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COLT NICHOLS
250 MX / 4TH
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Colt Nichols has had quite the season leading up to this point, as the Oklahoma native was plagued by injury and spells of crashes since the inception of 2018. A Yamaha pilot signed on his notion of smooth technique and solid foundational skills, he really began
to show his worth once in the A class ranks of Loretta Lynn’s, followed by an impressive showing in the AMA Arenacross Series. With Babbitt’s Kawasaki allowing him to explore further options, he was picked up by a sequence of Yamaha teams, landing where he resides now, of the Star Yamaha squad. He’s been a true asset to the team, and with
the Crawfordsville round offering one last chance to showcase his worth, he wanted to impress all in attendance. He’d done well here in the past, so his vibe coming around
this layout for a brief and concise practice session was that of positive repercussions.
He knew the track, and vaguely remembered his marksmanship that propelled him to solid outings in the past, so it was an all systems go effort once the moto’s would begin.
A fteenth place start to begin would make him work extremely hard once the green ag would wave, but his heart and effort would be apparent. Scrubbing up the gigantic triple
in the mid-track valley, he looked to sweep from outside to in, cutting off the right-handed apex in swift fashion. It would place him ahead of Alex Martin, and then he would eye Michael Mosiman. Rallying past the number sixty-four, he would then wage battle with the KTM he past early on. The two would go neck and neck, but Martin would prevail, and as the checkered ag would come about, he would nish eighth. The second round of moto’s provided a bit of slick track, with a goat-trail type groove covering the raceway. A one-
slot mentality was playing in his favor, as a fourth place start was an excellent position to begin. Stalking the Geico riders of RJ Hampshire and Chase Sexton, the three would begin to pace Aaron Plessinger out front. Hampshire, a sprinter at heart, would look strong early, but a mistake in this treacherous terrain would allow Nichols to get around. Now stalking Sexton, the number forty wouldn’t be able to hold onto the silver medal slot either, letting Nichols take advantage with another mistake. The run would end here, as Yamaha’s would nish one and two, with Nichols capturing an excellent fourth overall.
16 GRITMOTO • AUGUST 26, 2018