Page 62 - Issue_39

JOSHUA GRANT
450 SX / 11TH
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / WILSON
>> The Blue Jays have been notorious with the city of Toronto for many years. A team that’s brought their city to their knees, and been carried
on the backs of the elite who brink the diamond week after week. It’s not uncommon for the “Blue Jay” bird to be soaring through the sky, both in and outside the stadium, giving fans a sense of awe and tranquility as they view in amazement. Although not a bird, nor having wings, Josh Grant soars through the air, bringing along excitement and imagination of both young and old alike, whomever may see him in the city of Toronto aboard this spring weekend. He swoops in and out of traffic, zoning in on the prize that baffles him; he clears the rhythm lane with a pristine step-on step-off sequence, all the while flicking the wrist over the ever-so crowd pleas-
ing “SX Triple.” Many kids in the autograph line were confusing him with
the actual Blue Jay mascot, but he had to reassure him that there was no costume or roleplaying in his suit, it was a one hundred percent gladiatorial effort, and he was able to pierce through the nighttime sky for their enter- tainment. And that’s exactly what he sat out to do, pushing his way through the field in turns one and two. He was leaping past riders, fifteenth on the opening lap, just ahead of his amateur foe Mike Alessi. No need for the MotoConcepts crew to intervene this time however, as the Kawasaki pro- pelled forward, pushing past riders such as Justin Bogle and Jake Weimer. He was excelling in this extremely difficult rhythm section, a smile gleaming under the muzzle of the Shoei everytime he approached the section; he loves to jump, and it was apparent when watching the Californian. He was one of the first to start jumping through the deep sands, as the section was being drug into a set of rollers by race end; reminding him of his hometown track of Glen Helen. Swapping paint with Justin Bogle for the majority of the moto, the number 33 would bring home a respectable 11th place, and look forward to staying healthy for the rest of the series.