Page 60 - MPG_AUGUST_2017

KILPATRICK
SETH HAMMAKER
Seth Hammaker came into the thirty-fifth annual Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Championships under the radar after a concussion at the Daytona RCSX caused him to miss the spring nationals. The Penn- sylvania native regrouped and put together some stellar performances at his respective qualifiers, earning his tickets to the Ranch with relative ease, but a stacked Supermini class kept him out of the spotlight. The mix-matched conditions throughout the week of racing played into Hammaker’s favor and he excelled each and every time he lined up on the gate, earning his first ever Loretta Lynn’s National Champion- ship in the Supermini 1 class as well and his first overall podium in the Supermini
2 class with minimal support from outside sponsors. His standout performance in Hurricane Mills as well as his exceptional speed at Monster Energy Cup a couple of months later earned him a call from Team Green Kawasaki and he decided to sign a one year contract with the highly esteemed team for the 2017 season. Hammaker has since made the move up to the 250 and his success from the Supermini has followed suit, scoring a slew of top five finishes during the spring nationals, as well as a couple of overall victories at regionals. The sixteen year-old might be an underdog in the seemingly bottomless B class, but it’s obvious after last year that the expecta- tions of many make no difference to him.
CARTER BIESE
Carter Biese is one of the most promising young riders making the step up from the Mini Sr. class for the 2017 season. The Wisconsin native scored the best finish
of his career last year at Loretta Lynn’s, a fifth place overall in the Mini Sr. 1 (12-13) class. He has looked extremely fast since hopping on the 125, most notably battling through an illness at the Daytona RCSX
to grab a third and fifth place finish in the Schoolboy 1 (12-16) class and the 125 (12+) class, respectively. Biese had a chal- lenging week of racing down in Wortham, Texas for the James Stewart Freestone Spring Championship, but he still man- aged a couple of top ten moto finishes. The teenager out of Wisconsin bounced back at the Mid-East Area Qualifier in Buchanan, Michigan by reigning victorious in all four classes that he entered, gathering some necessary momentum moving into the summer. Biese decided to contest the Schoolboy 1 (12-16) class as well as the 125cc (12-16) class at the Youth Regional at ChilliTown MX, and he was able to put his Husqvarna on the overall podium in both classes with four moto wins to his name. He’s yet to stand on the podium at the Ranch, but it will only be a matter of time with the direction that he’s heading.
60 MPG/GRITMOTO• AUGUST • 2017
KILPATRICK