Page 36 - DECEMBERMPG2018

RESULTS DONOTLIE
division. Neck and neck with the top names in the sport, he was ready to solidify himself as a national threat. He would walk away with an exceptional fifth place overall finish, and be ready for the 65cc (7-9) class shortly thereafter. Dealing with the likes of Canyon
he truly appears to have fun when riding his motorcycle. Couple that with a sound tech- nique and an exquisite racing etiquette, and you have the makings of a champion. Which explains why sponsors have been so quick to sign this young man, as he would come to
the 2018 Winter Olympics looking to prove his worth. Making the trek from Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, he wanted to carry the torch for the little known racing state, churning
out riders such as Jason Lawrence in years past. The number 316 brought
a sense of fear to every other competitor on the line when he put his bike into position behind the gate, as he wanted nothing less than victory throughout the duration of the Thanksgiv- ing week. It would start in his heat races, where as the races were short, he wanted to display his true sprint speed. With names like Blecha, Clarke, and Gross lining up along side
him, he could’ve easily been discouraged and bowed down to the fear and presence of stiff competition. But he was too resilient, and would walk away with both a heat race win and second place, giving him a ton of options to
work with
when choos-
ing the gate
in which he
wanted to.
Rocketing
out of the
whole, he
would fight his
way towards
the inside of
turn number
one, but the
midst of the
pack would
swarm him.
Keeping his
elbows high
and wide, he
would fight for
every inch of
track he could
obtain. And it would pay off, as he would slowly weed through riders, and make his way into seventh place by moto’s end. And
although pleased that he could manage a significant showing in the top ten, he craved a race win. So when lining up for the 65cc (7-9) Limited class, it was as though the law of attraction would take place. He eyed the gold medallion, actually feeling it being hung around his neck. Dodging the likes of Wil- liam Mercure, Chase Anderson, and Blecha yet again, he wasn’t going to let anyone step into his way, in regards to him obtaining the win. Putting the whole moto together, little to no mistakes would be made, and he would come across the finish line with adrenaline filling his veins. He’d done it, claiming the championship!
WILLIAM MERCURE
If you were in attendance for the 2018 Win- ter Olympics, don’t be fooled into thinking you were seeing things. You may have no- ticed a number 41 or 411 on the track in all of the minicycle divisions, in constant battle for the front of the pack. It wasn’t a mirage, and you weren’t seeing double; it was just the rider of William Mercure in constant rota- tion of track revolving. He wanted to race as badly as anyone, putting the notion into play with a multitude of classes that were signed up for. It would start in the open, highly contested, 65cc (7-11) division, where he would face numerous older competitors. A strong start had him inside the top ten, put- ting his stake in the ground and not budging to outside forces. Looking to lock up a solid finish. And he would do so, yearning for a
single digit
to be placed beside his name. The sev- enth place posi- tion would be his for the taking, and he
couldn’t wait for more chances to prove his worth on the track. In the 65cc (7-9) class, he would have to fight from an unpleasant
Richards, Chase Andersen, and Heath Fisher, he knew his work would be cut out for him, but he was ready, willing, and able to keep the machine at the front of the field. Dicing it up with the biggest names in the field, he would make his way into third as the laps would settle in. Squaring off these big bowl turns whenever necessary, he would carry an absurd amount of momen- tum out of the bottom of the corner. It would land him with a bronze medal for an overall, as he would look forward to the choppy out- door course. Jumping in and out of the Ga- torpit throughout the week, you could notice he would be on the gas just a bit longer than everyone else, going a tad bit wider with a drop more of momentum. It would relish into not only a third place overall in the 65cc (7- 9) limited division, but an overall champion- ship in the 65cc (7-9) class! Gibson proved his worth for certain after all was said and done, knowing he left it all on the line!
CANYON RICHARDS
If you take a look across any social media platform, you’re sure to see a Yamaha 65cc machine soaring across the explore tab. Hucking outrageously large gaps, while ab- solutely blasting sand berms, Canyon Rich- ards is turning himself into a star as each day passes. Fear is of no option to him, and
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