race recap
SETH HAMMAKER GRIT-225 250MX
July 3, 2023 · Seth Hammaker
SETH HAMMAKER | GRIT-225 | 250MX
Returning to action for the Red Bud National, Kawasaki's Seth Hammaker would immediately prove that he could contend with fellow elite riders in the 250cc classification; after qualifying eighth, Hammaker would proceed to engage in some of the fastest flow(s) of anyone following the gate-drop of moto number one. He would battle amongst the top-ten, prior to moving into fifth with around five minutes of racing action transpiring...before inheriting two positions, on behalf of his teammate (Ryder DiFrancesco) and Tom Vialle, colliding before the finish-line! Hammaker was now in podium contention and adapting to the pace that the leaders had set; which was astounding, given Hammaker's absence from racing. The number thirty-five would keep the third place spot until around ten minutes in, when Jo Shimoda would pass him on the outside prior to the flyaway tabletop...with Justin Cooper looking to attack the rear fender of Hammaker in the same manner. It was Seth who managed to immediately fight back though, and proceed to launch LaRocco's Leap from around the outside and make the move passed his aforementioned teammate (i.e. Shimoda) prior to landing! His determination was impeccable, which nullified the charge from various riders as laps would pass shortly thereafter. It would be RJ Hampshire and Justin Cooper who eventually passed the number thirty-five as single digits remained on the clock, but with an ultimate fifth-place standing eventually being accrued, it would be the Pennsylvanian who was well on his way to a successful overall with a similar performance in the second round. Hammaker's initial laps to the following moto were a bit further back in the field, where he hovered around the twenty-fifth position before gathering a residency of twentieth when completing the first full lap. From then on, it would a process of limiting his mistakes amongst a roughened circuit - where he passed various two digit and opposing factory riders while doing his best to keep his vision clear and his hear-rate rather calm! The process of steadily breathing amongst a deteriorating circuit was extremely difficult, but Hammaker proved that his skillset was elite when racing to the final lap of action. With names like DiFrancesco, Harrison, and Braswell behind him, it would be Seth who obtained a final moto standing of tenth - to accumulate eighth overall in the final record book for the Red Bud National!