Page 84 - APRIL_ISSUE_2017

Devon Bates
250 C Limited
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Devon Bates had an incredibly successful week of racing at the 2017 JS7 Freestone Spring Championship as he left the Lone Star State with a trio of number one plates in his posses- sion. The Las Vegas, Nevada native gambled on his chances by entering five different classes throughout the week of racing: 250 C Jr; 250 C Limited; 250 C; 450 C Jr; and 450 C. Bates was able to secure the number one plate in the 250 C Jr and 250 C Limited class, as well as the 450 C Jr class with a run of incredibly consistent finishes. He only finished off of the podium twice in between all ten of his races, including a fourth place in 450 C and a DNF in the 250
C class. Bates was flying on his Husqvarna as he managed to secure an early advantage in the opening moto of the 250 C Jr class, setting the fastest laptime of the race on the first flying lap. He put his head down on a inspired ride from the front of the field as he kept it clean and consistent throughout the entire moto, eventually crossing the finish line with a gap of more than ten seconds in hand. In the second moto, Bates showed more of the same as he rocketed out off the line on his Husqvarna and separated himself from the pack immediately. The Ne- vada native turned incredibly consistent lap times from start to finish and showed unbreakable composure at the end of the moto to hold off a late race charge from South Carolina’s Wesley Allen in a heated battle for the overall victory, subsequently securing the number one plate.
In the 250 C Limited class, the key to success was Bate’s consistency throughout both motos
-- he wasn’t the fastest rider, but he managed to pull good starts that put him in a solid posi- tion on the opening laps. He settled into second place in the first moto and remained there for the entirety of the race, resisting some pressure from Stockton Stinebaugh in the early stages of the moto. In the second race, Bates set the fastest lap time of the race on the first flying lap as he did his best to keep the winner of the first moto, Allen, behind him. The Husqvarna rider knew that he didn’t need to win the race to take the overall victory and he decided to settle for second place in order to lock down his second number one plate of the week. In the 450 C Jr class, Bates had one of his best motos of the entire week when the gate dropped on the open- ing race -- he suffered a mediocre start which left him with a group of riders to overtake in the early stages of the race. He was able to make up three positions on the opening lap and fight his way back to second place before the checkered flag, putting on a display of impressive race craft in the process. He made things easier on himself in the second moto as he shot out of the gate to a holeshot and laid down the fastest times of the race right off the bat, disappearing into the distance as he greeted the checkered flag with an advantage of more than twenty seconds.
84 MPG • APRIL 2017