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PONC A C I T Y O K L A H O M A
MATT LEBLANC
After winning his third successive Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Championship, Matthew LeBlanc began his career as a factory Ya- maha rider at the Monster Energy Cup. The Louisiana native has raced KTMs since competing in the 51cc (4-6) class, switching away from the brand for the first time in his life. He had an up and down debut at the Monster Energy Cup, scoring a second place finish in the opening Supermini moto as well as a crash in the second moto. The youngster was eager to get the ball rolling with Yamaha and earn his first title as a member of the bLU cRU, and The Motoplayground Race at Ponca City would serve as his proving grounds. The Team Dunlop Elite standout proved his potential on the Yamaha in the Mini Sr. 1 division as well as the Supermini 1 division, finishing all four motos on the podium. LeBlanc started things off on the right foot in the second Supermini 1 heat race, blasting out of the gate to a second place start behind Chance Hymas. He was able to keep pace with the Team Green rider from start to finish, turning the fastest lap of the race while chasing the Kawasaki’s rear fender, but he wasn’t able to make a move and was forced to settle for sec- ond position. In the second moto, the Yamaha rider wasn’t able to execute the start that he needed in order to battle at the front of the pack, finding himself on the edge of the top five as the pack emerged from the opening corner. The start didn’t phase him in the slight- est and LeBlanc quickly fought his way to fourth place, subsequently making a move on Hymas for third, and his late charge to the podium earned him a second place overall behind Kaeden Amerine. In the Mini Sr. 1 division, LeBlanc showed his dominance ahead of the competition as he stormed away from the field in his heat race, setting the fastest lap of the moto in the process. The Louisiana native finished the race with a gap of more than ten seconds in hand, putting him just where he needed to be heading into the final moto. His confidence on the 85cc machine translated directly into his starts as he muscled his way through the first corner with gritted teeth, grabbing another holeshot. LeBlanc immediately became engulfed in a fierce battle with Hymas until the penultimate lap of the race, but his metronomic consistency and solid lap times forced the Idaho native into a mistake and he kept his Yamaha on two wheels all the way until the checkered flag, scoring the first number one plate of his highly anticipated career with Yamaha.
WWW.MOTOPLAYGROUND.COM
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