Page 25 - MPG-ISSUE-MARCH18

DEREK DRAKE
Coming off of his first career Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Champion- ship in the 250 B Limited class, Derek Drake made the jump to the A class starting at Mini O’s. The Orange Brigade backed rider struggled with consistency throughout the week, but it appeared as if he was immediately one of the fastest riders in the division when things went his way. Drake was able to put it all together late in the week, eventually earning the 250 Pro Sport Motocross Championship in addition to a couple of overall podium finishes. The Troy Lee Designs |
Red Bull | KTM rider started off the new year with a couple of success-
ful outings at the Monster Energy Amateur Supercross, most notably winning the 250 A class in Glendale. Last year at the JS7 Freestone Spring Championship, Drake was practically unstoppable when started up front, so the competition better be wary if they hope to stop history from repeating itself this time around.
NICK ROMANO
Nick Romano is clearly one of the big favorites to hoist the heavy hardware at the major amateur motocross events throughout the 2018 season. The Team Green Kawasaki rider put together a successful 2017 season despite missing a couple of months due to injury. If he stays healthy for the entirety of the year, there aren’t many riders in the 85cc division that can challenge him on his day. Ro- mano looked unstoppable at certain points last year; collecting champi- onships at the Daytona RCSX, The Baja Brawl, and Mini O’s. The New Jersey native was arguably most impressive at Gatorback Cycle Park during the Thor Winter Olympics, winning three out of four classes that he contested. The Team Dunlop Elite rider has already proven his speed at the legendary Daytona International Speedway and he’ll be one of the favorites to stand on top of the box at the World Center of Racing in 2018.
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