race recap
LEVI KITCHEN GRIT-227 250MX
July 19, 2023 · Levi Kitchen
LEVI KITCHEN | GRIT-227 | 250MX
Always in contention for victory and top-tier performances, Yamaha's Levi Kitchen again, would assemble quite the portfolio of laps throughout the Millville circuit for round seven of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Kitchen was steadfast throughout practice, in regard to seeking the fastest lap-time possible; and after qualifying eleventh, his gate-choice for the main events that followed would be considered solid...and his reaction time (along with shifting points) were coupled to create quite the starting sequence as he rounded the first turn. He carried that momentum through the lap that followed, gathering a standing of third that was sustained for the first three circuits. A line of veterans were then next to make their way around, consisting of RJ Hampshire, Hunter Lawrence, and Justin Cooper - which was an absolute flurry of velocity that would bypass his Yamaha in a multitude of ways. And after an unfortunate mistake, Kitchen's miscalculation would allow Haiden Deegan to remain ahead, while also allowing Tom Vialle around...which only lit the fire within Levi's mentality to an exponential level. He continued to excel amongst the deepest portions of the track, where his patented weighting of the rear wheel would prevail as an attribute that kept Jalek Swoll at bay...and at the conclusion of the seventeen-lap contest, Kitchen's seventh-place score would be something to build from in the next round of action as well. He would contend for the hole-shot designation and arrive at the green flag in second for the following segment of competition, where Kitchen's flow amongst the middle of the track would keep a number of opponents in the rearview. He would continue to manual and wheel-tap through the deepest rollers, which allowed him to remain inside the top-four after being passed by Jo Shimoda and Justin Cooper. He attempted to latch onto the Kawasaki rider that was just ahead of him, but the number thirty was excelling as the track became rougher as well. However, Kitchen's fortitude when pressured from Tom Vialle (who was fifth) was an attribute to note; and allowed him to remain mistake free amongst the deepest lines on the circuit, even as countless other riders made errors. Time would near expiration, but Kitchen wasn't going to fold...and as he gathered a fourth-place standing to end the competition, his overall score of fifth would be well deserved.