Page 74 - NOVEMBER-18

NATHAN HUMMEL >> 3
“Nasty” Nate Hummel came into his bordering state of Oklahoma, looking to carry his wave of success through the Sooner State. He’s been
a terror on the amateur national tour for years, attracting all sorts of media attention and spon- sorship requests for many months on end. So coming into this daunting, MotoPlayground Race at Ponca City, he wanted to have all cylinders fir- ing, displaying his best efforts. And it would start in the 7-9 limited division, where he was divided into the second portion of the event. Lining up along side riders like Landon Gibson and Evrett Clarke, the heavy hitters bolted off the line in unison, with Ely Gross joining the party as well. Gibson would be out front, and Hummel would do all he could to chase down the number 723. In the meantime, however, Evrett Clarke was the man on the move, just narrowly edging Hummel on lap three. Hummel, knowing this was a game of persistence and consistency, would put up
an awesome fight on the last lap; but would be just a tad bit short. But still, this ride was just an indication, the he could do any type of damage he wanted, when the right stars would align. Rip- ping the holeshot in the run-off, from the moment he got off the concrete pad, his rear end would be hanging off the back seat (trying to grab as much traction as possibly could). It would work, as a soft stab of the clutch, and furious upshifting would have him hold the lead, well into the sec- ond lap. It was here, where he would be in the midst of the trio yet again, with both Clark and Gibson hot on his tail. Hitting the back double three wide, he had nowhere to go, and would somehow let Clarke around. Still he was riding great, even though Gibson would make the move too, these three would be reiterating to everyone, that they are the top of the class. Hummel would then back it down, making sure he stayed on the podium, regardless of if they got around him or not. He would cross the line, heading back to the trailer for a bit. Discussing with his team, they would go to the results board, to find out where he stood; and it was an exceptional overall show- ing, where Hummel pieced together an awesome ride for third place overall. Hummel, was eager
to finish out the weekend strong, and he would do just that. Congratulations Nathan, we look for- ward to seeing you progress throughout the rest of the year, and well into the 2019 season.
74 MPG • NOVEMBER • 2018