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JASON ANDERSON
450 SX / 1ST
IMAGE /MPG WORDS / ECKERT DESIGN / WILSON
>> Although New Mexico born Jason Anderson has had a season full of finishes just off the podium, El Hombre has proven that he’s inching closer to the championship contender that we’ve been waiting for. His ruthless speed mixed with ridiculous style has always made Anderson a fan favorite to watch but in year’s past, the #21 hasn’t been able to make himself the next guy in line. In 2017, though, it becomes obvious that as some rider’s begin to fade out of contention, Anderson is undoubtedly fading in. To further illustrate the point, there’s no question that Anderson has been facing an uphill battle ever since being disqualified at round 3, but coming off of three straight podiums leading up to the final round, Jason is currently riding a hot streak; the exact type of streak to have when heading to Vegas.
Looking to let the dice roll to conclude the championship and earn some confidence before heading outdoors, Jason’s night started in heat two with a mediocre start. Twisting the wrist beyond belief, though, Anderson reached 4th by the end of lap one. Holding it down for the next lap and a half, a mental lapse lost the front wheel of his Husqvarna while exiting the sand section and pushed him back to 7th, well outside of a qualify- ing spot. The mistake made Jason’s night a little longer by forcing him to line up for a Semi, but there Jason couldn’t be touched. Jumping out front off the gate and gaping the field, the young gun lead till the end, mak- ing sure there would be no doubt in his main event contention.
With the best of the best lined up for the final time of the year, Jason was only focused on one thing, the
top spot. When the gate dropped, Anderson rounded out the top five as the field looked chaotic jumping through the first rhythm section. Getting by Blake Baggett and Dean Wilson early, Anderson moved into 3rd behind friend Ryan Dungey and Eli Tomac. On the second lap, Tomac put a move on Dungey that allowed Anderson to gain 2nd but it was only temporary as the defending champ was pushing hard to get back in the lead. Once he was back in 3rd, Anderson held strong for a majority of the race, only trailing Dungey by a few bike lengths. Jason may have been hesitant to make a move on the championship contender but his speed wouldn’t tell you that as the top five riders were absolutely hauling. It wasn’t till the race was reaching the final moments that Jason felt pressure from Chad Reed when Chad took the inside line to squeeze by. Unwilling to let it go, Anderson held it wide into the next turn where he forced the #22 off the track and into the night, regaining 3rd in the process. With only a few laps left, the air was thick with tension and excitement. As luck would have it, Anderson still steering clear of the battle between the top two riders in front of him, Jason would avoid the contact that that Tomac made with Dungey costing both of them their speed. The move opened the door for Jason before the whoop section and El Hombre took full advantage. Sliding into 1st place with only a few turns to go, Anderson kept the juice flowing to the finish line to cap off the season with a victory. The result marked his first win of the season and the perfect finish to 2017. With the way that the year ended for Anderson, 2018 should be one hell of series.
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GRITMOTO • MAY 7, 2017