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Garrett Marchbanks
450 B
IMAGE / TENHAGEN WORDS / KILPATRICK DESIGN / WILSON
>> Garrett Marchbanks was one of the main contenders in the B class through- out the entire week of racing at the 2017 JS7 Freestone Spring Championship. The Utah native was battling flu symptoms during the event, but he showed his determination and willpower to overcome the illness and still come away with a title. The Team Green Kawasaki rider contested the Schoolboy 2 class, the 250 B class, and the 450 B class. Marchbanks had a couple of inconsistent finishes that hurt his chances of overall success in Schoolboy 2 and 250 B, but he was able to put both motos together in the 450 B class in order to come away as the champion. He would have been in contention for more championships, but he was forced to battle through the pack on multiple occasions as his starts were hit and miss throughout the week of racing. The Utah native showed his speed in the opening 450 B moto as he got out to a third place start behind the Husqvarna of Haydn Humphrey, immediately putting a move on the Idaho native before the end of the opening lap. At that point, Marchbanks set his sights on his fellow statesman, Pierce Brown, but he didn’t have the endurance to mount a charge throughout the entire seven lap affair, and he was forced to settle for second position heading into the final moto. He timed the gate drop perfectly in the second moto and barrelled his way into the first corner ahead of the competition, setting himself up with a clear track as he began to check out on the competition. Marchbanks commanded his motorcycle with authority as he used his lanky build in order to put his bike wherever he pleased. The Team Green Kawasaki rider fell under pressure from the TLD Red Bull KTM of Brown as the two of them battled for the lead yet again, but this time Marchbanks was able to come away with
the better end of the deal. He resisted the onslaught from his rival and remained composed in the latter stages of the race, holding onto the moto win as he took the overall with a better second moto finish.
98 MPG • APRIL 2017