Page 20 - Issue 79

JORDON SMITH
250 MX / 5TH
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Just as many historians marvel at the thought of battlegrounds from centuries ago, many in our sport ooze and aw in amazement, when thinking of sites of the one-of-a-kind, “Motocross Des Nations” event. It’s there, where the top riders from each country go to do battle, leaving a testament of will and pride on the line, to say their nation is best. Years ago, Thunder Valley was the host of this unique event, and the vibe of greatness still lingers to this day. Jordon Smith has been in talks of being chosen, and hopes to show members of the committee that he can be called upon in the highest honor, when the spotlight is brightest. Practice was a place of placing his stake in the ground, letting every- one know he was here to stay. Leaping far and wide in order to obtain a gratifying time, he was willing to hang it out at all costs, even when his feet would come off the pegs. Com- posing himself to round out the session strong, he would go to the drawing board once underneath the semi tent. He came out with a rejuvenated game plan to begin the rst moto, ghting for third on the rst lap. In close proximity to Justin Cooper, it was as though they wanted to one up each other, constantly trying to charge longer and out brake the opposition. He was truly vibing with this track, and his normal rambunctious style t well with these gigantic, wide-open spaces. Being overtaken by Zach Osborne and Alex Martin in the latter stages, a mistake from Osborne would push him back up to fourth. With the rotors steaming from the amount of speed he would carry, he would go on to nish fourth for the moto. Moto number two would begin with a spike of adrenaline, as he went up the hill two and three wide, and teammate, Alex Martin, leading. The hands would be gripping the bars to death, looking to snag a piece of that top ve off in an aggressive tempo. The clutch would begin to heat up, as he was in constant con guration of the black adjustment piece, on the bikes left side. He would have to make the best of the situation, as pres- sure would begin to surmount from Austin Forkner. Forkner would make the move, and he would get pinched; and then the KTM pilot would immediately drive back, never backing down from the ght. But with his back against the ropes, he would have to bow down, giving the Kawasaki rider the position. Fifth place for the moto was his, and as all was said and done, his accumulation of both scores would be strong enough for fth overall.
20 GRITMOTO • JUNE 3, 2018