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COLE SEELY
450 SX / MN.
IMAGE /MPG WORDS /MATTINGLY DESIGN / WILSON
>> The city of Minneapolis has been all too familiar with the injury bug that’s plagued the Vikings throughout the past few years. Adrian Peterson, one of the all time great running backs in the NFL, has been hampered by knee injuries, bringing the team’s morale to sub-maximal levels. And on
top of that, one of the hottest prospects at quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater, was down with a serious leg injury of his own during the pre-season; the team had nowhere to go but up. The same can be said with Cole Seely,
a rider that’s been through it all, down in shambles, being forced to either bow out or mend himself back together. Obviously, with his demeanor, the latter was chosen, and a blossoming, championship contender has come into fruition. So with that being said, Minnesota was a place for him to prove himself, but create a common bond with the crowd. He was syn- chronized throughout the majority of the day, finding immense lines in the treacherous rhythm lanes, and the deep sand section near the starting line. And as the gate fell for the big show, he knew the work he’d put in, and was confident it would allow him to be a contender once the checkered arose. Yet again he found himself in the front following the gate drop, mere perfect sequencing allowed him to push the number 14 to the front of the field. Making the HRC team glee, he would push the pace, albeit a little too much unfortunately. Tucking the front end shortly thereafter in a left hand corner, Seely would be forced to fight and claw his way back to the front. He had no other choice. Fighting his way through absolute warriors such as Tickle, Canard, his elbows down, manualing the track like a Schwinn BMX bike, the Sherman Oaks native knew he must push forward to keep his championship standing in tact. Linking up with JA21, the two had yet another notorious fight, pushing the pace until the final flag; he would fight hard, and secure another solid top five finish by race end.
20 GRITMOTO • FEBRUARY 19, 2017