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HAYDEN MELLROSS
250 SX / 7TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> As you look down the line of these professional athletes, each individual has a differ- ent story to tell. Some, more enlightening than others, but they all have a commonality of struggles. Whether it be, throwing away a victory on the last lap, a motor seizing on the quest for an amateur title, or a devastating injury that left them bed ridden for months on end, each problem had a significant impact on molding their career. But if it weren’t for those downs, neither their work ethic, nor gratification could be as solid as in the present day, and who knows where their paths may have led. Hayden Mellross is truly thank-
ful for the road in which he has been given, and its reflected in both his riding efforts, and charisma off the track. Pulling into the paddock during practice, his tone wasn’t that of frustration and difficulty when dissecting the bike problems; but rather that of coop- eration, and truly searching for the root cause. Everything would be fixed for the main events however, and following his first moto start, he saw a mountain that could be con- quered. Block passing in the initial right, left, he would cut over the last portion of whoop, and make passes stick during the ensuing roller section. Pivoting turns around the likes of Aaron Plessinger and Phil Nicoletti, his moves wouldn’t go unnoticed, as these guys were some of the top in the sport. Moving forward for the duration of the time clock, he would go on to finish seventh. For round number two, it was as though he was on the ropes, but managed to fight off the opposition with quick-wittedness and sharp analyti- cal skills. Dissecting the pack one by one, every inch of track would be used, on his
way to the back fender of Justin Hill. Never letting the idea of fear creep into his train of thought, he would burst across the final stripe of timing and scoring, in tenth position. He was willing to go out on his shield for the third gate drop, proving his fearlessness with the near bar-banging over the first triple. A slight look over to the opposition propelled a testosterone boost for the ages, tripling past the competition in the far rhythm section. Avoiding the idea of complacency, he knew what needed to be done in order to solidify a solid overall score. With a few hiccups here and there, the throttle would remain pinned, hitting the final rhythm section with a breath of relaxation. Another round was in the books, and as always, he was first to thank his sponsors. He would bring home seventh overall, wrapping up the eighth spot for the final round.
46 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 21, 2018