The grounds of this Michigan landscape had been manicured to perfection, where dozens of 450cc riders would await their chance to sprint onto the raceway with a cuing from the referee. And all at once, Spain’s Jose Butron would up-shift his lever and roll onto the famed Red Bud grounds with enthusiasm; immediately portraying speeds that were of top-ten caliber while alongside Jett Lawrence, Chase Sexton, and Adam Cianciarulo. The factory riders in this classification were beginning to return to the racing landscape, which created quite the volatile narrative for those competing just outside the top-five...but the Spanish rider wouldn’t waver as he manned his GasGas 450 when rolling to the starting line, feeling as if he could take on the red-plate holder. His abilities would lead him to an exceptional initial position inside the top-twenty, which was warranted after an array of lines in the middle of the track would be found amongst efficient lines. However as competition became closer on laps three, four, and five, he would have to acknowledge that of newcomer Bryce Shelly when landing from the largest triple in the pro section. Every inside roller and obstacle would be decimated with grooves, creating a problem when he would initially crest the mound(s) and slide into a specific rut on the downside; almost putting his GasGas machine to a halt, but the forward momentum he’d generated was something that couldn’t be denied. The corner after LaRocco’s Leap would be a place where he seemed to gain a bit of time on the pack of riders ahead of him, where a stellar outside line was enough to divert him from braking bumps that were gathered from the middle to inside...and as he pressed forward through (roughly) the final seven minutes of action, his gap over Michigan’s own, Jace Kessler, was sustained and enough to clench eleventh at the checkered flag. There was no room for caution in the beginning of the next moto, where his goggle lens would be caked with soil prior to ripping tear-off’s from his lens — but even as his vision was deterred, he still managed to pummel roller and abysmal chop that had formed when entering into various corners. The few downhills that were after the start straightaway, now looked like they had been rippled with waves bumps; but he wasn’t one to let off the throttle, especially when hearing the number 174 of Luca Marsalisi within a relatively short distance of his rear wheel. The thought of being overtaken was an idea that would motivate him to surpass “normal” limitations. And as he hugged the outside of the corner that preceded the finish-line time and time again, his flurry of excellent laps in the latter stages of the moto would result in tenth-place being garnered, and a tremendous ninth place overall being accrued as well.