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JOSEPHTAIT Loretta Lynn Amateur National Motocross Champion
Joseph Tait has competed at the Loretta Lynn Amateur National Motocross Championship on three separate occasions: 2012, 2013, and 2015. During those three years at the Ranch, the Connecticut native came close to a top ten overall result, but he never quite got the job done. After a multi-year hiatus from competition at the epicenter of amateur motocross, Tait returned in 2018 in both Open Pro Sport and College (18-24). The Yamaha rider really found his groove in the College class with a trio of podium finishes, compiling 3-3-1 moto scores in order to take the first number one plate of his career at the Ranch. Tait was forced to overcome a poor start in the opening moto as he came off the line outside of the top five, but he was quick to move up through the field as he reached fourth position in the very next lap. A small hiccup at the midway point of the race dropped him back to ninth position, but the Connecticut native dug deep and clawed his way back to an eventual podium finish, passing for third on the very last lap of the race. The second moto wasn’t quite as eventful for the Yamaha rider as he muscled his way into a fifth place position on the open- ing lap before methodically working his way up to third place a couple of laps later. The remainder of the race was nothing but smooth sailing as he main- tained a lonely third position, recording his second podium finish in a row in order to keep himself in the thick of the championship hunt. Tait definitely saved the best performance for last as he executed his most impressive start of the week in the final moto, emerging out of the first corner with a shot at the lead. The Yamaha pilot settled into second position on the first lap, but quickly made a move for the lead on the first flying lap. He knew that winning the moto would put him in a likely position to win the overall title, therefore he pushed hard to maintain the lead until the checkered flag. Tait came under a bit of pressure at the midway point of the race, but he responded with the fastest lap of the entire moto just passed the halfway point in order to secure the victory and stretch his advantage over second position. The Connecticut native crossed the line with more than a five second lead ahead of the nearest competition, finishing the week with a commanding win as well as his first Loretta Lynn Amateur National Motocross Championship.
2018
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