JULIEN BEAUMER - GRIT 245 250SX

GRIT-245 |250 SX

May 20, 2024 9:45 am

Knowing that the landscape of this specific course was one that could result in a multitude of finishing narratives, KTM'S Julien Beaumer eyed the muddied raceway in Seattle with aspirations of a successful finish. Timed qualifying had been condensed, making the process of obtaining optimal lap-times rather dire as all began in the timed-trials format. He thrived under pressure however, and as he rhythm(ed) his way through rather rounded whoop section, he carried an unwavering sense of confidence (as well) into the races on the horizon. It was a race to third gear as riders leapt from the launchpads of heat one, with all simultaneously clicking "up" with their left foot while migrating to the rear of the motorcycle. As the first lap concluded, he stood within the third-place standing (after battling with RJ Hampshire) while eyeing that of Levi Kitchen, who led the field around. Though dodging the roost of the adversary as they flew through the gradual right-handed corner after the finish line, he managed to propel into the falling wall berm with palpable momentum. His mechanic proceeded to rally him forward via clapping in the laps thereafter, and the KTM rider knew that he could sustain a qualifying position regardless of how demanding the conditions became. Defending his result from that of GasGas' Ryder DiFrancesco, it was a battle to the finish...but he kept the opponent at bay to arrive at the final double in third. For the main event, the field funneled into the opening left-handed corner and rhythm lane thereafter, with as much poise as possible given the close-quarter circumstances. There were mere inches separating shrouds and radiators for the first few laps, but he managed to excel as battles became more intense. Garnering an initial standing of second, he held onto the residency for a brief while before diverting to third...and remained here through the sixth lap. Though being passed in the laps thereafter, he continued to skim through the whoop section while scrubbing the wall jump that followed - time and time again he ducked into the rutted left-hander just on the other side; halting the momentum that Yamaha's Michael Mosiman seemed to generate, which set the stage for another offensive charge to be put forth by the Californian when passing the halfway point. Minute by minute, he proceeded to float through the sand on top of his rear wheel; keeping as much power to the ground as possible while toggling amongst the aforementioned terrain and the rutted, spongey soil in which the rest of the track consisted of. With only a one-hundred and twenty-seconds (or so) remaining, it appeared as if he had the seventh-place acquired once and for all. Despite being passed by that of Garrett Marchbanks, Mosiman, Jo Shimoda, and even Nate Thrasher at one point, Beaumer proved that he could return fire per se by passing the aforementioned Tennessean in the final stages. In the end, it was Anthony Bourdon on his Suzuki that kept Beaumer charging to the finish line...but the rookie excelled, to a remarkable seventh place regard at the checkered flag.

More from GRIT