Page 10 - GRIT_73

JASON ANDERSON
450 SX / 2ND
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Let’s rewind a few months, to arguably one of the biggest events, in the entire world. The Super Bowl of the NFL, where the Philadelphia Eagles, and New England Patriots, met to conquer one of the great- est feats in the realm of modern sports. It took place here, inside U.S Bank Stadium, where fans lled the place to capacity, cheering and screaming for their favorite team. Although the game is now an after- thought, the lingering roar of fans seems to live on. And it was almost as if Jason Anderson could hear the ripple effect, the moment he stepped foot inside the stadium. It sent goose bumps, across his body, a wave of adrenaline overcoming his nervous system. It would return yet again, as he rolled his bike onto the start straight for practice; he would creep, moving the 450 with a simple blip of the throttle, only to have a maximal twist with the waving of the green ag. His banter of excitement screamed throughout the snout of his helmet, never backing down to the sight of an intimidating section, or jump combination. The result? A staggering time in the midst of his competition, looking to place him in a solid position behind the gate. The pad would fall, and he would come out swinging for the opening lap, of the rst leg of the Triple Crown. He hurled his machine into the sand section, the rear end seemingly opping like a sh; but his attention would remain forward, focusing putting down the fastest laps he could. He sat second in the early going, with Barcia behind him. His mistakes would be minimal, and as he sat sail to the wind, in the rhythm lane before the nish, he knew he would have to execute a near perfect last lap, in order to hang on to his rightful position. He would do so, and as the nal ag ew, he would place second. The next portion of the night show had him again, in the midst of the front of the eld. Situated near Blake Baggett, this portion was a bit longer, so he had to pace himself a bit more. Finding his lines through both particu- lar whoop pads, his outside, to outside line, seem to carousel him around the majority of the competitions momentum. With the race winding down, he would sit second, looking to make a move on Justin Brayton. He would get a bit too eager however, and try to wedge his way up the inside, through the two-way rhythm lane; he would subsequently go off track, and be forced near the sixth position, where he would ght with the likes of Blake Baggett; rumors would swirl that he would be docked a position, as a result of his placement, back on track. The checkered ag loomed in the distance, and he would hold on, taking sixth, but still sitting pretty for an overall. The third moto was here, and it was do or die, if he wanted to make a run at the overall. Positioning himself solid, in the early going, he would whip the chassis to the left over the rst SX triple; looking to duck into the immediate right-hander. Weston Peick was on his
tail, and he knew it; but he had to keep envisioning himself on the podium, otherwise, he would crumble under pressure. As the moments went on, he and Justin Brayton seemed to locate each other. He would ght as hard as he could, the elbows wider than ever. He would take the lead quickly thereafter, doing all in his power, to win the overall. Each lap would be clicked off, and the win would ensue. The timer would then ring-out a plethora of zero’s, and he would go on to nish rst, good enough for second overall.
10 GRITMOTO • APRIL 15, 2018