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BENNY BLOSS
450 SX / 6TH
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Coming into the Las Vegas Supercross nale, many of the riders had been practicing on the local outdoor circuits, in preparation for the motocross series here in a few short weeks. With a variety of Supercross surfaces being cast out in the last couple of weeks, they thought to have every option of soil composition, under their belt. But few were truly ready for how slick, and concrete-like these conditions would be in Vegas. Enough to break the boot, or shear a footpeg, one would have to be so diligent, in order to stay up- right and healthy for the entirety of the day. Benny Bloss was ready, con guring with lower rear sprocket settings, and even going as far as lowering the air pressure in his tires, as not only would the heat be in ating them, but the tread would be able to sink in, and give him an extra bit of bite. Nonetheless, he was still icking the chassis to the right, over the “SX” triple in the middle of the track. Landing with his left boot already halfway out, he wouldn’t ever be off the gas as he skated across the start straight. Signing off on practice, he would be pleased rolling out into the pit area. The heat was now here, and he shot out of the gate like a rocket. With the holeshot device disengaging, and the tearoff stack being ripped through, he came across timing and scoring in third place. He would then turn his focus to Christian Craig, who had moved in front of him. Eyeing the shirttail, it acted as the infamous “red towel” apping the wind, in a matador like fashion. He was the bull, charg- ing, and bucking wherever the 450 chassis may take him. Finally, he and animal would be under control. Charging until the bitter end, his efforts would place him in a nal fth over- all. The reworks would then be underway, for the beginning of the main event. Frantically in the early going, he would begin to make moves. He had a particular line, of swinging wide, and cutting in, in the right-hander prior to the whoop section. Hopping on the series of tabletops, shortly thereafter, his suspension would go through the plushest of strokes, on his excursion to the front. Hovering around the fth place spot, he was in the midst
of battle, with all of the sports biggest personalities around him. The laps would begin to dwindle, but he wouldn’t, as his stamina was up to par. Ripping the left-handed bowl turn before the nish, his 450 would echo off the stadium walls; the fth of old however, would be pushed to the wayside, as Anderson would pass in the whoops. In conjunction with the roars from the crowd, he would make the piston scream to the nish. Sixth place was his, and the nal statistic he would jot down, in the 2018 record book.
22 GRITMOTO • MAY 6, 2018