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KILPATRICK
Branden Walther has many years of experi- ence racing at Loretta Lynn’s, racking up two overall podium finishes throughout
his years of competition. The Texas native stood on the box for the first time at the Ranch back in 2014 after a trio of solid motos put him in the runner-up position. He had a challenging year in 2015 after mak- ing the move up to the Mini Sr. class, but he rebounded in unrelenting fashion as he fought his way back to the overall podium last year in the Mini Sr. 1 class, scoring two third place moto finishes in the process. Walther showcased his speed at the
Oak Hill spring national earlier this year, dominating the Supercross discipline with a pair of podium finishes and a number one plate to show for his efforts. He punched his ticket to the Ranch in his home state
of Texas at the Underground MX Youth Regional, earning a second place overall in Supermini 2 (13-16) and a fourth place in the Supermini 1 (12-15) class. Walther has showed the potential to run with the best of ‘em in one of the most challenging classes in the entire competition, making him one to watch when the gate drops at the Ranch.
DILAN SCHWARTZ
Dilan Schwartz sealed his place in history last year at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch with a title in the Mini Sr. 1 (12-13) class ahead
of some remarkable competition. The Californian had only tasted champagne at the Ranch once before way back in 2011 in the 51 (7-8) class, and those who have followed him over the course of the season were well aware that he was overdue for another podium. His title at the Ranch grabbed the attention of Ryan Holliday and the Team Green Kawasaki crew, providing him with the opportunity to receive some factory support for the 2017 season. He wasted no time getting up to speed with the new team and grabbed first place in the Supermini 1 class at Mini-O’s in one
BRANDEN WALTHER
KILPATRICK
of his first major rides on on the bigger bike. Schwartz has been one of the most impressive riders in the class throughout the 2017 season, regularly running at the front of the field during spring nationals on his way to a multitude of overall podiums. The Californian experienced a nasty crash at the JS7 Freestone Spring Champion- ship, but bounced back in order to qualify flawlessly for Loretta’s at the Prairie City Regional with a pair of first place finishes. He was arguably the most impressive Su- permini rider at Mammoth with a pair of first and second place finishes at the end of the event. If the newly acquired Team Green Kawasaki rider is able to match his pace from the season thus far on the big stage, he’ll be fighting for moto wins until the final gate drop at the Ranch. 57
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