Page 68 - APRIL_ISSUE_2017

Hannah Hodges
WMX
IMAGE / TENHAGEN WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Hannah Hodges got off to a dream start in the WMX series as she put together a pair of exceptional rides at Daytona International Speedway to take command of the points lead in the early stages of the season. The Florida native was able to carry that momentum into the second round of the series
at Freestone where she also planned on contesting the 250 B class and the 250 B Limited class. Unfortunately, Hodges experienced some misfortune in the early stages of the week after she collided with a tree that was bordering the edge of the track, subsequently dislocating her shoulder. She was forced to pull out of the remainder of her 250 B motos and switched her focus to preparing for the WMX races. Hodges proved her tenacity and toughness as she battled through the pain in the first moto on Saturday morning. Her Team Green Kawasaki shot her out of the gate to an exceptional start and she found herself in a fierce battle for the lead with Kylie Fasnacht. The defending cham- pion made a mistake and fell back through the pack, opening up the oppor- tunity for Hodges to set the fastest laps of the race and separate herself from the rest of the field. She continued to lay down the hottest pace of anyone on the track and eventually cruised to the checkered flag with a gap of almost thirty seconds in hand. The second moto produced the same results out of the gate as Hodges found herself fending off pressure from Fasnacht throughout the opening portion of the race; the two of them pushed each other into the latter stages of the moto, and eventually Hodges was forced to settle into sec- ond position. In the remaining laps, she rode a calculated race with the overall in mind, putting her Team Green Kawasaki on the top of the overall podium for the second WMX round in succession.
68 MPG • APRIL 2017