TOM VIALLE - GRIT 257 250SX

GRIT-257 | 250 SX

July 12th, 2024 1:45 pm

With the KTM rider remaining in contention for the overall lead among the 250MX Championship, Tom Vialle knew what was at stake as engines revved in Buchanan, Michigan. Therefore, few were surprised as he surged to the top of the leaderboard in practice, commanding the attention of all who opposed as scored the highest standing. Once clicking into gear for moto-one that followed, Vialle was aggressive in his charge through the initial bends, occupying a standing of second, after nearly obtaining the hole-shot! It was Ty Masterpool who quickly claimed the lead though, but Vialle wasn't going to let the lead slip away that easily...and instead, took the pinnacle position after the opening ski jump! However, Chance Hymas would out-charge him when embarking on the initial run of the Pro Section...deterring Vialle to second. Though Tom's run in the silver-medal position would then collapse, when he crashed in the concluding corner after the aforementioned Pro Section, as seven and a half minutes of competition had transpired. After remounting from the early moto crash, Vialle maintained a fourth-place trajectory, until only few minutes were left on the clock! He (at that point) hounded Chance Hymas, and was thoroughly searching for a way to work his way by. It would come, on the concluding downhill of the Pro Section, where Vialle definitively put his KTM in front of the Idaho native once and for all. Only two and a half laps remained, and the French athlete appeared to be solidified in third. He ultimately resided here through the finish line, to garner the bronze, before moving into the second moto. He resided in the latter half of the top-ten (around ninth) to begin this contest, but Haiden Deegan was just behind him. Deegan would stall his engine, while Vialle inherited sixth, by passing Jalek Swoll after ten minutes of racing had occurred. Ryder DiFrancesco was the next opponent to be overtaken...and with roughly two-thirds of the moto then completed, it was time for the KTM athlete to make a charge, toward Levi Kitchen. However, while chasing Kitchen, their pace would ultimately enable a pass over Ty Masterpool to be made...resulting in a furthered position on the leaderboard, with four laps (or so) remaining. Though an unforeseen crash from a lapped rider (with roughly two and a half minutes left on the clock), created an "almost" sequence of disaster for the French rider, he somehow avoided danger and continued to sprint to the checkered flag. As all concluded, it would be Kitchen who finished just ahead of Vialle, resulting in Tom garnering a fourth-place feat (for this race), and fourth overall, as well.

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