RJ HAMPSHIRE - GRIT 245 250SX

GRIT-245 |250 SX

May 20, 2024 9:45 am

Husqvarna's RJ Hampshire knew that points were crucial at this stage in the championship. The veteran of the division had been on this journey many times before, and brought a focused mentality to the line in practice for Saturday's event in Seattle. Once gathering data when rounding the track for a slow lap or two, Hampshire bombarded the competition with an array of speed that cause much of the opposition to look his way as he passed by! His talent was undeniable, and led to an early infiltration of second in heat number one after briefly battling with Julien Beaumer. Once into the runner-up standing, the marksman from Florida would attempt to zero-in on the rear wheel of Levi Kitchen. Though the Washington native was superb as grooves became more of a factor, with every passing lap being a means of deepening the trenches via countless passes of various wheel-sets. As the nine-lap contest looked to near an end, Hampshire seemed to settle into the second-place running with a veteran demeanor. He was composed, knowing the fight had just begun...and took the runner-up position with honor before moving into the main event. Hampshire's start to the final race was optimal, where he lingered near standing of third for the first five minutes while battling with Nate Thrasher and Michael Mosiman. Once he (slightly) broke away from the pack of Yamaha's, it was a process of fighting around KTM's Julien Beaumer...but he eventually broke through, and made the move "stick" per se with just under ten minutes remaining. Now third, he remained here until an unfortunate mistake occurred on behalf of Yamaha's Jordon Smith. He was in the optimal position when passing by the downed, North Carolina rider; but took the position as it was handed to him and proceeded to engage in an array of strong laps. Though Kitchen seemed a bit out of reach as the final three laps came to fruition, Hampshire knew that he must continued moving ahead while opponents like Jo Shimoda attempted to take his position...and the points that came along with it. As the checkered flag waved, Hampshire rounded the final corner with a brilliant second-place performance; landing and exiting the race with the silver medal overall, while only eight points down in the 2024 Monster Energy 250 SX West Coast Championship. Behind none other, then Levi Kitchen.

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