Page 19 - MPG MAY 2018

CARTER HALPAIN
Carter Halpain has made a name for himself throughout the past couple years after his gradu- ation to big bikes, scoring a plethora of podium finishes at various major races across the country. The Star Racing Yamaha backed rider had one of the most electrifying weeks of his career at Mini O’s in 2016, winning a total of four titles as well as the Scott Golden Goggle Award. He backed it up one year later after his move to the A class, win- ning a title in SX as well as the Dunlop Silver Tire Award -- awarded to the rider that achieves the most points between supercross and motocross in the pro division. Halpain has earned six top three finishes at the Ranch throughout his long career of amateur racing, proving his speed at a very young age. He has only continued to im- prove as the years pass by, earning his best finish ( a second place in 450 B) at the 2017 Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National Championship. The rider out of Millsaps Training Facility started the 2018 racing season off with a bang, scoring a couple of podium finishes in the AMA Arenacross series as well as a second overall in 250 A at the Daytona RCSX, but an injury sidelined him throughout the rest of the spring. Halpain is back on the bike and will be pushing to grasp his first Loretta Lynn’s title later this year before making the move to the professional ranks.
GARRETT MARCHBANKS
The time comes in any amateur racers career when they make the leap to the professional circuit -- that moment is
just around the corner for Garrett Marchbanks. The longtime Team Green Kawasaki rider has penned an agreement with Mitch Payton’s coveted Pro Circuit Kawasaki outfit. After a stellar career up to this point which included a total of eight Loretta Lynn’s AMA National Championships, Marchbanks is slated to make his professional debut at the 2018 AMA Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season opener at Hangtown on May 17th. The Utah native is on a roll as of late, carrying some serious momentum throughout the first couple months of the racing season. Marchbanks proved his mettle against some profes- sional competition at a couple of different AMA Arenacross rounds at the beginning of the year, earning a handful of podium finishes and a win in the AX Lites division. He contin- ued his winning ways at all of the major spring races that he attended; earning a first in 250 A at the Daytona RCSX, he swept both 250 A and Pro Sport at the JS7 Freestone Spring Championship, and he finished on the podium in all three pro classes at the California Classic despite bad starts throughout the weekend. Marchbanks has proven since his time on minis as the “man-child” that he was a force to be reckoned with anytime he hit the track and he’ll be looking to bring that same fervor into the 250 class at Hangtown as he takes on the na- tion’s best throughout the grueling twelve round series.
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