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Mikayla Nielsen
Girls 65cc (7-11)
IMAGE / TENHAGEN WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Mikayla Nielsen laid down the law in the in the Lone Star State as she came away with two podium finishes and two victories between both Girls classes that she entered. The Riverside, California native
was not shy of speed at the 2017 JS7 Freestone Spring Championship, taking the the title in the Girls 65cc (7-11) class in dominant fashion. The Kawasaki rider proved herself in the opening moto as she got out to the early lead, but encountered a mistake that dropped her back to third place on the second lap. She only lost a couple of seconds to the lead- ing pair and she was able to remount a charge for the lead just one lap later, putting herself in position to strike on the final lap. Nielsen stalked Kyleigh Stallings and Destiny Burgess as the three of them crossed the finish line for the penultimate time in a tightly knit trio. The Californian wasted no time in making her move for the lead as she forced her way into first place and promptly set off into the distance, setting the fast-
est laptime of the moto in the process. In the second race, she made things a little bit easier on herself -- Nielsen found herself in a battle with Stallings yet again, but this time she was able to make the pass stick on the opening lap. The Kawasaki rider set an unmatchable sprint speed as she clocked the fastest lap time of the moto on the first flying lap, separating herself from her competitors in the blink of an eye. Nielsen continued to run a solid pace all the way until the checkered flag as she crossed the finish line with more than a five second advantage in her grasp, securing the overall victory and the number one plate.
106 MPG • APRIL 2017