Page 52 - ISSUE-81

PHIL NICOLETTI
450 MX / 8TH
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> When being a professional athlete, in any genre of sport, you must adopt the idea of al- ways striving and constant pursuit of perfection. Can it be obtained? Many argue against it, however, the chase that’s in consistent motion is one that leaves many hungry and in con- stant itch for more. Phil Nicoletti has accomplished quite a bit throughout his career thus far, but has yet to reach the point of complacency. Many doubt he ever will, but there have been times in his career thus far where his mind has a hit a bit of a lull so to speak. But that’s what made him such a force to be reckon with, as he has the ability and con dence to power through, and push towards greater heights once the smoke clears. It was the same idea throughout practice, as although he made a few mistakes, and the bike wasn’t one hundred percent to his liking, he pressed on and sat a solid laptime, well enough to give him an optimal gate position for moto number one. The eld would bottleneck into the rst turn, and he would come out somewhere around the fth place spot. He’d been in this position before, so there wasn’t any need to panic, as a few of the leaders were starting
to sprint away. He would watch them from a far, noticing the speedsters of the front and how ef cient they were with their movement. He would begin to do the same, hitting these off-cambered corners with immense precision, always making sure to ride the outside footpeg. And in return, he would come to the back wheel of Weston Peick; precisely waiting for the right moment to strike, it would almost be within his grasp, until mere washout after the nish pushed him back to seventh. As the race would subside, he would end up in the same spot, seventh for the checkered ag. The second round was now here, and to begin, he would sprint off the line, opening a canister of roost on the eld. Migrating near sixth, he was antsy to move forward, yet composed enough to wait for the correct time. Navigating through the small moguls and rollers before the huge yaway step up, he noticed Jacob Hayes in his rearview. However, rather than trembling with fear, he would march forward, pushing both his mind and bike to the fullest extent. When the chassis would begin to swap, his throttle hand would remain intact, letting a rip on the rear tread. Shredding both the corners and his rubber tires, the white ag would appear; he would sit ninth, making one last go around. It was here, where he would call home, solidifying the eighth overall position as the sunset would approach.
52 GRITMOTO • JUNE 24, 2018