Before you know it Jesse had caught up with the pack and was in the thick of everything. Being on a dirt bike certainly had its advantages because he was able to use the bike's maneuverability and his skill to weave between everybody and take advantage of all the chaos. And chaos it was indeed. The lead changes continued on a regular basis but the best place Jesse had been in was third.
But then he accidently hit neutral when shifting from 5th to 6th after rounding a curve and that put him back to 5th in this tight race. Still, at this point it seemed like just about anybody had a chance to win. He was just happy to be in the thick of things. But he wasn't here to finish in anything but first.
A new determination overtook him and he let out a rebel yell and turned the throttle as far as it would go again. The front wheel went off the ground again. He felt like a young man racing a half century ago. He felt like nothing could stop him now as he approached Skipper and prepared to pass on his starboard side.