Page 14 - GRIT_74

JASON ANDERSON
450 SX / 3RD
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> When you think of Gillette, you think of shaving, and cutting the most miniscule piec- es off of an object, or matter. The sharpest of razors, etch the sleekest cuts, magnifying every piece of substance in front of them. And although most imagine a typical straight blade, when hearing the aforementioned “Gillette” brand, the riders of AMA Supercross think of clipping precious milliseconds, off their respective circuit times. At least Jason Anderson does, and his mechanic would echo this inclination, on the pit board through- out practice. Every nook and cranny counts, in search of the most optimal lines, and he would begin to nd them. Tripling on to tabletops whenever he could, bouncing off, and over the nal single, before the following “SX” triple. His combinations would be pristine, and at the conclusion of practice, all would be sound under the Husqvarna banner. He, his mechanic, and team owner, were all on the same page. Their discussion in the lm room was brief, and shortly thereafter, he would load the gate to take off again. The heat race would follow, and his start would be on point. Rocketing out of the gate, it was just he, and the open road, standing to the nish line. Seat-hopping every triple combination he could, the gap between he and Marvin Musquin would close, however. But with the championship mentality, he wouldn’t look back, and would hold on, to take the victory. The gates would clash for the 450 main event, and he knew he had to remain smart, in order to succeed. His two biggest foe, that of Tomac and Musquin, were ahead, and all he had to do was remain here, to sustain the points lead blow. He would do so, every lap, counteracting their absurd times, with astonishing ones of his own. He wouldn’t falter, never falling into the lull of being by himself, in third place. The dust would really start to rise, his wheel-tapping antics coming into play through this disarrayed whoop section. The shirt-tail, as always, would ap in the wind, letting all who were behind know, that it was he in front of them. His style remained mature as they come, and
there wasn’t any lapse of focus. So when the white ag came out, it was a sigh of relief from both he and team. It was over, and although there wasn’t much drama his way, he couldn’t have been happier. The championship run would last another round.
14 GRITMOTO • APRIL 22, 2018