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BENNY BLOSS
450 MX / 6TH
IMAGE / LANG WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> When looking at the stature of the riders who compete on the AMA Professional Motocross tour, you’re quick to nd that the average height and frame of an athlete re- sembles a jockey closer than a basketball player. However, as with all other things, there are outliers, and exceptions to the equation; and Benny Bloss is that. A young man who’s somewhat surpassed the 250 division, yet found his home on the faster, more power-
ful 450. He’s excelled on the tour so far, and would do the same without practice, nearly standing around the rim of the raceway for an entire lap at one point. He would ourish, giving his instinct a bit of rejuvenation, as he would line up for the rst moto. He would register twelfth on the opening lap, but look to increase his position quickly. And that he would do, with each lap, obtaining a further position in ascending fashion. By lap nine, he’d somehow reached his way to sixth, in a tandem with teammate Blake Baggett. Al- though his effort would valiant, and his style as ef cient as they come, he couldn’t seem to get around the California resident. Sixth would be his for the taking, and a positive outlook would be brought to the second moto. It was now time for him to click it into gear, literally, as he pushed on to the starting pad. Coming out of the hole, the smaller riders seemed to overtake him up this slight grade of a start straight. Ninth on lap one, it was only a matter of time before he could be found in the brink of it all. Justin Bogle was fading, and Bogle knew his Midwestern counterpart couldn’t take the heat could provide; blasting by the Su- zuki, his effect of wheeling the machine was impressive. He would then come to the door of Baggett and Roczen yet again, trying his best to hang on to the elders of the division. The number ninety-four would come closer and closer as the laps went on, yet he couldn’t nd the last bit of “oomph” to get past the Honda. His quadriceps began to fatigue, and the forearms would follow suit. Yet the Missouri native would show off his true ability when times got tough. Crossing the checkered ag in sixth, the sixth from his rst moto would be paired with familiar territory. His overall too would be that of sixth, and he would be well on his way to a solid placing for series standing.
22 GRITMOTO • JULY 1, 2018