race recap
MALCOLM STEWART - GRIT 258 450SX
July 23, 2024
GRIT-258 | 450 SX
July 15th, 2024 4:30 pm
Seeking to heighten his momentum on the motorcycle before beginning the SMX Championship playoff rounds, Florida's Malcolm Stewart appeared to be riding with sensational speed in qualification. His effort(s) were applauded by the crowd, and propelled him into the opening moto...where despite funneling to the outside of turn number one, Stewart's slight drift (off of the track) would only deter him a few positions, and after the first lap, he appeared to secure the position of ninth. A slight mistake would deter him to well outside of the top-ten shortly thereafter though, but the resiliency of Stewart still shined - and the Husqvarna athlete had again, occupied a tenth-place standing at the halfway point. He maintained an output of momentum that wouldn't deviate far from his fastest lap-times...which led to opponents like Harri Kullas and Phil Nicoletti, definitely remaining behind him en route to the checkered flag. Though short of overtaking Christian Craig in the final stages, Stewart's performance (of eighth) would be a platform to excel from, later on in the afternoon. However, his initial laps of the second race weren't as desired - where he descended to outside of the top-thirty, before beginning to claw his way to the front once more! He was urgent, but remained composed while combatting the roost of other riders...making passes in bundles with unique line choices when flying across the immense elevation change of this Millville landscape. His mechanic would continue to encourage him, hoping to boost the momentum of Stewart to an even higher rate of speed and velocity...where Malcolm looked to obtain as many points as possible, before the checkered flag was thrown. He had worked his way to twenty-second by the time lap four arose, and then strove higher when surpassing opponents like Max Miller and Romain Pape. Rain was on the horizon, and approaching rather quickly, but Stewart continued to accelerate despite muddy conditions now coming into play in the latter stages of the moto. Line choice was critical at this point, and Malcolm proceeded to use the outer edges of the racing surface as a means of driving forward. And in the end, his relentlessness would equate to Kyle Chisolm being overtaken just before the checkered flag - which helped Malcolm earn a final standing of fifteenth, and keep his overall standing within the top-ten, via tenth in the record book!