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HUNTER YODER
2016 was a heavily competitive year for the 65cc classes at the Loretta Lynn Amateur National Championship and Hunter Yoder was one of the few riders to separate himself from the competition. The Californian was an absolute standout at the Ranch in 2016, win- ning four out of six of his motos on his way to the 65cc (10-11) Limited titles ahead of Ryder DiFrancesco and Matthew LeBlanc. Yoder didn’t have the opportunity to make it two years in a row as he missed the 2017 Loretta Lynn Amateur National Championship due to injury, but the AMSOIL | Factory Connection
| Honda rider is getting the opportunity this year. He’s accumulated a total of five overall podiums and one Amateur National Champion- ship throughout his young career, but he’ll be gunning to bolster his results catalog in 2018. Yoder has accrued a multitude of podium and top five finishes throughout the season thus far, most notably earning a fifth overall in Super- mini 2 at the Daytona RCSX and third overall
in Supermini 1 at the California Classic. The Team Dunlop Elite rider had no qualms getting his tickets to the big show, easily marching to
a second and third place overall finish in both Supermini divisions at the Northwest Regional Qualifier, putting him right where he needs to be in preparation for the Ranch.
MATTHEW
LEBLANC
Matthew LeBlanc captured his first Amateur National Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch back in 2015, reigning victorious
in the 65cc (7-11) division aboard a KTM. The Louisiana native was able to maintain the same level of dominance in Hurricane Mills for the next couple of years, winning a number one plate in both 2016 and 2017, extending his streak of Loretta Lynn Cham- pionships to three years running. LeBlanc took the crown in the Mini Sr. 1 (12-13) class last year as part of a final hoorah with the KTM Orange Brigade squad before switching camps and joining the Star Rac- ing Yamaha team for the 2018 season. Although the Louisiana native missed a good portion of the beginning of the season due to injury, it’s apparent that the move has been favorable for both parties. He finished on the podium in every single class that he contested at the 2017 Thor Winter Olympics and also racked up a couple of podiums at JuniorMotoX in his first race back from injury. LeBlanc stayed consistent at the Southeast Regional Qualifier, finish- ing second in both Supermini classes, and third in the Mini Sr. 2 division -- will he leave Hurricane Mills for the fourth year in a row with a number one plate?
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