Page 30 - GRIT-80

BRANDON HARTRANFT
250 MX / 9TH
IMAGE / LANG WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Rolling through the hills of Pennsylvania, the drive can be picturesque for many on the tour, as the lush green hills can be accompanied by an abundance of trees among the winding roads. A scenic, cruising type route, many take this drive to get away from
it all, and nd a bit of tranquility amongst the hectic schedule of secular culture. How- ever, for riders like Brandon Hartranft it’s purely a business trip, with a larger amount
of butter ies ying throughout their stomach than of those in the forest. He’s learned
to harness it, and you couldn’t spot a bit of nerve when watching him from the stands, throughout his practice sessions. Sloshing through the early morning dew, the track had a bit of moisture in it, looking to hold off the dust for as long as possible. Registering a rather strong time, both he and team were pleased by the session’s conclusion. Pack- ing the gate with authority, he would roll the tread in behind the launch pad, and look to rocket from behind the pad. He would do so, with the holeshot device disengaging, and propelling him to an eigth place position on lap one. Weaving in and out of these gigantic ruts, his frame would begin to drag, and these boulders made by the disc of the tractor were beginning to be demolished by his skid-plate. Letting the motor stay within its sweet spot, both he and the bike were humming in perfect harmony, although Alex Martin was beginning to knock at his door. Flipping the chassis to the right over the nish line, his vision zoomed in on the left-hander shortly thereafter, as he knew there were only a few laps to go. Eleventh place would be his for the taking, and he would look forward to the next moto. They were off, and the eld would dive-bomb to the inside of the left-hander, with everyone vying for that immaculate title of holeshot king. He had a bit of work to do though, as he crossed the line in eleventh. The mid portion of the track, all throughout the valley, was seemingly lled with lines. It was a balance beam of doom, as both man and machine could crash into mother earth at any particular point. Yet, he would stay upright, looking to keep the number sixty-four at bay. It was all he could do to hold off Mosiman for the duration of the moto, but he would do so; and as the checkered ag ew, his nal spot of completion would be eighth claiming ninth overall on the day.
30 GRITMOTO • JUNE 17, 2018