00:00Someone at home is asking themselves, how in the world could he get there?
00:03Well, look at that stat right there.
00:04The first three rounds, his average first lap position was 18.
00:08That simply will not lead to success.
00:10Last week, he changed everything about his starting technique
00:13and threw three Triple Crown rounds, averaged 2.3 across the green flag.
00:18So look for that same technique to show up here tonight
00:21because he can get to the front on the first lap.
00:24He's already proven he can stay there.
00:26Well, thank you, JT.
00:27Yes, Kitchen has changed so many things.
00:30Two years ago, he's getting great starts,
00:32but they've improved the motorcycle off the gate a lot.
00:35And he told me yesterday that now he is having to adjust a lot of his own technique
00:38to match how much faster that bike is out of the hole.
00:42Max Anstey started the year with great starts and a win at the opener
00:46and then a bit of a lull after that
00:47and then finally bounced back with a good race to end last weekend's race.
00:51So those two will be two of the favorites here in this first heat.
00:54Here it is for the first time tonight in Glendale.
00:59It's racing time.
01:05And Anstey going to outbrake everyone and outbrake himself.
01:09He goes too far wide.
01:11The 43 of Lux Turner to the lead with his teammate, Parker Ross.
01:15What a start for these two guys right here.
01:17And they have quietly been putting in some fantastic rides early on in the season.
01:22And this is an incredible opportunity for these guys.
01:26Yes, and same for Avery Long there in third.
01:29So you've got the Bar X, Toyota Redlands, Yamaha is leading.
01:32Oh, hitting the tough blocks.
01:33Oh, no.
01:34You can lose Ross.
01:35Yeah, Ross was coming out of that sand section.
01:38And as he was going to double before the finish line, jumps right on the tough block.
01:43Well, you mentioned the great opportunity.
01:45But does a rider think about that when he's up front for one of the first times?
01:48Well, it's a lot different racing up front.
01:50And when you're contending for the lead, for sure.
01:53So it's going to be interesting to see if we have a playback.
01:55If not yet, completely different.
01:58Wow, look at the speed they carry through the whoops.
02:00Max Follin of the 19 RC, he's the one making boots.
02:03And there is Kitchen now up to fourth.
02:06JT, you were talking about the start.
02:07And I was watching closely to the number 47 of Levi Kitchen.
02:11And when he came off that gate, it did look like the front wheel lifted up a little bit.
02:16And he had to double clutch it.
02:18And you know what happens when you double clutch it.
02:20That slows down your drive down the straightaway wheel.
02:24Yeah, just to give you a little bit more understanding of why he's been changing also, Ricky.
02:27He told me there was a lot about his position on the bike.
02:30Well, he told me he's actually changed everything he's ever known about starting.
02:34He said a lot of it, he used to start very far forward, like sitting almost on the tank there.
02:38And he said now he's a little bit further back.
02:40And then he kind of uses his upper body weight there to get his weight forward.
02:43So whilst these aren't subtle changes at all, these are big changes.
02:47Honestly, I've been making subtle changes in the past.
02:49It hasn't really done anything.
02:51So he's hoping once he gets into this groove of this new technique, it'll make a difference.
02:54Thanks, Will.
02:58It's working now as he begins to move forward.
03:01Meanwhile, we'll go back to the early part of this race.
03:04Yeah, here you go.
03:05You're going to see the 61 of Max Anstey.
03:08He comes in there flying late, breaks it, and just can't get turned up from here in our angle.
03:15That apex there in that first corner is really, really tight.
03:19Now here's a replay of Parker Ross, boom, goes, jumps right off the track, kind of like we talked to.
03:26I don't think that he could really see that good behind his teammate.
03:29So just got off center.
03:32Is that because of the sand?
03:33Yeah, I think probably because of the sand.
03:35And again, like you talked about, it's much different racing for the lead than it is, say, fourth or fifth.
03:41And he'll learn from that and be better next time.
03:45Bottom box is Anstey, who is not in a qualifying position at the moment after the off-track excursion on the start.
03:51He is in 11th, but making moves right now on Revan Gordon.
03:56Gordon on the grindstone, freezing Kawasaki.
03:59And that team said they want Revan in the main events.
04:02And he's in position right now.
04:04He's 10th.
04:04He's got to get around Camparizzi, the Italian, right in front of him.
04:07But here comes Max.
04:08And a big pass to the 61, JT.
04:11We're just trying to make moves here.
