race recap
LEVI KITCHEN GRIT-223 250MX
June 14, 2023 · Levi Kitchen
LEVI KITCHEN | GRIT-223 | 250MX
Believing that he could finish on the podium as all was said and done at Thunder Valley, Yamaha's Levi Kitchen would proceed to begin his practicing efforts with a proficient pace as the green flag waved in the earliest of morning hours. With Justin Cooper (again) striking first, in regard to advancing to the pole position, Levi Kitchen knew that contending with both, his teammate and Hunter Lawrence would be a difficult scenario to deal with - but he was ready. He then clicked into gear to begin moto number one, and would fire from the grate with instantaneous traction when powering atop the initial hill and into the opening corner; where he resided second at the end of the first lap, after battling with Justin Cooper and inheriting a position on behalf of Haiden Deegan's early mistake. Deegan was quickly back around him though on the next circuit, and forced Kitchen to third prior engaging in a battle with Hunter Lawrence. Once into fourth, the smooth style of Kitchen would excel amongst the multitude of grooves and pot-holes that littered the circuit; where he ricocheted from berms and jagged edges alike, to create an astounding pace amongst the hills of Thunder Valley. He could sense that Jordon Smith was behind him, but knew that he could defend his teammate until the checkered flag was thrown...however he didn't account for a hard-charging Haiden Deegan who's earlier mistake, was a means of seeking redemption (in regard to the rookie claiming third, once more). Though being passed in the final stages, by both Deegan and Kawasaki's Jo Shimoda, Kitchen's fight until the checkered flag was worthy of applause...and allowed him to inherit fifth upon crossing the finish line. His start to the second moto was spectacular, where he nearly took the hole-shot away from Justin Cooper prior to being passed by Hunter Lawrence in the corners thereafter. However he would inherit the runner-up position once again as he sped through the first few laps of the moto, which also allowed him to open up a gap on the multitude of riders that were battling behind him! His clear track advantage was an obvious catalyst for strong lap-times, where he was able to distance his Yamaha ahead of Chance Hymas considerably while passing the halfway point. Seemingly all by himself in the runner-up registry, he would follow Hunter Lawrence to the finish-line throughout the fifteen-lap contest en route to a second-place moto score and third overall on the final podium!