CHASE SEXTON | GRIT-227 | 450MX

Embodying a competitive spirit that was evident from the moment practice began on Saturday, Illinois’ Chase Sexton would be “on fire” while battling with Jett Lawrence for the pole position in qualification. Though claiming the outdoor championship appeared to be a long-shot (at this stage) Sexton’s will to win couldn’t be higher — as he aspired to dethrone the perfection of Jett Lawrence, for round seven of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. As the gates fell for the first moto, it would be Sexton was contending with the likes of Adam Cianciarulo and Jett Lawrence at the front of the field...though Sexton knew that time was urgent, in regard to keeping the number eighteen within a relatively close distance. Sexton’s aspirations were quickly halted though, with a miscalculation in trajectory occurring in the newfound singles (and off-cambered sweepers) just before the finish-line section...and Chase, as a result, would be flung from the motorcycle! Luckily the crash (that resulted in him being scattered from the bike in the bottom of a slight valley), wasn’t too disastrous; and he would rebound around the fourth-place position, and quickly escalate forward. One by one, he passed the likes of Aaron Plessinger, and Adam Cianciarulo, before moving into second on the fourth circuit of the afternoon. It was then a pursuit of speed and confidence that wasn’t too often found, at the highest of levels...and Sexton’s ambition to overtake Lawrence nearly defied all laws of momentum and velocity as he charged forward! As minutes passed, Sexton would be all over the rear fender of Jett Lawrence — attacking his teammates rear wheel on every facet of the raceway, and seemed substantially faster when exiting the latter portion of the roller section and into the corners that followed. But Lawrence continued to nullify the charge — and just when it seemed as if Chase Sexton would amass one final run, a mistake before beginning Mt. Martin would occur; leaving him second, to conclude the moto, respectively. His initiation to the following round was incredible, where he battled with every bit of power he could generate to claim the hole-shot, and lead Jett Lawrence into the rollers! He would actually gap the number eighteen a slight bit, before sweeping into the forthcoming left-hander...where his rear wheel almost slid out, and allowed Lawrence to work his way around. But Chase wasn’t going to relinquish the win that easily, and proceeded to pursue a pace that equated to fearlessness in the minutes that followed. Yet that too, would result in a mistake and subsequent crash; where a high-speed washout, just after the mechanic’s area, would have him falling to his right when he sped alongside the ridge thereafter. Luckily he was able to remount quickly, and definitive loss of position, where he remained in second by the time he passed the finish-line on the next occasion as well. Sexton’s output of speed, although now quite the distance from Lawrence, was undeterred — and the Illinois native would charge through the seventeen lap contest, to an eventual second place score, for a runner-up overall, respectively.

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