TOM VIALLE GRIT-224 250MX

TOM VIALLE | GRIT-224 | 250MX

The former MXGP standout would arrive at High Point Raceway ready to claim as high of a result as possible...and believed that he could thrive amongst the adverse conditions, especially after surveying (and sprinting) in practice where he arrived in the final running order within an impressive thirteenth-place categorization. He then clicked into the gear for the moto's that followed, beginning with round one...but it was a disastrous start to the French rider's quest to the top; where he'd fallen in the second corner, and was forced to remount as quickly as possible. He was counted in seventeenth at the conclusion of the first lap, and immediately put as much power to the ground as possible while passing riders in bundles. Fifteenth became twelfth, and from there to tenth, while navigating past the halfway point. Vialle was stellar when entering into the wooded area of the track, where he held the furthest inside line from start to finish, and would succeed amongst a shorter pathway rather than sprinting around the furthest outside line on the racetrack. This would lead to an all out battle between be, Preston Kilroy, and Levi Kitchen; where he contested the number seventy-one machine through the final section(s) of switchbacks, to claim eleventh prior to beginning the following segment of action. As the thirty-second board then went sideways for the latter afternoon contest, it was Vialle who stood fourth at the end of the first lap - while looking extremely impressive in the first turn area and rollers that followed. He was swift when navigating through braking bumps, almost as if he were hopping like the former French native(s) of Marvin Musquin and Christophe Pourcel; and thriving while doing so! He would reside fourth before making the pass Levi Kitchen near the seventh circuit. That would grant him third, where he noticed Chance Hymas beginning to fade. Second was then on the horizon, and Vialle would attack the Honda rookie with all his entire arsenal of tricks and stellar line choices - leading to the runner-up overall designation being clenched, with roughly six laps remaining! From that point onward, it would be Vialle who remained steadfast in the silver medal final position, which was granted to him upon crossing the last tabletop on the racecourse. And with one of his strongest performances of the year thus far, Vialle's run to second (in moto two) would increase his overall score to a tremendous fifth-place standing prior to ending his run in Pennsylvania for round four of the series.

More from GRIT