Page 50 - MPG-AUGUST

WYATT THURMAN
PONCA CITY OKLAHOMA
After an exceptional performance at the 2017 Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Championship earned Wyatt Thurman a number one plate in the 51cc (4-6) Limited class, the Cobra Elite rider was looking to make his mark on the rest of the amateur calendar. The young Californian came into the 2017 Motoplayground Race at Ponca City beaming with confidence as he looked to replicate his performance at the Ranch in the lush soil of Oklahoma. Not only did the Temecula native ride to his full potential in the (4-6) Limited class, but he also made a mark in the 51cc Open class with a third place finish in the second heat race, propelling him to a seventh place overall in the class. Nonetheless, Thurman firmly separated himself from the rest of the field in the (4-6) Limited class in both motos with unrelenting speed. The Cobra Elite rider got off to a solid start in the opening heat race behind Gage Dunham and continued to press forward throughout the opening lap, passing the Colorado native for first place in the early stages of the race. From that point onward, he never looked back as he clocked fast lap after fast lap, setting a pace nearly five seconds faster than his closest rivals on his way to a victory of almost fifty seconds. Thurman was able to build off of the opening heat
race win and carry that same confidence into the second moto where he pulled the holeshot aboard his Cobra, putting himself at an early advantage right off the bat. The Californian put the hammer down immediately, setting the fastest lap of the race on the second lap as he continued to outclass the competition to the tune of almost five seconds per lap at his fastest pace. As he began to work his way into lapped traffic in the closing stages of the race, Thurman stayed calm and collected, bringing his Cobra safely to the checkered flag as he snagged another number one plate to pad his bustling collection.
50 MPG • AUGUST • 2018