JUSTIN STARLING | GRIT-219 | 450SX

GRANT HARLAN | GRIT-219 | SX 450

Though the field was a bit depleted as the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship resided in Denver, Colorado, there were few who would argue the notion of how much speed Justin Starling possessed. He had steadily risen to one of the fastest Supercross racers in the world, and after showing promise amid last week's run in Nashville, the sky seemed to be the limit as he ventured into Mile High Stadium. For practice, his attacking of the whoop section (which remained rather concrete in their mold) and the abrupt wall jump/tabletop thereafter was something to acknowledge; as he would launch from the upright face and into the finish line with the throttle absolutely pinned, in hopes of acquiring the lowest lap-time possible. That mantra was then replicated on a larger scale for his heat race, as he was stationed in the first round (of two) as the thirty-second board was moved sideways. Once his clutch was disengaged and the rear wheel thrust onto the start straightaway thereafter, there was little that could nullify his determination of charging into the first corner. The opening bend was slick and immediately followed by a rhythm section that created vast separation...though luckily he was able to survive and emerge in fourth amongst the opening laps. Leaping from these shortened plateaus (that were the middle ground of various step on's and step off's), you could see him from afar stabbing the clutch as he leapt from the centerpiece and over the single that followed. Clipping the landing obstacles thereafter, he would flourish amongst the bowl turns while using an array of wide lines; all the while mindful of keeping Grant Harlan at bay as he escaped the corners without being t-boned or block passed. His ability to toggle between an offensive and defensive mentality would be prominent, which would lead to a fifth-place positionbeing grasped as the checkered flag was thrown. For the main event, his initial residency in the first two laps would linger around fifteenth in the overall running order. The second rhythm lane (when following the first corner) would be filled with tremendous triple combinations, if one were to perfectly land the transition(s). Each face was rather sizable in height, and the margin for error when descending over the following single would be slim; but he somehow managed to plant his GasGas frame into the best position time and time again, leading Kawasaki's Josh Cartwright as the eleven minute mark would pass. Continuing to build on the established pace that set, he would safeguard his gap with even more focus as they neared the finish-line; knowing that this blue-grooved and eroded soil could cause a front-end to wash at any second, prior to crossing the finish line. Luckily he would be declared the tenth-place finisher as the final flag was thrown, making his expedition throughout Denver, one of success.

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