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DEREKDRAKE Loretta Lynn Amateur National Motocross Champion
By his own admittance, Derek Drake has always been a little more patient when
it comes to racing at the Loretta Lynn Amateur National Motocross Champion- ship. The Californian claims that when he was younger he would wait until the very last moto or the very last lap to jump a certain obstacle or achieve his best finish, improving with each and every race of the passing week. Ironically, Drake has followed the same pattern throughout his lifelong career at the Ranch, miss- ing out on the podium from his first year of competition in 2009 all the way until 2016 when he scored second place overall in the 125cc (12-16) B/C class. The Orange Brigade backed rider wasted no time taking the next step, following it up in 2017 with his first career Loretta Lynn Amateur National Championship by way of three moto wins in the 250 B Limited class. This year Drake returned to Hur- ricane Mills in search of number one plates in the A class as well as the 2018 AMA Nicky Hayden Horizon Award. Assuming that this was Drake’s last year competing at the Ranch, he saved the best for last; winning three out of six motos between 250 A and Open Pro Sport, successfully sealing the deal on both overall victories, consequently earning him the coveted Horizon Award as well. In the three motos that Drake didn’t win, he finished second in all of them; a true testament to his un- wavering consistency from start to finish. The Californian’s starts were the key to his success throughout the week of racing -- not only was he the most consistent rider on the track, he was the most consistent rider out of the gate. Drake’s aver- age first lap position throughout the week was 2.33, frequently putting himself into opportune situations throughout the opening laps which allowed him to take the lead and manage the moto. The Californian has the outright speed to blitz through the field, but seems to be at his best with a holeshot and a clear track; employing a smooth and calculated style that could be compared to the likes of Justin Coo- per, last year’s Loretta Lynn A class standout and fellow Horizon Award winner. Drake’s teammate, Mitchell Falk, is making the leap to the professional ranks at the Unadilla Pro National, making him the senior rider at the Troy Lee Designs | Red Bull | KTM Amatuer team heading into the Monster Energy Cup. He’s eager to redeem himself following his first year competing in the event at Sam Boyd Sta- dium last year and the Orange Brigade backed rider will surely be feeding off of the confidence that he just earned from his duo of titles at the Ranch. It’s unclear exactly which route Drake will take to the professional ranks at this point in time, but it’s easy to see that he’s got the talent to make it a smooth one.
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