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PARKERMASHBURN Loretta Lynn Amateur National Motocross Champion
It’s not what the fans, spectators, and onlookers behind the fences witness at the races that makes a champion, but the countless sacrifices that must be made and obstacles that must be overcome in order to stand on the top step of the podium. It has never been a struggle for Parker Mashburn to qualify for the big show at Loretta Lynn Ranch -- the former Team Dunlop Elite alum and current Orange Brigade supported rider has always had the resources and support to go fast, as well as the results to back it up, but a coveted Loretta Lynn Amateur National Championship has eluded him throughout his rac-
ing career. Mashburn has accumulated multiple top five finishes and podium results over the years racing at the Ranch, but the Texan was determined to take the next step to the top of the rostrum. He made a couple of changes to his program for the 2018 racing season, most notably moving away from his home state of Texas to train at the world-renowned Millsaps Training Facility in Cairo, Georgia. Surrounding himself with fierce competition and top-of-the- line resources certainly assisted Mashburn in bettering his skills on the bike as well as his mentality off of it, but there are some things that fall outside of a racer’s control. He suffered a fracture to his collarbone only a couple of weeks before his Regional Qualifier, but he didn’t let that derail his road to Loretta’s. A timely, unscheduled surgery and lots of rehabilitation allowed him to punch a ticket to the Ranch in four separate classes, but he decided to contest 250 B and 450 B Limited. The bad luck didn’t stop there as Mashburn contracted some type of food poisoning the day before racing was set to kick off, forcing him to push through the illness while attempting to follow his aspirations of be- coming a Loretta Lynn Amateur National Champion. Although he logged solid results in the 250 B division, the Orange Brigade rider really rose to the occa- sion in the 450 B Limited class aboard his KTM 350 SX-F. Mashburn’s larger frame is well suited to the bigger bike as he demonstrated with a pair of moto wins and a second place finish, comfortably clinching the number one plate by the end of the week. Although he was nursing an illness, the Texan was the one putting on the clinic as he turned the fastest lap in two out of three motos, proving with his speed and determination that he’s fit to be a Loretta Lynn Amateur National Champion.
2018
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