past few months) was now portrayed when he wasn't able to be overtaken by the MotoConcepts rider (i.e. Oldenburg) who pursued him. The next three circuits were crucial, as the final leg of the moto would then be approached in the moments thereafter...therefore as he attacked the latter whoop section on the most consistent of sides, one could almost sense the aggressiveness rippling from his exhaust and into the ears of those who watched from afar. Cheers would accompany the home-state athlete as he attempted to defend the charge from a surging Jordon Smith...after he'd worked his way as high as fourth, via incredible charging efforts to overtake Carson Mumford and Robbie Wageman. Though forced to go off-track when battling with Jordon Smith before the finish line on lap ten (around the entrance of the whoops), he would unfortunately lose spots to athletes such the aforementioned Yamaha rider, Garrett Marchbanks, and Oldenburg as well - but instead of his established pace deteriorating to a collapse of sorts, Beaumer remained in the fight. He would keep Phil Nicoletti at bay, while doing his best to mimic the Honda (i.e. Oldenburg) when speeding to the finish line...salvaging a solid score of seventh, in front of the home crowd!

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