LEVI KITCHEN - GRIT 234 250SMX

LEVI KITCHEN | GRIT-234 | 250 SMX

With the final round of the 250SMX championship now upon him, Yamaha's Levi Kitchenwould aim to secure a solid gate choice from the moment practice began in Los Angeles. A "game-face" of sorts would be cast for his respective demeanor when clicking into gear, where he unleashed a flurry of astonishing laps to accrue a strong pick of starting position prior to the green flag being cast for moto-one. There was little room for error on this LA Memorial Coliseum circuit, where a combination of speed and technicality were blended together to form an incredible racetrack in which Kitchenflourished. He escaped the sand section on a number of occasions with some of the strongest exit speed from anyone in the pack, where he flowed into the right-handed corner thereafter with notable momentum despite Dilan Schwartzpestering him from the inside. Kitchen would eventually keep Schwartz behind him while also passing Talon Hawkins - which pushed him into the top-ten, just behind Jalek Swoll. Ultimately finishing here, it was evident that Kitchen wanted to earn as high of a finish as possible for the second bout of the evening. For the following round of this two-moto ensemble, the Star Racing athlete would manage to obtain the hole-shot while embodying a sense of determination that was synonymous with breaking away from the field. Every lap in the first five minutes (or so) would be a presentation of valiant scrubbing while manual(ing) his way through the rollers. Few on the circuit could replicate the fluidity that Kitchen was showcasing, where his lead over Haiden Deegan, Jo Shimoda, and multiple others was marginally heightening with every passing minute on the "SX" circuit. Landing from the highest point of elevation while seeing riders move forward on the preceding uphill, Kitchen knew all along where he stood as the timer continued to tick. There was little room for error when racing at his current speed, yet Kitchen's calculation between both "SX" and "MX" designations on the Los Angeles course would be exceptional given the amount of stakes he was racing for. As the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth lap(s) came to fruition, it was a process of keeping the entirety of the field behind him while remaining upright...and both tasks would be conquered as the checkered flag was eventually thrown. Winning the moto in dominant fashion, though displeased with his first moto outcome, Kitchen was satisfied with his fifth-place overall while looking ahead to further aspirations for the 2024 season.

More from GRIT