04:13And it'll be interesting to hear what went on in that first corner.
04:16But in these heat races, sometimes what can happen is the mechanic will do a lot of work.
04:21They'll put new brake pads in, sometimes change the rear brake oil.
04:24If they don't get it seated in just right and get those brake pads worked in, you simply won't know it until you get into that first corner and try to apply those rear brakes.
04:34Because you can see him desperately trying to slow down there.
04:37So it'd be an interesting question to pose to him after this heat race.
04:39JT, great observation there.
04:42And I will tell you, just to allude on that, I used to tell my mechanic back today, do not spray my bike with any kind of shine or armor or whatever.
04:50For that reason right there, you just didn't have that good feel and touch.
04:54And it's like the brakes got glazed.
04:58Yeah, I've heard some teams even have to be very careful with even not putting brand new pads on.
05:03That's right.
05:04Before the race for that reason.
05:05We'll find out hopefully later.
05:07Later, what happened to Anstey is he's working on Logan Leitzel for eight.
05:11He's in qualifying position up front.
05:13Turner, this is his first laps led ever.
05:16And he is looking good with a two and a half second lead to battle for second with Kitchen and Bolin.
05:22And Turner's got an incredible story.
05:24If you haven't, you definitely should check him out.
05:27And it's incredible.
05:28Oh, Levi almost pushes the front.
05:30That was an incredible save.
05:32He was walking it with his right foot down.
05:36Just barely kept it upright.
05:38And I'll tell you what, Max Bolin has done a great job all season long.
05:42I think this is a breakout year for him, bringing Chad Reed along to that Club MX team.
05:47I feel has paid off major dividends.
05:50Even Max Bolin said it today on RDL about how he thought that was maybe a missing link for the team.
05:55And Max has done a fantastic job.
05:58But he had a great season last year.
05:59And I think he's bettered that and has built on that what he was able to accomplish last year.
06:04A little bit further down, he got Parker Ross, RC, trying to work forward after that early craft.
06:11He is in the tent.
06:12So he's about to get into a transfer spot.
06:14Makes the move.
06:15Yeah, what an incredible run into the whoops right there.
06:18And this is a great comeback ride for Ross to go off track, go down, get up,
06:26and already be into transfer position for that main event.
06:29And I'm surprised that Levi hasn't made up more ground on these two guys in front of him.
06:37I mean, he's a, you know, when you listen to JT in that opening segment,
06:42he's a guy that you would expect to win and be a championship contender.
06:46But also, again, the testament to how well Turner and Bolin are riding.
06:51They are catching Turner, though.
06:53Now we've got a three-rider battle for the lead.
06:56And look at Bolin setting himself up on the inside.
07:02And Turner has come unraveled here.
07:04They're looking for a two-for-one.
07:05Yeah, Levi's got to try to stay low in this rhythm section.
07:08If he's able to do that like he does, he's going to have more drive and make the move.
07:13Man, bummer for Turner.
07:14Had the ride of his life going here.
07:16Career best for him.
07:17It's a fifth and a heat.
07:18Well, he was in a hornet's nest right there between two guys that have experience running up front.
07:23And that's an example like we talked about.
07:25But, Jason, you asked, what is it like racing up front compared to maybe not racing for the win?
07:30There you go.
07:31Yeah, now let's see if Bolin can hang on.
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07:55So, who's going to win big here?
07:57Bolin, the team was supposed to go back to their Publix facility in South Carolina.
08:02It was snowed out.
08:02So, they drove from Houston to Arizona to ride.
08:06And then Bolin got sick.
08:07Only got one day in.
08:09I can't believe he's riding this well.
08:11He had a fever on Thursday.
08:13He's just hot right now.
08:14Yeah, this is a magnificent performance for this guy.
08:17Again, building on some great runs that he had last year.
08:20And he's going to get this heat race win.
08:22Here it is.
08:24Fourth career heat race win en route.
08:26Max Bolin on the Club of X Yamaha.
08:30And one thing about this incredible heat race win is how he did it.
08:34He was able to hold off a guy that has almost won this championship, Levi Kitchen, a couple
08:40years ago, and just straight up put it to him.
08:43Great point.
08:44Bolin earned it.
08:45Turner's going to hold on for a third over long.
08:47And here is Anstey all the way up to fifth after going off track in turn one.
08:54And Ross able to complete the comeback.
08:57Thompson and Wageman in as well.
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