Page 178 - MPG_JAN_2017

College (16-24) Div. 1
M BURKEEN
IMAGE / WONDERGOAT WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Matt Burkeen pushed his way to the front of the field as he grabbed the holeshot aboard his Yamaha. He held an early advantage ahead of Julio Zambrano and Greye Tate, just narrowly fending off the pressure from the Husqvarna directly behind him. Tate pushed as hard as he could in order to stick with the two leaders, but he just fell off their pace as they inched away at the head of the pack. Burkeen turned
up the intensity as he soared over the finish line to grab the white flag with Zambrano trailing narrowly behind him. The Husqvarna rider was able to match the late race pace as
he kept the North Carolina native within striking distance throughout the final lap. He was forced to take every line that Burkeen didn’t in an attempt to set up a last ditch overtake before the finish line, but he wasn’t able to line up the pass and the Yamaha rider took the victory. Burkeen looked in- credibly comfortable on his Yamaha as he controlled the race from start to finish, riding smartly and calmly with the compo- sure of someone twice his age. He’ll certainly be one of the favorites to stand on the top of the overall podium when the gate drops on the second moto.
178 MPG • JANUARY 2017