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THEROOKIES Jordan Bailey is another rider that has been a staple in the amateur motocross
ranks throughout his introduction to the sport. The seven-time Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Champion got his first taste of gold at the Ranch back in
2007 when he was still racing a Cobra in the 51cc (4-6) division. From that
point onward, the Florida native never slowed down as he continued to make
a name for himself while rising through the ranks. His outright speed and
steady results eventually earned him a spot in the coveted Team Dunlop Elite program throughout his time in the mini classes before earning a spot on the Team Green Kawasaki outfit to complement his move to the B class. Bailey found immediate success on the KX250 and had a career year at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, laying down some incredibly impressive come-from-behind rides that eventually resulted in a pair of titles. Most riders would be comfortable and fall into complacency with one of the best amateur outfits in the industry assisting their development into the professional ranks, Bailey took a chance and joined the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team. He has continued in the same vein of success with the new team and landed podium results in the A class at Loretta’s one year later, eventually winning a major championship at the Thor Winter Olympics a couple of months later. Although Bailey wasn’t able to put his hands on a number one plate throughout the beginning of the 2018 season, his speed was clearly where it needs to be heading into the pros. The Rockstar Husqvar- na backed rider finished on the podium or in the top five in both 250 A and Open Pro Sport at both the Daytona RCSX and the JS7 Freestone Spring Champion- ship, putting him in the right mindset for the gate drop at Hangtown.
Enzo Lopes is the biggest wildcard of the whole bunch. The Brazilian native doesn’t have as much racing history on American soil as the other two previ- ously mentioned riders, but that doesn’t mean that he’s any less talented. Lopes has the least experience of the trio of riders at the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Championships and has never found his way to the top step of the podium at the world renowned race, but he has proven his speed with multiple podium finishes throughout his career. Although the overall results don’t tell the full story, Lopes was the only rider that looked capable of beating Justin Cooper in 2017 before the Star Racing Yamaha rider moved onto his professional debut at Unadilla and earned second place in his first race. He encountered a minor injury and was forced to pull out of the event early, but he rebounded a couple of months later at Mini O’s and took a title on the supercross track, boosting
his confidence for the 2018 season. Lopes has racked up a plethora of podium finishes and promising results throughout the beginning of the 2018 season; he earned some heavy hardware at Spring A Ding Ding as well as the JS7 Free- stone Spring Championship and was touted as one of the favorites to come
out on top at the 2018 FMF California Classic. He was able to put it together at
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