Page 16 - GRIT-82

BLAKE BAGGETT
450 MX / 4TH
IMAGE / LANG WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> With famous photographers like Rob Koy and Paul Buckley being a staple at this event, riders are quick to have a mental style check when blasting the respective berms around the track. As always, they are looking for the fastest, most ef cient line possible; however, for this particular event, they add a bit of charismatic are when ripping apart this series of right and left-handed corners. Blake Baggett was all smiles underneath the shell of his helmet, seeing the re ection of ash as he scorched the corners all around. His swagger would be replicated with astonishing times, but he knew once he loaded the gate for the rst moto, it would be a business-only matter. The eld of forty would swarm into the right-hander, and he would emerge fourth on the rst lap. With stamina becoming a major factor, even in the early going, it would be all he could do to withstand the pres- sure, out here in the grueling elements. Nevertheless, he would stay true with willpower, ripping through the berms with his skid plate cresting the thickest portions of sand. Leaping down the nish line double, he would move to the outside over the following left-hander and single, as the race continued on. It wasn’t going to be an easy effort when holding off Benny Bloss who sat behind, but he would do it. And as the white ag came out, it was a sigh of relief overtaking him, knowing he just had a short bit to go. Managing fourth place for a score, it was onto the second moto he went. Musquin and Tomac would quickly dart out to the front of the eld, leaving everyone behind to catch their drift. He would do his best to watch the Kawasaki rider out of his peripheral vision, but man were they cooking. His mechanic would provide him with reassurance, as Ken Roczen contin- ued to provide a bit of a push from behind. Moving past Justin Bogle, there was a surge forward as the laps continued on. Fatigue was accumulating but he wouldn’t fold, knowing that the satisfaction of a solid nish would overtake all. The lactic acid had his muscles burning, a sensation of both destruction yet satisfying. Deep down, he knew he was doing all he could, so regardless of the nish, the effort he was giving was substantial. He would end up nishing fourth, and as the scores were tallied, it would place him in fourth overall.
16 GRITMOTO • JULY 1, 2018