JALEK SWOLL

The track prep of Saturday’s Thunder Valley National was a bit different than usual, with the extensive ruts of year’s past, a bit subdued when comparison to season’s ago. With riders and enthusiasts voicing their opinions (on occasion) it seemed as if they promoters and design crew would listen to the lobbying of various athletes...yet either way, Jalek Swoll seemed to thrive. His bike set-up appeared to be on-point, along with many other top members of the division...and as he exited the raceway with a multitude of strong circuits to his name, he believed that he could run with pole position winner (i.e. Ty Masterpool) and other top members of the class, from the moment the gate(s) fell in the week’s to come. Leaping from the grate in the early afternoon hours, Swoll was quick to combat those outside of the top-five (after garnering fourth, on the green flag lap). There was numerous lips and takeoff’s on this track that were rather tapered, off-centered, and a bit subtle...almost as if one would have to look for a particular launchpad and emphasize the need to jump when the time called for it. Swoll was aware of how the track was beginning to shape-up, with lines still offering a bit of advantageous opportunities when nearing the finish-line...though the pressure from Washington’s Levi Kitchen was tangible and noticed by many on the fence-line(s) in the surrounding area. Powering atop the legendary start straight hill, he would move (subtly) from side to side in order to find the best angle in upcoming right-hander...and to also divert/force Pierce Brown behind him into a bit of hesitation when locating the entry point for a particular groove. Though being overtaken by the aforementioned Kitchen, Brown, and Jo Shimoda, with only a small portion of time remaining on the clock, his speed in the initial stages along with swift maneuvering near the checkered flag was strong enough for seventh on the final score sheet. As racing was initiated for the second moto, his starting position seemed to reside near a standing of fourth, and he was paralleled to those in podium territory. He was capable, and willing to go the extra “half-second” or so, it seemed that was needed to pull forward (and away) from those in the latter portion of the top-ten. He was executing his line selection as needed, all the while pursuing the duo of Haiden Deegan and Chance Hymas, who weren’t far ahead of him...but the constant shuffle between he, Tom Vialle, and Jo Shimoda, would promote an abundance of passes from all three riders on various brands! His expectations remained the same when charging toward and past the halfway point, maneuvering his motorcycle with expertise as the top-soil was now pressed to the outskirt of the race-track. Monitoring the margin between he and the Pro Circuit tandem (i.e. Ty Masterpool and Levi Kitchen) who were a few seconds off of his pace, the continuous thought of the Kawasaki riders overtaking him was enough to spark a sense of urgency in the sprint to the finish-line. Eventually, the narrative to this moto would conclude — and Triumph’s Jalek Swoll was steadfast to a final result of fifth — for a superb standing of sixth in the final record book.