Page 32 - Issue_72

CHASE SEXTON
250 SX / 2ND
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> When you think about the stadium of Seattle, one of the rst thoughts to pop into the heads of many, is that of the Legion of Boom. This “Legion of Boom” was a term coined by both fans and media, to describe the group of defenders, who recently played for the Seattle Seahawks. Year after year, this group of grown, battle-driven gladiators led the NFL in defensive categories. They always presented a threat to the competition, seemingly winning a battle of fear, before their opponent stepped foot on the stadium oor. And rolling into the Seattle Airport, Chase Sexton of the Monster Energy, AMA Supercross tour, wanted to adopt that same mentality. He based his notion off of his
past experiences in the ruts, mud, and bump-littered raceways; knowing that he won numerous races throughout his amateur career on tracks just like these. If he could win events of that magnitude at such a young age, he truly believed there wasn’t anything stopping him from replicating it again here. Practice was an all-out brawl, as this one-out showing of quali cation forced him to learn the ow of the course very quickly. Ringing the 250f for all of its might, his crew would have to force him into the mechanics area, knowing that if he continued at this pace, the bike may implode. He obliged to the warning, knowing his fastest laptime had been set. He carried on, trying different lines, and couldn’t wait for the heat races to commence. The gate would fall, and he would begin to pull the rolloff/tearoff system immediately. His vision would stay relatively clear however, despite the moisture from the at- mosphere seeping in between the stacked layers. He would quickly nd himself in the immediate reign of Philip Nicoletti , the two seemingly playing a game of checks and balances; with one creating a bit of a gap, and the other marginalizing it, and vice versa. The force of the opposition wouldn’t deter him from his chosen route, and he would push until the absolute bitter end; launching these tricky rhythm sections, while the skid plate drug up the face. His effort, by race end, would result in a second place. The timer would then be set for the dropping of the main event launch pad, and it would fall, seem- ingly exploding like trip wire. He would plow through the smoke, his front fender acting as a bayonet, emerging third on lap one. It was all he could do to keep this beast of a machine beneath him, as the ruts began to look like strips of python, laying every which way across the track. As the laps would be- gin to accumulate, he found himself staying on the pace of everyone in his midst. His pitboard would read “consistent”, reiterating the fact that this was a race of attrition. His throttle wouldn’t shutoff, and he would pack a punch to Shane McElrath who was behind, knocking him off his train of thought,
and forcing him to the ropes. With nearly three quarters of the race gone, a podium would almost be guaranteed, and a race win, not entirely out of question. But as the laps would come to a conclusion, Plessinger would make his presence known, securing victory. He would bring home a spectacular ride in second, thankful to stay safe, and come away with a hefty some of points.
32 GRITMOTO • APRIL 8, 2018