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theGRIT
JEFF COX
Josh Grant started off his Saturday with an underwhelming performance in practice. It was apparent for lots of west coast guys that they’re not accustomed to riding in the slick, mucky conditions that came
about in the timed qualifying in Massachusetts. Grant rode within his ability to secure a 17th place qualifying position with
a time of 1’06 flat. Although this was nearly 5 seconds off the pace of the leading trio, Grant was able to look forward to changing conditions when the racing actually got underway in Foxborough. Grant’s starts were on point throughout the entire racing program except in his heat race. He ended up crossing the finish line on the first lap in 10th place. Although he was able to move forward throughout the heat race, he wasn’t able to secure a transfer spot as he came up a couple positions short with a 6th place finish. He was able to put moves on Alessi, Fri- ese, and Tickle, but the poor start was ultimately his downfall. He rectified that in his semi-qualifier by rocketing out to a holeshot and racing a flawless collection of laps at the front of the field. Grant had phenomenal speed in the whoops which helped him to gap the field instantly and from that point on he just rode his own race to guarantee him a spot in the main event by way of a victory. He pulled off an identical copy to his start in the semi in the main event and came out second only to Dungey in the first rhythm lane. Roczen got around him over the triple and around the outside through the whoops, then in the next rhythm section Anderson jumped past the Kawasaki of Grant. There are many posi- tives and negatives to take away from this race for Josh Grant. He has has some incredible jumps out of the gate, his speed in the whoops is on par with the top of the class, but he’s currently missing the opening lap intensity that the top guys bring to the table. Tomac was able to get by Grant before the end of the lap which put him in 5th across the line. From that point on, Grant gradually faded backwards. It’s understand- able that he isn’t the most fit guy out there coming off of the couch halfway through the season. He found himself in a heated battle with Seely, Peick, Reed, and Musquin in the middle of the race. All four of those riders managed to get around Grant, but he put up a serious fight on a deteriorating track that doesn’t suit his riding style at all. Las Vegas could be a standout performance from the Monster Energy Kawasaki rider if he can continue to pull out top 5 starts.
words/LAKEKILPATRICK
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