Page 23 - OCTOBER-2017

KILPATRICK
He opted out of the 450 A class, al- lowing him to take the remainder of the day off and prepare for the packed schedule of racing on Sunday and Monday. Rodbell wasted no time get- ting back on the box as he went out
in the second 250 A moto on Sunday morning and put his Traders backed Yamaha in third place yet again follow- ing a heated battle with Kobusch and Stack. The Maryland native proved
his capability out of the gate on the YZ250F, providing himself with an optimal track position on the opening lap of practically every moto that he raced throughout the weekend. He continued to find success throughout the remainder of the day in both Pro AM races, scoring a third place in the 250 race and a first place in his Open Pro Sport heat race. Rodbell showed incredible speed and resilience after a fourth place start, quickly carving his way to the front of the field by the third lap of the race. Once he claimed first position and gifted himself a clear track, he laid down the fastest lap time and checked out on the competi- tion, capturing his first moto victory
of the weekend. The taste of victory on Sunday evening allowed Rodbell to find another gear for the final day of racing, propelling him to another moto victory. He started things off on Monday morning in the 250 A class with an impressive performance in which he pushed his way from third to first on the opening lap, subsequently running away with the win at the
front of the field, providing him with
a second overall in the class. In the Open Pro Sport race that followed, the Maryland native had his worst start of the weekend and was forced to battle back from outside of the top ten. He put forth a stellar effort and was able to recuperate for a fourth place finish, allowing him to salvage third overall. The final moto of the long weekend brought Rodbell another podium in fairly uneventful fashion; the Yamaha rider found his way past TJ Albright
in the early stages of the race and pushed through treacherously rough conditions to earn a third place finish, enough for his third overall podium finish of the weekend.
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JUSTIN RODBELL