Page 10 - ISSUE78

CHASE SEXTON
250 MX / 2ND
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> With teams snatching up amateur riders out of lower ranks quicker than ever, many are placed under intense examination at a young age. It can break riders at any level, yet the stron- gest do thrive, and nd themselves on a factory team once reaching the pinnacle of the sport. Enter Chase Sexton, a rider who was under the watchful eye of Yamaha throughout many of
his minicycle years, yet Geico Honda placed him an offer on the table he couldn’t refuse and claiming him on the brink of professionalism. Signing him on the notion of style and resilient technique, he’s been a stand out through the eld since his inception, and wanted to continue
to reiterate that notion as the round of Budd’s Creek came to be. In practice, his mechanics and fundamentals were as sound as ever. Hardly ever dabbing the foot, and keeping the outside footpeg weighted, as some of the force angles on these corners were absolutely absurd. He ourished where others would ounder, keeping his elbows high and adequate tension on the throttle. The result? A spectacular time, and well on his way to sitting pretty for the commence- ment of the rst moto. A tenth place start allowed him to have a bit of wiggle room, leaving he and the clock in a tandem of working combination. Ninth became eighth, and then seventh, and so on, as he approached the top ve of Jordon Smith. Smith created a bit of a blockade amongst the eld, doing his best to keep everyone on a brief bit of a pause. This allowed Dylan Ferrandis to get by, with Sexton doing his best to keep the Yamaha rider in check. As the white ag came to be, he put on one last charge at the French competitor, yet it was too little too late. He would settle for seventh, looking to improve for the next moto. A third place start to begin, was just what the doctor ordered. With teammate RJ Hampshire making the move into the lead early, Sexton was forced to ante up, or leave the table. And although a brief bit of distraction came in the form of Austin Forkner, Sexton’s serious corner skills helped him rail into the runner-up position. It was just he and the Florida native, Hampshire, in the one and two ride, with a heap of battles going on behind them. He would play a bit of give and take with the number thirty-six, one never relinquishing their gap over the other. He would claim an outstanding second place nish, strong enough to rally for a second overall.
10 GRITMOTO • AUGUST 19, 2018