Page 22 - GRIT_75

JUSTIN BRAYTON
450 SX / 6TH
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> They say sunlight is the cure for many things, and it couldn’t have been truer for the Supercross crew, as the eld headed into Salt Lake. Remember just a few short weeks ago, when we were in our neighbor to the northwest, Seattle, and the track was forced under torrential ooding. This layout, however, was complete opposite, and the riders seemed unusually grateful to have a dry track to race on. Justin Brayton savored the sun and hard-packed soil, as it reminded him of the practice tracks he hones his skills on. The practice session was no different, as it was just he and the watch, giving him a feeling of Déjà vu. Repetition of consistent technique is what made him a constant front-runner all of his life, and this week would be no different. After a stellar quali cation session, he would head back through the tunnel, and into the semi, where he would talk strategy with his crew. Whatever was discussed, seemed to work, as he got off to a noteworthy start, and sprint speed that was hardly rivaled by anyone else in the eld. Battling with Tyler Bowers in the early going, he knew if he could keep his vision focused on the foreground, rather than anything in the surroundings; that he would be set, despite his lackluster start. Trying his best to attempt as many triples as possible in the initial rhythm lane, his effort was apparent to both crowd and competitors. You saw a few guys behind him, simply ease off a little, because they knew they wouldn’t risk what he was willing to present. After all was said and done, he would nish seventh. The timer would then click the sea of gates down for the main event, and his rear wheel would spray all of the mechanics behind. Going outside initially in the two-way, he would begin to sort through the eld, knowing that if he could pass one, the rest would come in a domino effect. Rattling off solid times consecu- tively, there was no shortage of emotion occurring under the shell of his helmet. Blitzing each whoop-pad in third gear, the 450 would constantly pull as hard as possible, and he would hang on with a stern grip. Shaking off a large train of riders just a few positions behind, he would sit in front of Weston Peick with a few laps to go. He would settle in sixth place, and as a result, would nish here, taking home sixth overall.
22 GRITMOTO • APRIL 29, 2018