race recap
LEVI KITCHEN - GRIT 232 250SMX
September 11, 2023 · Levi Kitchen
LEVI KITCHEN | GRIT-232 | 250 SMX
The speed of Yamaha's Levi Kitchen had never been questioned, and the newfound format of the SMX playoff's led many to believe that the Washington native could be in contention for championship honors with the idea of "sprinting" encompassing the three-race trek that was now upon the industry. Nevertheless, the number forty-three would burst onto the Charlotte circuit as if he were racing for one million dollars amid practice laps...qualifying with an exceptional time before shifting into gear for the race's that followed. Kitchen's start for the opening quest would be outstanding, where he and Seth Hammaker immediately strove for the lead prior to Kitchen eventually solidifying his 250F ahead of all others before the first lap was completed. Now with an open track ahead of him, Levi would extend his lead over the course of the first eleven laps before feeling a presence from behind begin to become more relevant...and the sound of the engine was certainly familiar. It was Haiden Deegan who had inched closer and closer as the twelfth lap came to fruition, where when passing the mechanic's area Haiden would choose the inner route (upon exiting) and speed past the elder Kitchen before storming into the rhythm lane that followed. Looking to regain his breathing and composure as the number 238 pushed forward ever so slightly, Kitchen would realize that his gap over KTM's Tom Vialle was substantial and enough to "cruise" a bit per se while moving closer to the checkered flag...and upon crossing the finish-line on the seventeenth circuit, Kitchen's opening moto performance of seventh was certainly admirable. For moto-two, Levi would be registered sixth on the opening lap before being passed by Haiden Deegan once more. Now seventh through the sixth circuit, it was then a process of being overtaken by Justin Cooper and Jalek Swoll that he would have to undergo. The fight within Kitchen's competitive mindset wasn't erased though, as he proceeded to continue charging in the tighter areas of the circuit which were extremely deteriorated - leading to an eleventh-place position being occupied with around five laps to go. Eventually being passed by Pierce Brown as the checkered flag loomed in the distance, Kitchen's combination of scores which included a second and eleventh (in moto-two) would lead to seventh overall being established as the dust settled for this opening round of the SMX playoff series.