race recap
MALCOLM STEWART - GRIT 253 450SX
June 5, 2024
GRIT-253 | 450 SX
June 5th, 2024 3:30 pm
Transitioning rather well to the outdoor circuit thus far in 2024, Malcolm Stewart remained a crowd favorite after excelling at Fox Raceway last Saturday. And throughout practice sessions at Hangtown, the talent level of Stewart couldn't have been move obvious as he scrubbed his way to the highest tier of the leaderboard...and rolled to the line of the opening afternoon moto with confidence. After beginning the initial quest in ninth, he was determined to make passes despite the immense talent that was around him. Steadily working his way forward, he would overtake Freddie Noren and Phil Nicoletti after a few laps of action. At the halfway mark of the first moto, Malcolm seemed to be designated within the seventh-place position...but was constantly striving to reach the rear wheel of Dylan Ferrandis, who was sixth. The Husqvarna rider was spectacular in the most technical portion(s) of the racetrack...which would eventually keep Justin Barcia at bay as well, as the entirety of the field neared the checkered flag. Through the final laps, the fight for seventh couldn't be ignored - with Stewart embodying the characteristics needed, to cross the checkered flag well inside the top ten. And as all was finalized, the Husqvarna athlete resided in the aforementioned standing of seventh, not far behind Dylan Ferrandis. For moto two, Malcolm's vision was pristine...where he located some of the fastest lines while weaving through traffic that was scattered across the raceway. Diving into ruts, where the foot-pegs would hook, his speed never wavered as the track constantly became rougher. He was far more than just a Supercross specialist, and was proving it yet again for this second round of racing in Northern California. His expertise shined when scrubbing over the largest gaps - landing with the rear wheel spinning and throwing roost on the competition who trailed, after he had passed them! After numerous minutes of action, he had somehow managed to work his way from an opening standing of twenty-ninth (at the green flag) into tenth, by lap ten! Passing Christian Craig, Grant Harlan, amongst countless other riders, he was persevering through the roughest portions of the national while still striving for higher feats at the front of the pack! Passing Freddie Noren, as well, before all was finalized, Malcolm's efforts in the second moto were incredible...where he refused to give up, while passing much more than twenty riders on the racetrack. Ultimately categorized in ninth, Stewart's combination of finishes would have him listed in eighth overall, for this 450cc MX classification.