LEVI KITCHEN - GRIT 260 250SX

GRIT-260 | 250 SX

August 23rd, 2024 2:00 pm

The Washington native appeared ready, and willing to engage in the highest speeds for the Unadilla national. After a notable practice effort, Kitchen would rocket from the gate and obtain the initial race lead, to the first moto of the afternoon. He was quickly overtaken by Chance Hymas, and seemed to reside in a rather comfortable second-place position for a significant duration of the contest. Though when nearing the twenty-minute mark...Haiden Deegan proceeded to close-in. Kitchen could sense that the Yamaha rider was now within striking distance, but would flourish for a few laps while also claiming the lead (via Chance Hymas' unfortunate crash). Now in command of the field, it appeared as if Kitchen could break away...until only a few laps of competition remained, and a few, disadvantageous lines on the outside of the circuit gave Deegan that path to work his way by! He had lost the second-place position just before the mechanic's area, but wasn't going to quit while storming to the checkered flag. His effort was worthy of applause, and in the end, the athlete aboard the number forty-seven machine was just short of the Yamaha at the line...earning second before partaking in the following round of competition. Another early race-lead and brilliant hole-shot sequence were presented by Levi Kitchen in round two...with Levi then proceeding to break away from the pack once more. But he couldn't ignore the charge from Jo Shimoda, who would hound his rear wheel throughout the entire moto! The Kawasaki rider remained engaged and focused on the task that awaited him at the finish line however, and would roll through the rutted canvas with immense precision that directly reflected his true talent on the motorcycle. He carved through the grooves of each corner, landing, and take-off with optimal throttle control...all the while defending numerous inside lines from the Honda athlete who remained in the rearview! This was, until the final stages of the moto when Shimoda would unfortunately crash - leaving a plentiful gap between he, and Yamaha's Haiden Deegan. In the end, it was Kitchen who would showcase a dominant performance from the green, to checkered flag - winning the second moto with a phenomenal racing prowess, while also taking the overall victory in front of the roaring Unadilla crowd. The momentum gained in New York, is certain to translate to astounding finishes for the remaining nationals on the circuit, along with the upcoming SMX rounds.

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