race recap
MALCOLM STEWART - GRIT 260 450SX
August 23, 2024
GRIT-260 | 450 SX
August 23rd, 2024 5:00 pm
Husqvarna's Malcolm Stewart was continuing to ascend throughout the outdoor season thus far, and he would immediately adapt to the Unadilla circuit as practice took place on Saturday morning. His efforts equated to ninth, which translated to a solid gate choice prior to the thirty-second board going sideways. To begin the first moto of the afternoon, Malcolm resided tenth as the first lap of competition was completed. Though he descended to eleventh after being surpassed by Christian Craig...though the Floridian then declared that his pace was paralleled to his teammate, via surpassing Phil Nicoletti and regaining the tenth-place registry. It was an all-out fight, between Stewart, Craig, and eventually Cooper Webb, as the trio were nearly inseparable for the entire duration of the contest! The willpower and abilities of all three were incredible to watch, with none of the top-tier athletes fading, even as fatigue began to amount! Through the fifteen-lap contest, Stewart relentlessly charged to the rear wheel of Craig - but couldn't make the final move around, to earn tenth as all was finalized. In the second moto, Malcolm's start classified him just outside of the top-ten...where he battled and strove for single digits though a phenomenal line of competitors were just in front of the Husqvarna athlete. Despite being surpassed by Aaron Plessinger, Stewart immediately attempted to mimic the line selection of the KTM rider as they weaved through the countless ruts on the course. Malcolm was efficient as grooves developed acceleration bumps inside of them, where he would stab the clutch on occasion for a bit of extra power upon exit from various bends, using the surplus of force to drive forward among a lack of traction and wheel-contact. It was the intricate details of his riding style that led to substantial gains on the racetrack, including when overtaking Grant Harlan and proceeding to lessen the gap between he and Justin Cooper. Though the Yamaha rider would eventually break away, the process of mirroring the style of the New York native was enough to help close-in on teammate Christian Craig. It was as if they were at practice track of some sort, with this scenario coming to fruition...which seemed to heighten then confidence of Stewart as the twenty-five minute mark was toppled. The checkered flag was near, and the gap between Stewart and Craig had condensed - especially as both racers would inherit a position due to Cooper Webb crashing out of the moto. Despite the track being in arguably its toughest form of the day, Stewart would prevail...earning ninth for his moto score, and an extraordinary ninth overall, with two rounds to go in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship.