Page 54 - GRIT-83

RJ HAMPSHIRE
250 MX / 9TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> Walking around a normal motocross landscape, you’re quick to see typical racing-like activities throughout the pits. Oil being spouted through a respective funnel, and into the transmission; gas being cyphered out of gallon-drums, and into race canisters, nothing out of the ordinary. However, at the infamous Red Bud Motocross national, antics are replaced and swapped to extraordinary measures. Beers are bonged, slip and slides are greased, and VP fuel jugs are now kegs of America’s nest domestic beer. The race is truly one of
a kind, and one that RJ Hampshire looks forward to. Skying over the outbound tabletop in practice, he took a subtle look to the left, and acknowledged the crowd with a st-pumping motion. And you best believe it was enough to get them chanting, providing him with a solid boost needed to get into the main events with ease. The vibe would linger around
as he approached the gate for the rst moto. Zoning in on the pin, his cat like re ex would enable him to leapfrog off the line, and land the rst lap in seventh. Bouncing off these breaking bumps as if he were playing a giant game of pingpong, he knew he had to stay as ef cient as possible, in order to withstand the pounding that was ahead. As the moto began to go along, you noticed his line migrate from an overall mid-tier ow, to the outskirts of the perimeter; nearly demolishing every stake in sight. He felt the pressure from Garrett Marchbanks, but wouldn’t let the outside forces enter into the shell of his helmet. With a nal scrub of Larocco’s leap, he yearned to get to the nish line. Finally, a sigh of relief would overtake him, nishing second, as he’d worked his way all the way up to behind Plessinger; after a magni cent charge. As the eld swarmed the layout for the beginning
of moto number two, he would be nowhere to be found. Reports said that he’d had a crash and was in an unfortunate state, forcing him to not even complete a mere lap. The team and he was devastated, but even with his fortieth place nish he had something to hold
on to, knowing his outright speed in the rst round was untested. Hampshire has been an absolute stud since his debut in the professional ranks, and as the heat continues to rise throughout the summer months, expect his Floridian roots to rise to the top.
54 GRITMOTO • JULY 1, 2018