Page 101 - NOVEMBER-18

VET 35+
THE MOTOPLAYGROUND RACE
at Ponca City
CORY BRANTLEY >> 3
Driving up from Arkansas, Cory Brantley had heard a lot of positive vibes about this race in particular. Not only was it to be held at the world renowned, Ponca City Raceway, but the company of MotoPlayground would provide a plethora of bells and whistles to its attendees; not to mention grooming dolling the track up to the hilt. Upon rolling in, and getting the camp site set up, he began to wrench and tinker with his machine, in constant adjustment of everything from lever adjust- ments, to suspension tweaks, and even tire swapping. He wanted to make sure, after viewing the track, which he was going to be on the best piece of equipment possible. And as the first moto was underway, Brantley began to decipher his thought process very quickly. Running in third to begin, he had Kyle Dangler out in front, and Brad Rogers to the back. He would then set his fastest lap on lap two, trying his best to keep an eye on Dave Ginolfi out front. With Ginolfi and Dangler rid- ing incredible just ahead, his focused was then shifted to a slight sound of another Yamaha just behind; that of Brad Rodgers. Rogers would steadily keep the gap at about four seconds, enough to keep Brantley honest, but large enough to where Brantley could breathe a
bit. With no major change in laptimes, Brantley would hold onto third place for the duration of the moto, eager to hit the line yet again. The pecking order to begin
the second moto yet again, went Ginolfi, Dangler, and then Brantley shortly thereafter. This time though, the field was much closer, with Brantley all over Dangler
to begin. As the laps went on, the gap would steadily grow, leaving Brantley in a space all by himself. He was pacing Dangler with every passing lap though, putting his Yamaha in what he thought, were the best lines suited for his flow. He toyed with multiple outside- outside lines, trying his best to avoid the chop down the middle of the raceway; it was crazy to think that just a few short inches, could save a ton of energy for him. And it was working, and with just a few short corners
to go, he realized that he was about to podium at one of the largest races on the amateur tour. A three-three outing, would place him in the bronze medal category. Congratulations Cory, it was a pleasure having you attend the event!
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