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KILPATRICK
hours, to achieve mastery in a field. Equating to, every single day, work must continue to be pushed toward the dream, in order to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Film, nutrition, training, riding; you name it, it must all revolve around the center of the Venn diagram. Coming up short in his quest for a championship in years past, Stockton Stinebaugh made a pact to himself that he would do everything in his power to have his name atop the results sheet for 2017. It was time to display, at the Loretta Lynn’s national championship. Moto number one saw Canada’s Brad Williams take an early lead, with Stinebaugh buried in the quicksand, crossing timing and scoring in a measly 18th. Each lap however, he would leapfrog past the competition, running the fastest laptime, all the while changing lanes, dodging yellow flags, and pulling tearoff’s. Absolutely ripping the through the trenches of Storyland, he would come back into view on the last lap in a spec- tacular fourth place ride, knowing that he had kept himself alive. The second moto saw moto one winner Devon Bates out again to the front of the field, never missing a beat as took green flag after green flag. Stockton was in a much better position, in comparison to last moto, but not quite where he needed to be in the early going. The ninth on lap one quickly transitioned into a fifth, and then 2nd by lap four, all the while dipping into the 2:09’s; a feat in which no one else conquered in the moto. Railing the grotesque ruts before the finish line, his bar dragging antics were something of a spectacle, yet not enough to catch the number 98 of Vegas; Stinebaugh would take second on the moto, and would need all the help he could get for the last round. Bates seemed well on his way to the top step of the podium to begin the moto, registering in second on lap one, mean- while Stinebaugh was in fifth. A mere point
in front of Jagger Grace, he knew he had to keep the Utah native at bay, in order to secure second, nevermind Bates who seemed to have the title wrapped away. But then, Stinebaugh continued to climb, his heart rate remaining steady, and the lactate threshold nowhere in sight; meanwhile Grace was buried deep and charging, but Bates was beginning to slip. Stinebaugh and Bates would be on opposite ends of the spectrum, Stockton climbing and Devin falling. Somehow, someway, the Texas native would work his way into the lead in the last few laps, while Bates would settle to fifth. Crossing the line, he was ecstatic; knowing he had just claimed a title at Loretta Lynn’s and all of the hard work had paid off.
250 C – STOCKTON
STINEBAUGH
They say a man must work ten thousand
KILPATRICK
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