Page 71 - JULY_2017

Justin Hoeft was easily one of the most impressive riders in the Pro class at the fiftieth running of Mammoth Motocross. The Yamaha rider contested the Open Pro Sport class, the 250 Pro class, and the 450 Pro class. He started off the weekend by taking a third place in the Open Pro Sport heat race, setting himself up for success in the main event. The Californian pulled an exceptional start and propelled himself to the front of the pack as they dove into the first corner, eventually settling into fourth position. At that point, Hoeft put the hammer down and situated Darryn Durham in his crosshairs, working his way past
into third position on the third lap. The californian went on to set the fastest
lap of the race, but the gap to the leaders had already amounted to almost ten seconds. He matched the pace of Justin Cooper in the lead all the way until
the checkered flag, executing an exceptional performance to earn third place overall in the class. In the 250 Pro class, Hoeft put together 3-5 moto scores in order to grab third place overall. His best ride of the two was in the first moto where he fought his way through the pack to a podium finish after starting
near the back of the top ten. The Yamaha rider made up quite a few positions on the opening lap and continued to make progress in the early stages. He settled into fourth position, quickly approaching the rear fender of Durham again. Hoeft found his way past on the fourth lap and remained steadfast and composed for the remainder of the moto, his exceptional consistency earning him another podium finish. He really picked up the pace on the final day of racing, challenging his fellow Yamaha rider, Justin Cooper, in the 450 Pro class. The Californian defended his home soil in his opening heat race, grabbing the holeshot ahead of the New Yorker, but he dropped back to second on the very next lap. He fought hard and didn’t let Cooper disappear into the mountains, showing exceptional pace as he provided himself with a bit more confidence heading into the final moto. The gate dropped on the 450 Pro main event and Hoeft powered into the first corner at the front of the pack, settling into second position on the opening lap. He was able to run the pace of Cooper in the lead, even exchanging fast laps with his rival, but the gap stayed constant until the checkered flag and Hoeft settled for second position, completing a Yamaha 1-2 in one of the most competitive motos of the weekend.
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