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CHASE SEXTON
250 SX / 6TH
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Chase Sexton has enjoyed a fantastic rookie season. He has done so many things throughout the year that has shown everyone in the sport that he will become a top contender sooner rather than later. On numerous occasions he has showcased his raw speed and talent and really mixed it up with the title contenders. His qualifying practice speed is always on point and the only part of his game that needs serious work at this point in time would be his holeshots. Too often fans have been waiting to see him mix it up in the main event only to have him start outside the top ten. This has hurt his results and led to some quiet rides just outside of the lead group. Despite that, he still has three podiums
on the season and only one nish worse than an eighth and that was due to a DNF in Indianapolis. The 250SX East/West shootout always seems to favor the underdogs so Sexton came into the nale envisioning himself dicing it up and playing spoiler for the two championships up for grabs.
Sexton’s speed was once again put on display in the morning qualifying practice sessions. The Geico Honda rider threw down the fourth fastest lap time of the 250SX West coast riders and the eighth fast- est between both coasts. He looked poised and fast enough to mix it up and do some damage come race time.
Sexton’s Achilles heel showed once again to kick off the heat race. He failed to get a good start and instead rounded lap one in tenth place. The track was very slick at this early point in the evening which made it hard to make passes. This signi cantly hurt Sexton, who had only moved up one spot to ninth, in the rst four laps. He would be able to pick up another spot-on lap ve, passing Phil Nico- letti, to move into eighth but that would be as far as he’d go. De nitely not how he would have liked his heat race to go but he got straight through to the main event and he would have another chance at nally getting a holeshot.
His holeshot didn’t come in the main but he would get out to a much better start. Sexton secured the green ag in sixth position. He was right behind the lead pack of ve very quick, seasoned riders and failed to match their intensity in the opening stages. This cost him as it left him in no-man’s land sitting in sixth. He did not have any pressure from behind and he was not close enough to anyone else to apply pressure. He would go wire to wire, starting in sixth and nishing in sixth. That race epitomized how most of the season has gone for him. He starts off just outside of that lead group and basically gets left out. Still without a question, a great and impressive rookie season from the Geico rider.
40 GRITMOTO • MAY 6, 2018