race recap
MALCOLM STEWART - GRIT 252 450SX
June 5, 2024
GRIT-252 | 450 SX
June 4th, 2024 11:00 pm
Despite not participating in a full outdoor season for quite sometime, Husqvarna's Malcolm Stewart had to be acknowledged in regard to his talent on the motorcycle. It immediately was showcased in practice as he launched over the largest step-up on the track with incredible maneuvering, and helped him acquire an initial standing of seventh in the opening moto as well. He and Dylan Ferrandis appeared to be on a similar trajectory, with both of their machines engaging in paralleled velocities while Chase Sexton made his way into the equation (around lap five). However, a second crash/miscue by the Illinois native halted his charge to the front...allowing Stewart to regain the seventh-place feat as they made their way to the halfway point. Manual(ing) his way through the rollers before ducking-into the switchbacks that followed, he would crest the anthill with the rear wheel spinning - generating tremendous velocities before storming past the mechanic's area and onto the start straightaway. Sexton would eventually find his way past Malcolm once and for all, but Stewart aspired to leave a lasting performance on the industry for his first race back on the outdoor landscape. Therefore, as he scrubbed his way through the plethora of tabletops at the end of moto one, it was the Husqvarna athlete who garnered a score of eighth. The action for the second endeavor was epic as well, with Stewart residing around the seventh-place position as the route to finish line began to be embarked on. Ferrandis would make his way by on this occasion as well, but Stewart would simultaneously pass Phil Nicoletti, too - creating a seventh-place trajectory, while beginning to plot a move around New York's Justin Barcia. He trailed the GasGas rider until a definitive pass was made -and would give him an open raceway of sorts with three laps to go. The Floridian was showcasing his stamina...and proving that he was more than fit to compete at the top of the division. Once past the New Yorker, Stewart was in a territory that was bit too far from Ferrandis (who was fifth) in order to try and overtake the Honda rider. But Malcolm was persistent until the end, and flew through the final few corners and forthcoming tabletop's with excellent momentum...until the number fifty-one would pass him back as time expired! Though a bit frustrated, Malcolm's overall summary of scores (via eighth and seventh) established him in ninth overall, among the final standings for round one of the 2024 MX Championship.