LEVI KITCHEN - GRIT 251 250SX

GRIT-251 | 250 SX

June 4th, 2024 11:00 am

With the championship on the line, and after he'd overcome a ton of adversity thus far in the series, Kawasaki's Levi Kitchen was ready to strive for his dream of obtaining the number one plate. For practice, the native of Washington was precise - despite nearly having a severe crash in the longest rhythm lane on press day. Luckily, the hiccup was disregarded and he proceeded to move forward with confidence, as the gate(s) for the West Coast division would arise. Once shifting and releasing the clutch while ripping from the launchpad, his immediate infiltration of first place on the first lap was notable. His ambition seemed off of the charts, and he hoped to rebound after a less than superb practice effort in comparison to his championship rival (Hampshire). He was just doing just that, and looking superior to most of the division while countering all of the pressure that the Floridian was presenting. Minute by minute, Kitchen stayed calm under pressure and excelled while the checkered flag became nearer. Though RJ was able to put forth quite the dash in the final corners and rhythm section, the Pro Circuit athlete would cross the finish line with victorious honor - undoubtedly boosting his confidence for the finalé shortly thereafter! In the main event, the two-horse race so to speak (between he and Hampshire) was the focal point of the industry. As the two athletes stormed through the first lap, it was Kitchen who had acquired a position near eighth while Hampshire resided fourth. Both teams involved were relaying information to their riders, informing them of the situation while hoping to ignite an extra bit of motivation. But Kitchen knew he had no time to waste, and would lunge forward with all of his might while battling with opponents like Jo Shimoda and Nate Thrasher. Though able to eventually work his way around the aforementioned Yamaha rider, Shimoda was the adversary that was too tough to topple. He could see RJ Hampshire in the distance, but couldn't manage to gain enough time to rival the Floridian with the checkered flag nearing. It wasn't for a lack of effort, as Kitchen's lap-times were some of the fastest of the moto...but the gap was too much for the Washington native to try and overcome, leaving him fifth at the finish line, and second overall in the championship, respectively for this 2024 season.

More from GRIT