Page 78 - DECEMBERMPG2018

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He wanted his name to be in constant rotation of the intercom, making sure that all would remember his identity associated with the front of the field. An eight and a sixth in the opening heat races of Supercoss, had him yearning for more as the run-off’s would come along. Hovering near the top five in both run-off’s a sixth to make his mark on 450 C would be something he wanted to truly build off of. The 450 C Limited class was next, and a platform to where he could display his true talent, on an equal playing field of machinery. Looming near the top five for the entirety of the moto, he was methodical and careful to avoid pileups; which seem to be happening on the inside of a quite a few turns. Choosing to rail
the outsides, he would stay out of harms way, and go on to take an exceptional fifth place overall. For the aspect of motocross, he adopted more of a “send-it” mentality, willing to let the feet hang off the footpegs at times, and keep the throttle twisted no matter what. A seventh, sixth, and two thirds, would have him in rather promis- ing positions, in regards to overall contention for the main event. With a series of finishes inside the top ten, he would bolster an eight and tenth overall, in both of the 250 C classes respectively. However, his best finish of the week would come again in that 450 C Limited ride. Lugging the bike around and being as smooth as possible, a second place in the final moto would generate him with an outstanding third place performance. The bronze medal would be his for the taking! He would then aspire to take this momentum and keep it rolling as the new year quickly approached.
GRANT HARLAN
With the abundance of A class riders vying for titles in this years division, it’s hard to pinpoint a true favorite, or someone that can clearly run the table. If you think back to years past, for the majority of it, there were always a few top guys sweeping the field. Whether it was the reign of Izzi, Canard, and Stroupe, the battling of Darryn Durham and PJ Larsen, or the dominance of Justin Barcia and Blake Baggett, not too often do you have years where there isn’t a particular favorite or two. Enter the year of 2018-2019, where the field is seemingly wide open, and many guys are taking their stab at the title, knowing that at any given point, the race is seemingly theirs to lose. Enter Grant Harlan, a young man from Roanoke, Texas who’s always been at the forefront of the field, but has yet
to truly poke through and take the spotlight. Always in contention for a solid finish, he came to the Winter Olympics in Gainesville, Florida, hoping to break the mold and stand out amongst a field
of prospects. Battling with the likes of Swoll, Shimoda, and Pierce Brown, he knew he would have to be near perfect to generate a podium finish; but he wouldn’t show a hint of fear, and would run the throttle as hard as anyone, once the gates would fall. Run- ning every A class possible in both SX and MX, he would begin the heat races of Supercross with a strong showing of fourth in 250 A. He would look to rebound from his other qualification mat- ters, reiterating the notion to himself that the run-off is what truly mattered. Walking away from this tight, bottleneck SX course, he would come through with ninth, eighth, and sixth overall finishes respectively. Sticking to his Texas roots, he wanted to hold the
450 as wide open as possible, letting it all hang out to prove a true point to fans and foes alike. Following an eighth and third place finishes to begin the first moto’s, it was as though he would flip a switch when the second races of the series would come around. Heavily pressured and forced to ride the tipping point of disaster, he would remain composed as the track got rougher, especially on the 450. Accumulating eighth, seventh, and seventh overall’s for the opposing three A classes, it was time for him to take the gate in 450 Pro Sport. That third from earlier would loom large in his contention for a strong finish, but his work would be cut out for him after a sixth place start. With Shimoda blitzing the field out front, Harlan would have to work his way up from sixth. Passing the likes of some of the top names in the sport, he would move to just be- hind Jalek Swoll around the midway point. And by passing one of the hottest prospects in the sport, Harlan would then make his way into second. Crossing the finish line, he was adamant that he won the title, but wanted confirmation. He’d done it, after a hard fought charge, the title was his!
JORGIA WATSON
With names like Patterson, Fiolek, and Cantrell coming long before her, Jorgia Watson would watch the professional series in
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