Page 46 - Issue_78

WESTON PEICK
450 MX / 6TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> If you take a look through the history books, or in today’s society, “Scour through You- tube,” you’ll be quick to see just how monumental the Glen Helen National is, in the history of AMA Motocross. Think about the antics of Mike Alessi and the Pro Circuit team, dicing it up years ago here for championship implications, or James Stewart winning his rst ever- professional race here. The aura of greatness lurks around this facility, and is something that Weston Peick embodies. It’s a notion that he carried into the qualifying session, as he knew this race would be absolutely packed in attendance. Skating around every uffy berm he could nd, he was truly at one with his machine. As braking bumps began to develop, an instinct of alternative searching began to kick in; he knew that if he could nd multiple lines to possess throughout the different moto’s, he would have a handful of options if disaster ever struck. Luckily he would come through the rst few laps, relatively unscathed, hovering near the eighth place position. A tunnel vision mentality would then overtake the shell of his helmet, as he honed in on the number fty-four who sat in front of him. He be- gan to creep, attempting a series of alternative lines, with multiple episodes of squaring up corners, and nearly jumping off track over the slight-hip jump at the top. Making the pass on lap nine, once the position was secured, it was now time for him to lock it in; he had
it, and chucked the combination away, leaving it to be just he and the checkered ag to remain. He would nish in seventh, looking ahead to completion of the second moto. The gate would fall, and a heard full of 450 gladiators would hover three and four wide through- out the rst few segments. He would remain in tact for the most part, knowing that he truly had to keep his heart rate down in order to succeed. With the mechanic reiterating the idea of breathing, he would nod his head in agreement as he stormed past the mechanics area. Nearing the halfway point, he would feel a bit of pressure from Benny Bloss, but knew
he had to keep looking ahead. As he truly began to buckle down, and charge down the consecutive mountains, he could faintly hear the opposition fading away. Knowing that the nal ag was around the corner, he would keep the inside oat around through the series of tight chicanes. Cresting the nal jump, he would place fth, well enough for sixth overall on the day.
46 GRITMOTO • MAY 27, 2018