Page 22 - Grit_Issue_69

WESTON PEICK
450 SX / 6TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> When viewing a normal Supercross track, sure there are numerous combinations and lane navi- gations you can do, in order to capture the fastest time around the track. However, most often, there are a few paths and ruts that seem to be coined “the quickest” and will become over-developed, as the checkered ag falls. But when viewing Daytona, you can take that idea and multiply it by a thou- sand, as these lines resemble snakes in a pit, or wild strands of spaghetti. They overlap continuously, and are constantly fumbled, and swapped, just as the noodles are in the pot. Weston Peick’s in luck however, as he’s a master chef of this cuisine, and looked to boil the competition, with this particular stew of creativity, known as Daytona. He could be found in practice, albeit a bit dangerous, jumping from one side of the track to other, looking to nd lines that hadn’t yet been touched. His chassis would have the least amount of wear and tear, and in return, he yielded huge amounts of energy come race time. For his heat race, he positioned himself to clip the inside hay bale, for turn number one. He would nearly do so, resulting in a ve-start effort, and relatively clear track ahead. Finding himself in conjunction with Marvin Musquin, there were times when the two would literally be radiator to radiator, ying through the air. He never wavered, always looking ahead, eyeing to best his mark of the previous lap. It would work, pulling from Malcolm Stewart after the far triple, crawling up the dragons back as a stealth-like animal, looking to make the kill. He would follow suit from his previous efforts of laps ahead, taking the third place nish. It was now time for all of the marbles to be placed on the table, and a winner take all effort to be set on the racetrack. Pushing into the opening left hander, the red clay pushed for a sketchy rst turn. He would frantically push on the rst lap, having a few close calls, but staying relatively safe, along this disastrous track. Beat-up from the previous 250 main, it was truly a survival of the ttest effort. He was navigating through the center of the whoops, maneuvering over the wall, and through the inside of the chicane, a rut trenched through the roller. He always had his eyes on the rider in front, viewing Musquin’s jersey in the wind. Coming close in the triple-triple section, prior to the quad, he would make his move, pushing the opposition to the wayside in the following right-hander. The eld was now spaced out, and it was easy to get compla- cent; he wouldn’t fall until the trap though, knowing that each lap down, was another chance for his competition to fail. It would result in an increased spot, moving into the sixth position, as time would conclude. The checkered ag, a sign of surrender, would be waving in the distance. He would cross, with Jason Anderson at his six o’clock, and taking sixth place.
22 GRITMOTO • MARCH 11, 2018