Page 38 - Issue_68

KYLE PETERS
250 SX / 7TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> As riders grow up and reside from different places across the globe, they’re exposed to numerous amounts of surfaces and track conditions to ride on. And as most would assume, you would be more likely to nd diverse settings on the outdoor circuit. But don’t be so quick to discredit what the tracks of Monster Energy AMA Supercross could provide, as you have everything from the straight hard-pack of the California circuits,
to the sands of Daytona, and absolutely everything in between. Atlanta always has a deceiving variable to it, similar to Washougal; in the sense that the dirt looks great when its prepared correctly, but you are quick to nd that as the top level of soil washes away, it becomes very slick. Kyle Peters was adapting from the moment he hit the raceway, the red dirt becoming cemented on his boots and plastic. Nevertheless, his throttle was on full blast at all times, and he would work his way into the main event. The rst moto saw him with a mediocre start, at least according to what he was capable of in his amateur days; hovering around the outskirts of the top ten, his JGR Suzuki was ghting the track for the majority of the race. With the short sprint coming into full effect, he would look over his shoulder, as he skied along the SX triple; it was rookie Brandon Hartranft just behind. He had to get going, as he would eye the number fty-six of Anthony Rodriguez, but would reside in eleventh for the conclusion of the moto. The second race seemed to be going much better, with a tad bit of chaos going around, and crashes everywhere, on the biggest of jumps. Dodging yellow and red cross ags, he would remain composed, as he felt the wrath from again, that all too familiar Yamaha just behind, of Hartranft. An- other youngster would reside just in front as the laps would wind down, and as he would roll on the throttle through the turning rhythm lane, he seemed to edge just into Cameron McAdoo’s view; but it was too little too late, and he would hold on for seventh. The third moto seemed to be Peter’s best run of the year, as an awesome start had him dabbling inside and out of the top ve for quite sometime. With the leaders all getting shuf ed throughout the moto, he found himself pressured by Austin Forkner late in the race; Forkner, with enthusiasm, would blitz by, forcing Peters to breathe and check to see who was behind yet again, over the largest jump on the track. Once positioned into seventh, he would hold on, with his teammate, Jimmy Decotis behind. The seventh for the nal moto, would place him in seventh overall.
38 GRITMOTO • MARCH 4, 2018