MALCOLM STEWART - GRIT 241 450SX

GRIT-241 | 450 SX

Malcolm Stewart appeared to return from the off weekend with a desire to succeed that had been hidden for quite sometime. The aspirations of Stewart never wavered, but problematic circumstances for the former 250cc SX champion seemed to always occur amid the first six rounds fo the series. However, the resiliency of the Floridian was second-to-none and he continued to fight forward as practice began on Saturday. He once again, displayed excellent speed aboard the Husqvarna before embarking on heat race action...where he, Cooper Webb, Jett Lawrence, and Jason Anderson were alongside one another to begin. Once passing Webb, he watched from only a few seconds behind while seeing Lawrence and Anderson come together! He made the move on Jett not long thereafter, while showing a stunning sense of speed in the sand while standing atop the foot-pegs and using his core to keep the chassis seated on an optimal path...all the while turning the 450cc machine left! His timing and ability to stay low on various obstacles was paramount, which led to a pass for the lead on Lawrence (after they had both passed Anderson), and a portrayal of shuffling amongst he and the Australian that was hard to describe! Back and forth they would go while sustaining speeds that were nearly unfathomable by those who watched! Though Lawrence eventually made a definitive move to retain the lead with roughly two laps to go, Stewarts infiltration of the first place position, and eventual capturing of the second-place residency, proved that the standout Supercross athlete was here to stay. His main event start of eleventh, was a platform to work from...but the Husqvarna rider and Ken Roczen would come together, along with Vince Friese, in the corner after the whoops in a three-rider pile-up. The mistake would force Stewart into the twentieth-place position, but Malcolm wasn't going to give up...and with the speed he had possessed throughout the day, there was no ceiling as to how far he could climb in the final running order. Slashing his way amongst bowl-turns with his throttle pinned, he seat-hopped his way through rhythm lanes with an aggressive stance on the motorcycle...eventually finding Jason Anderson as he worked his way into the top-ten, and making the pass on the Kawasaki rider while doing much the same to Vince Friese! Even as the final minutes of the moto came to fruition, Stewart was reislliently pursuing the rear wheel of Justin Cooper...which allowed Malcolm to claim ninth, while obtaining a ton of confidence for the weeks to come.

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