Page 16 - Issue34

JUSTIN BRAYTON
450 SX / AZ
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Justin Brayton seemed to have finally ironed out the issues with the Smartop Mo- toConcepts backed Honda CRF 450 as he made a return to his stellar offseason form in Phoenix. The Iowa native won the Australian Supercross Championship, challenged Chad Reed for victory at the AUS-X Open, and battled with Marvin Musquin in multiple European stadiums towards the end of 2016, but when the gate dropped on the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross season: that confidence and speed was nowhere to be found. Brayton ultimately found his groove early in the day as he put in competitive lap times throughout both timed practice sessions, eventually clocking the seventh fastest lap ahead of the Rockstar Husqvarna machine of Jason Anderson. The ‘17 CRF 450 holeshot machine claimed another one in the second 450 heat race as Justin Brayton took the advantage down one of the longest start straight of the year. He was able to stick to the outside line and hit the ensuing triple into the first rhythm section, pulling out a minor gap over the chasing KTM duo of Blake Baggett and Davi Millsaps. The KTM teammates sliced and diced for second position which allowed the Smartop MotoCon- cepts rider to find some comfortability at the head of the field. Meanwhile, Millsaps
had finally made a pass stick and began to make a charge towards the lead. Brayton wasn’t able to hold off the charge from the Florida native, he had to forfeit the lead after the first rhythm section when Millsaps snuck under him through a rutted bowl corner. He didn’t let the pass disrupt his rhythm and he went on to finish second place, setting him up for a stellar gate pick in the main event on the way to his best finish of the 2017 season. Brayton’s start was nearly as perfect as it was in the heat race, but Tomac just edged him out for the holeshot. The Iowan was riding a searing pace compared to the previous rounds of this year’s series, but he wasn’t able to match that of the top five. Tomac disappeared at the front of the field, and Brayton was forced to give up places to multiple riders over the course of the first ten laps, putting him back to fifth position. In the latter stages of the race, it was a flashback to the heat race as himself and Millsaps found themselves in a battle. The Floridian came out on top between the two as he put a pass on him for fifth place on the sixteenth lap, but Brayton still held on for his best finish of the season by far. It wasn’t quite the second place that he achieved in 2014 in Phoenix, but it will be a huge confidence booster for the Smartop MotoConcepts rider with the way his season has gone so far.
16 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 29, 2017