race recap
PIERCE BROWN - GRIT 256 250SX
July 3, 2024 · Pierce Brown

GRIT-256 | 250 SX
July 2nd, 2024 1:45 pm
The 250F machines of today would have to be meticulously prepared before competing at the famed, Southwick Raceway in Massachusetts. This terrain was unlike anything else that was found on the AMA Pro Motocross circuit, where many engines were guaranteed to overheat, as the transmissions were set to work "overtime" in regard to combatting the thickened soil that was cast as the foundation of this racecourse. However the team that surrounded Pierce Brown was second-to-none. They were willing to go the extra mile in order to extend the longevity of his GasGas motorcycle...which carried him through practice with blistering momentum before partaking in gate selection, in the earliest of afternoon hours. The track was fresh, and ready to go - and he took advantage of the lessened braking bumps, with stellar lap-times through the ten-minute mark. He would fly from the subtle drop-down/edge that was adjacent to the start of the mechanic's area, where landing on the rear wheel was crucial to aid the slam that his chassis would endure. All the while, he never let go of the throttle nor stopped shifting while extending the gap over Dilan Schwartz who trailed...though Brown appeared motivated to regain the positions that were lost, to both Jordon Smith and Ty Masterpool. Minute by minute, fatigue levels would rise...but he managed to lessen the impact of these rigid potholes while staying rather agile aboard the foot-pegs - drifting just one to two feet off of the mid-line, in order to remain efficient. His momentum was palpable and noticed by attendee's who had crowded their way around the finish-line, as they applauded his carving of the right-handed bend just before the concluding double...and as he eventually gathered a finish of eighth, he exited the raceway with a means of recharging when returning to the pit area...just ahead of Honda's Jo Shimoda. Once the break between the two moto's had transpired, he immediately reassembled his gear-set and made his way to the starting gate...unleashing wrath and fury on this sandy landscape, while clawing his way to sixteenth in the early going, after the field had to be restarted due to a red flag. Tear-off's would be pulled when launching over the concluding plateau/single not long before the finish line area...landing with this throttle pinned while drifting from the right-side of the track, to the left, in the forthcoming sweeper. His suspension would be thrashed as the springs drove into (now) walls of sand that had been amassed on various corner entrances...though nothing was going to stop him from working his way forward after a second-lap mistake would deter him to thirty-fourth! It was a process of attrition while finding the smoothest lines on the circuit. He was then relentless while making passes, overtaking riders like Talon Hawkins, Nicholas Romano, Daxton Bennick, and Jalek Swoll, before the concluding moments of the moto. The performance was commendable, and Brown appeared to truly give the entirety of his effort en route to claiming a position of twelfth at the checkered flag - salvaging his residency in Southwick, via relentless attrition in moto two, to claim ninth in the final standings.