MALCOLM STEWART - GRIT 262 450SX

GRIT-262 | 450 SX

August 30th, 2024 5:00 pm

Malcolm Stewart's momentum was certainly on the rise following a stellar performance at Budds Creek last weekend. The Husqvarna rider had continuously worked on his craft, and ascended to a high level performance to conclude the 2024 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. That trajectory was sustained through the Ironman National as well, where after excelling through practice sessions, the competitor who sported the number twenty-seven would accelerate to an initial standing around ninth in the earliest of laps. He would advance to eighth, and then seventh following brief battles with Devin Simonson and Phil Nicoletti. Once there, he focused on keeping the aforementioned Yamaha duo at bay along with teammate Christian Craig. Malcolm's ability to stay low and compress his suspension over the largest of tabletops was incredible to see, and it was evident that the effort to lessen his air-time would equate to faster overall speeds throughout the Ironman circuit. Grooves on the inside(s) of the circuit had now become rather deep, forcing many to change their pathways when reaching the twenty-minute mark. Malcolm adjusted while maintaining a notable output of momentum, and distancing his machine from that of Nicoletti and Freddie Noren in the final stages. Through the sixteen-lap circuit, Malcolm would excel until crossing the eventual finish-line...earning a notable moto feat of seventh before entering into the following round of competition. Stewart's starting position for the second moto, wasn't necessarily what he desired - but he continued to still move forward despite being registered in the eighteenth-place position. Pulling tear-off's to obtain clear vision, Stewart would storm into the newly created wooded area of the racecourse using a multitude of outside lines, leaning into man-made berms at the height of third gear while propelling away from opponents who trailed. He had moved into tenth by the sixth lap, where opponents like Shane McElrath, Romain Pape, and Kyle Chisholm were now definitively behind him. Lap after lap, he would scrub his way over the wall-jump that proceeded the finish-line - his goggle lens appearing to be zeroed-in on both, his mechanic's area pit board and the right-handed bend that awaited him. Once onto the start straightaway, the amount of traction his Husqvarna chassis could generate would leave the crowd in disbelief...where they cheered on the Floridian well through the eventual checkered flag. Despite being passed by McElrath in the final moments, it was Stewart's perseverance that eventually led him to eleventh in the final standings and tenth overall, in the 450MX division.

More from GRIT