Only a season ago, Josh Grant spent a large chunk of the 2016 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season watching the races from his couch.
After the untimely dismantling of TwoTwo Motorsports, Grant found himself without a ride heading into 2016. However, you may recall, midway through the Pro Motocross season, Josh Grant made the decision to finally – after five years of constant injuries – have reconstructive surgery on both ankles.
That meant Grant was off the bike for much of the 2016 Supercross and Motocross season – a disadvantage when competing with riders such as Ryan Dungey, Eli Tomac, and Ken Roczen.
Following surgery, however, Grant was more than ready to put in the work to prove that he could, once again, be a real podium contender. An injured Wil Hahn ultimately opened a fill-in spot for Grant that morphed into a full-season factory ride for all of 2017.
As the 2017 Monster Energy Supercross season was winding down, the #33 machine was just starting to heat up. He claimed a Heat Race win and fifth overall in Salt Lake City, followed by a Semi Race win and seventh overall in East Rutherford.
Things really connected in Las Vegas when Grant finished second in his Heat Race and concluded the series with a third-place finish – his first trip to the podium since July of 2013 at Red Bud.
The question on everyone’s mind though, “could Grant carry this late-season momentum into the outdoors?”
Josh rides Supercross well, but many would likely check the box for ‘Outdoors’ as his speciality. When the gate dropped on Round 1 of the 2017 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship last weekend, it was evident that Newton’s First Law of Motion holds true – “… an object in motion stays in motion…”
The gate dropped on Moto 1 and the #33 machine was off like a rocket. He would find himself sitting in a comfortable third place as he navigated the extremely hot temperatures and rough and rugged terrain of the 30-minute plus 2 laps moto. Grant crossed the finish line in third, just over eight seconds ahead of fourth place finisher, Cole Seely.
A few good races strung together in a row can do wonders for a rider’s confidence, especially when battling, not only, extremely challenging tracks, but also highly skilled competitors. With a very limited time between first moto and second moto, and while the temperatures were still climbing – passing the 93 degree Fahrenheit mark (33.88 Celsius in Euro money)- it’s no simple feat to have to once again compete at the highest level of athleticism for yet another 30-minute plus 2 laps moto.
It is often stressed, the importance of getting a good start and the affect it has on a race – but that makes sense considering it’s much easier to pull away from the pack if you have nothing but a clear track in the vistas ahead. Josh Grant launched off the gate and directly to the front of the pack where he would claim the holeshot in Moto 2.
Not only did Grant cross the chalk first, but he also led the race for seven of the 16 laps, before being passed by Marvin Musquin, and eventually Eli Tomac. However, Grant still sat in a comfortable third place, where he would finish – both in the second moto and overall on the afternoon.
There is no doubt that Josh Grant is capable of anything he sets his mind to – and despite being one of the more veteran riders in the class, he still has the ability to hang up front with, and pass the ‘young guns’ for a podium position. From couch to Kawi to Podium, there is no stopping the #33 machine.
