Page 22 - ISSUE51

JOSH GRANT
450 MX / 6TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MPG
>> Josh Grant has been nailing starts in nearly every moto so far in this 2017 outdoor season. This is the first season in a long time that he has been completely healthy and we are getting to see what we have been missing out on. His good starts have translated into tremendous performances and nearly a few wins in the six motos we’ve ran so far. A DNF in the opening moto last race at Thunder Valley after a crash in the first turn severely hurt him in the standings so he entered High Point ready to bounce back.
Grant struggled just a bit in qualifying practice but nearly everyone did. The track was muddy and slick but he still managed the ninth quickest lap time. Come race time the track was almost completely dried up and ready to go.
Grant started moto one doing what he does best this year; Getting holeshots. He would lead the pack around for the first handful of laps before getting pressure from the Australian series points leader Dean Ferris who was making his U.S. debut. The lack of experience racing with Ferris might have caused Grant to be taken off guard and Ferris slipped into the lead on lap five. Grant tried retaliating but instead got passed by Blake Baggett who would also pass Ferris for the lead. A few laps later around the halfway point, Grant tried another charge at Ferris but the Aus-
sie thwarted him and built a cushion that would last the entirety of the moto. Grant would finish strong in third for another podium moto finish.
Grant could not repeat his holeshot from the opening moto at the start of moto two. He started in sixth place and stayed there for the first several laps. Seely would work his way by sending him back to seventh. He settled in there for most of the race when he ran into trouble with just a handful of laps remaining. Grant made a big mistake and fell back to eleventh and did not have any time to try and work his way back up. He’d finish there making it 3-11 scores on the day. A bummer of a second moto but he’d still come away healthy and with a sixth overall.
22 GRITMOTO • JUNE 18, 2017