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MATTHEW LEBLANC
Matthew LeBlanc is always considered a perennial contender anytime he sets foot on Loretta Lynn’s Dude Ranch for another year of competition. The Louisiana native consistently finds himself inside the top five on the world’s biggest amateur motocross stage, but he’s really found a way to elevate his performances in recent years. The Orange Brigade backed rider has taken the title in the 65cc (7-11) class two years on the trot. The Team Dunlop Elite rider has made the move onto the 85cc machine this year where he’ll be looking to main- tain the domination of his competitors. The opportunity to place all of his focus on the bigger bike paid off immediately as he swept all four classes at Mini-O’s. Unfortunately, LeBlanc broke his elbow at the beginning of the season, but managed to fight through the injury during the Millcreek Spring Classic in order to grab two number one plates, and overcame a shoulder injury sustained during practice at the Daytona RCSX to grab another title one week later at the JS7 Freestone Spring Championship. LeBlanc collected three more podium finishes at the California Classic and JuniorMotoX, putting him in a good position moving into the Youth Regional at Gatorback. The youngster out of Louisiana showed impressive speed in all three classes, not once finishing off the podium, as he punched his tickets to the Ranch with authority.
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