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CHASE SEXTON
250 MX / 9TH
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Chase Sexton has been performing well and doing so consistently in his rst full season of Lucas Oil Pro Motocross. The Geico Honda rider has constantly irting with top ve
moto and overall nishes the entire season. He has one overall podium so far and only
one overall nish outside the top ten and that was because of a DNF back at High Point. That one podium he broke through for has also been his only top ve nish of the season. Sexton has had numerous sixth place overalls and always seems to be just behind the front pack of riders. He is at the tail end of seemingly every camera shot showcasing the lead group of riders. He knows his time will come, he just needs to get better starts. That has been his only glaring inconsistency. Sexton meshed well with the tight and wooded course in the Paci c Northwest during the morning qualifying practice sessions. The Illinois native managed to put forth the seventh fastest lap time of the day and was right in the mix with the rest of the riders like he has all season. He was aiming to get a good start in moto one to jump start his day. Sexton did not get the best of starts to kick of the rst moto, but he would make the most of it. He nished lap one in ninth place and did not stay there long. He passed Dylan Ferrandis and Enzo Lopes on lap two, Mitchell Harrison on lap three,
and then Michael Mosiman on lap four. This put him into fth place, but he was not satis- ed just yet. The lead group, once again, was just a handful of seconds away from him. He put his head down and started gaining on them and actually started to threaten the points leader, Aaron Plessinger, for fourth. He got within a few seconds but could not get it much further. He stayed right there however and nished a close fth, just on the outside of the top group. Yet again, he was on the outside looking in of the front battle, but he would have another moto to try and get up there. Unfortunately for Sexton, he began the second moto completely mired deep in the eld. He was way outside the top thirty but crept into twenty- seventh by the end of lap one. He linked up with race one winner, Joey Savatgy, who also had issues on the rst lap, and followed him through the eld. Every move that Savatgy made, Sexton would match it and stay right on his rear wheel. It was fascinating to watch riders of their caliber battling so deep in the eld. At times it looked like Sexton might actu- ally make the pass but Savatgy would always answer. In the end, they clawed all the way to nish in the top ten. Sexton would not pass Savatgy, but he nished right on his rear fender. Sexton would of cially nish tenth in the moto and go 5-10 for ninth overall. The result does not show how well Sexton rode and I feel like that has been the case with him all too often this season. He just needs those starts.
30 GRITMOTO • JULY 29, 2018