Page 52 - Issue_63

JOSH GRANT
450 SX / 10TH
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Josh Grant is turning into quite the fan favorite now that he is in the latter stages of his career. The fans love seeing the veterans of the sport still succeed at a high level and they are lucky enough to have two this year in Grant and Justin Brayton. Grant has that So-Cal swag-
ger that goes with him wherever he goes. Everything he does just has that smooth, yet edgy vibe to it, albeit when he’s riding his factory Monster Energy Kawasaki or wearing his HLTN CO apparel. So far this season he has been performing at a high level and dare I say, dipping into the fountain of youth just a little bit. With two ninths and then a sixth overall in triple crown format at the previous round in Anaheim, Grant has been showcasing his raw speed and talent on a consistent basis. He anticipated to continue to do so this weekend in Arizona. Grant exceled
on the slick and grueling track in qualifying practice. He seemed to master the big whoops and intricate rhythm sections en route to throwing down the sixth fastest lap time of the day. He was more than ready to compete during the night show. Grant got off to a rough start in his heat
race, but he made up for it quickly. He started in ninth but by lap three he was already up to
fifth. Unfortunately, once he got there, the top four had distanced themselves enough to where he could not get close enough to put a fight before the race was over. That fifth place heat race finish would send him easily right on through to the main event. Grant matched his start from the heat race in the main as he rounded the opening lap in ninth place. However, this time he could not match his early charge to the front. He passed Vince Friese for eighth on lap two but could not make any more moves at the time. Although he wasn’t making passes, Grant was making up ground quickly on the riders ahead of him. He caught the points leader Jason Anderson, along with Justin Brayton, and started to apply a strong amount of pressure. Grant appeared to be the fastest rider on the track at this point and after a few laps of stalking Anderson and Brayton, he passed both of them on lap seven and continued his surge forwards. He started reeling in Marvin Musquin and Weston Peick who were battling for fourth. It appeared like Grant was getting close enough to make some passes, but the two riders were able to counter his attack by inching
back away. Then during the second half of the race, things began to unravel for Grant. Anderson gathered himself and got back around him, followed shortly by Cole Seely pushing Grant back
to eighth. Almost as soon as Seely passed Grant, Seely would go down and give Grant the seventh-place spot right back. But Seely must have been contagious because with just two laps to go, Grant would also go down. He would remount in tenth and manage to finish there as well. It was an entertaining race for Grant, but the finish did not show it. At one point it looked like he was going to pass all the way up to fourth but the crash at the end did its damage. Grant will be sure to attempt a similar performance, minus the crash, next weekend in Oakland.
52 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 28, 2018