Page 114 - Issue-46

Nick Gaines
450 SX / 17TH
IMAGE / LANG WORDS / KUHLHOFF DESIGN / WILSON
>> Traders Racing-Tic Tabs/ Ohlins USA/ Yamaha/ ATVs & More/ SHOT Racewear rider Nick Gaines came to East Rutherford in pursuit of a spot in the Main Event. With only one round left in the season, tensions were high as these East Coast racers lined up for what was bound to be an exciting eve- ning of racing. With soft soil that had absorbed a lot of rain during the week, this New Jersey track was expected to get extremely rough and rutted. The number 78 machine lined up for the second heat race of the evening looking for a spot in the top nine so he could advance directly into the Main. Fixat- ing his eye on the prize, this Georgia native was able to put in an awesome ride, make a last minute pass on Tucker, and finish the heat in eighth place. Nick Gaines was ready for Main Event battle. With beautiful temperatures in the low 80s, the Garden State was the place to be as the riders lined up for the big show. With one round to go and game faces on, riders stared deep into the lights of the thirty-second board as the countdown began. The gates dropped and the Big Apple crowd roared. Early in the race, Nick Gaines found himself sitting in the sixteenth place spot. About halfway through the moto, with a constantly changing track beneath his tires, Gaines was able
to make a pass into fifteenth. After battles with Wentland and Coates, Nick Gaines was able to cross the finish line in seventeenth place. With only one round left, I can’t wait to see wait Nick Gaines can put together in Las Vegas.
114 GRITMOTO • APRIL 30, 2017