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CHASE SEXTON
250 SX / 8TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / LANNAN DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Just a couple years ago, Chase Sexton was one of the brightest lights shining from the amateur ranks. In 2016, Chase finished up his amateur career by winning the esteemed Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon award at the biggest amateur race of
the year, Loretta Lynn’s. He then landed a pro contract with the Geico Honda team and was destined for greatness in the pro division. Unfortunately, before he could even get his start, he fell into an ugly injury streak where all his expectations were thrown out the window. Chase persevered, put down some impressive finishes
this summer, and was ready to start over for 2018. When the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series began in Anaheim, Chase was ready to put the past behind
him. He looked comfortable in practice and had the lap times to back it up. He went into the races with a solid top ten time and was ready for his first Supercross race. Chase lined up for 250SX Heat One and it was finally his time to race under the lights. When the gate dropped, he did not exactly get the jump he was looking for but rode smart through the first couple of sections, he was inside the top ten but had his work cut out for him if he wanted to improve. The Illinois native began to make moves quickly and found himself in an intense battle with Mitchell Harrison by the mid way point. The two traded paint plenty of times and had some very close calls. Then, as the riders rounded the corner before the start straight, Mitchell came to the inside of Sexton, forcing Chase into the tuff blocks and off the track. As he slammed the dirt, it was immediately evident that he was ready to get back up and continue his charge. He remounted in eighth position and once again began push- ing forward. He would finish up in a very impressive sixth place. When the Main Event began, Chase got a fantastic start and was running just inside the top five.
In the next few laps, he would begin to get shuffled back but was doing his best
to gain some much needed experience. He then found himself in the middle of an intense battle for sixth position with just a few minutes to go. Battling side by side with two veterans, one of which was the defending champ. Chase would eventually settle for eighth position but would gain some essential experience in his first ever AMA Supercross event.
66 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 8, 2018