Page 20 - GRIT92

BLAKE BAGGETT
adding a bit of charismatic flare while soaring into space. And although it may have appeared a bit leisure, he was oh so serious under the shell of his helmet. That motto would be carried into the heat races, where an early race lead
Oakland Oakland
OAKLAND
BAGGETT
would be found coupled with a heated battle with Eli Tomac. The two single digit riders were blazing a trail and setting
a daunting pace in the process. The two had grown up competing against each other in the amateur series, and
were all too familiar with one another’s tendencies. But it was Tomac who would get the best of the dual, as Baggett would be pushed to third, behind that of Cole Seely. As the main event action would come into the present, Baggett’s starting woes would continue, having to work his way up from a distal eleventh place. But he wouldn’t fret, staying relatively calm while working his way methodically through the field. Passing the best in the business, he truly was on an exceptional run as the clock would continue to tick. Coming past the halfway point, the crew would be in a serious mix and shuffle of sorts, with the likes of Musquin, Baggett, Roczen, and Tomac always becoming entangled. Baggett would then make the move on Roczen, pushing his position into third by lap sixteen. Securing another podium spot, the crew at KTM would sweep the top three, making all in orange extremely proud.
20 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 28, 2019
“AT THIS POINT IN THE SEASON, AS FAR AS QUALIFICATION, I’LL TAKE WHAT I CAN GET.”