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TALON HAWKINS
TALON HAWKINS
Hawkins started off the first day of racing with a bang by showing exceptional speed in all three of his heat
races; scoring a fourth in the Supermini 1 class, a third in the Mini. Sr 2 class, and a win in the Mini Sr. 1 class. The teenager kept it exceptionally consistent throughout all three races by executing good starts and keeping himself up towards the sharp end of the field. He moved onto the championship motos with a point to prove
after cementing himself as one of the fastest riders on the gate, keeping his sights set on capturing a couple of elusive bears. Hawkins laid down the law in the Mini Sr. 1 and 2 class, scoring two finishes inside the top five. The Kawasaki rider jumped out to a fourth place start in the Mini Sr. 2 moto, tucking in behind the Yamaha of Hunter Cross. Hawkins established himself firmly in fourth position with Orange Brigade’s Josh Varize fast approaching and the two of them became involved in a mighty scrap for fourth place. He dropped back to fifth on the third lap, keeping his composure intact, as he went onto clock two of his fastest laps of the race while closing in on the checkered flag. Hawkins kept the podium finish within his sights, never letting the riders in front of him get too far away, as he clinched a fifth place overall in a stacked Mini Sr. 2 class. In the Mini Sr. 1 class, the young rider out of Temecula was able to back up his incredible heat race performance with a podium finish. Hawkins worked his way from a third place start in the heat race in order to capture the victory on the last lap, setting the pace with
the fastest time of the race. In the main event, he nailed the start yet again and put himself in podium contention right off the bat, proceeding to run with the likes of Jett Reynolds, Hunter Cross, and Max Vohland on his way to a third place finish -- his best of the week. Hawkins proved himself as one of the quickest riders in the youth classes heading to the Ranch in 2017, boosting his stock in style just before the biggest race of the season.
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