LEVI KITCHEN

The Washington native, Levi Kitchen, was ready and able to race within the two-moto format for the third round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. After a solid effort in practice, where he gathered a seventh-place gate choice, Kitchen used every bit of skill possible, to sprint from the starting grate and into the chaos of the opening laps...amid the first race. Running in the top-five after ten minutes of action in moto-one, Kitchen was just behind Jalek Swoll when approaching the halfway point. He was residing fifth, but could sense that he could pressure the Triumph rider as they neared the ten-minute mark. Eventually making moves on both, Jalek and Chance Hymas, the position of third was occupied with eight minutes (or so) left on the clock. The pass on Hymas had been made just before the Monster Energy outbound obstacle, with Kitchen appearing rather fluid in that sector of the track while gaining considerable time on the rest of the pack. Locked into the bronze medal position now with little time to go, Kitchen remained here through the checkered flag — and flourished for the aforementioned score (i.e. third) before moving into the following endeavor. A third-place start for the second moto was brilliant for the Washington native — and he relentlessly attacked the rear wheel of Haiden Deegan, who was second. But an off-track mistake (just after the conclusion of the first lap) would have him losing a bit of time to the first two competitors. However he retained the bronze medal position, (briefly) before another miscue would have him descending in the running order to the sixth place position, just behind Jo Shimoda! He was far from quitting, however,  and despite multiple other miscues being displayed on his behalf, Kitchen continued to assemble a remarkable performance amongst elite competition. He had descended to sixth by lap eight, and tried his best to work his way around Jalek Swoll...but couldn’t seem to the correct maneuvers, in order to surpass the Triumph rider. A bit of stalling in momentum and overall pace, seemed to enable Ty Masterpool to find his way around, too, when entering into the final quarter of the moto. The number twenty-nine had definitively passed him with three laps remaining on the clock, but Kitchen wasn’t going to give up...especially when knowing that he was within a respectable distance of battling for the overall championship. In the end, a seventh would be scored for this moto on his behalf — but when paired with the opening moto standing (of third), his fifth-overall score was considered solid, and he looked to ascend from it in the coming weeks.