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Kawasaki Team Green™ Riders Collect Five Championships and 25 Top-5 Finishes During the 2021 Monster Energy® AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship
Kawasaki Team Green™ wrapped up the 40th Annual Monster Energy® AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee by crowning four amateur champions including Drew Adams, Krystian Janik, Sophia Phelps and Keith Johnson. Team Green left the ranch with a total of five championships, 11 moto wins, 15 overall podiums and 25 overall Top-5 finishes throughout the week.
It was an outstanding week for Monster Energy® Kawasaki Team Green athlete Drew Adams as he swept all three motos in the 85cc (10-12) class. The AMA 12-year-old rider proved he was at the top of the class by pulling away to impressive moto wins on his way to collecting his first championship of the week. Adams also showed his maturity by riding at the front of the Mini Sr 1 (12-14) class. Despite being one of the younger competitors in the class, Adams was unphased by the older riders and rode three very hard and consistent motos, going 3-2-2 over the week to bring home a second championship. Adams’ impressive pace and race craft also earned the Tennessee native the highly coveted AMA Youth Rider of the Year Award.
Chance Hymas and Jett Reynolds led the charge for Team Green in the pro classes aboard their KX™250 race machines as they battled for wins and championships in what are arguably the two most prestigious classes raced at the ranch, 250 Pro Sport and Open Pro Sport. Both classes saw exciting action early in the week as Hymas went 7-2 in the first two motos in 250 Pro Sport and a pair of second-place finishes in Open Pro Sport while Reynolds scored two fourth-place finishes in 250 Pro Sport and 14-29 finishes in Open Pro Sport after two challenging motos. Unfortunately, Reynolds’ mistake in the second Open Pro Sport moto resulted in an injury that forced him to withdraw from racing for the remainder of the week.
For the third and final motos, Hymas was ready to lay it all on the line and fight for both titles. His impressive speed was on display for the world to see and resulted in the 16-year-old claiming his first moto win and second overall finish in the 250 Pro Sport class with 7-2-1 moto finishes. Going into the final Open Pro Sport moto, Hymas was tied for the lead and hungry for another win. When the gate dropped, the No.86 Kawasaki jumped out to a Top-5 start and quickly moved into the lead and began gapping the field. However, a costly tip-over on the second lap would drop him back to fifth before he was able to remount his KX250 and begin to charge back to the front. Despite his best efforts, Hymas was unable to catch the lead rider, but he still managed to cross the line in second at the end of the race and secured another runner-up overall result going 2-2-2 in the class.
Team Green’s Gavin Towers proved to be amongst the best in the 250 B and Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C classes aboard his KX250 motorcycle. Towers showed plenty of speed in the 250 B races with his 3-3-2 moto scores earning him second place overall in the class. A favorite to battle for wins and podiums in the Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C class, Towers looked to be on track to capture his first moto win of the week during Moto 2, but a mistake in the back sand section led to a small crash. Never one to give up, Towers quickly picked himself back up and crossed the finish line in fifth. When the gate dropped on the final moto, Towers was quick to jump into the lead and hold the position for half the moto before dropping to second, where he would finish. Towers’ 7-5-2 moto scores were enough to give him fourth overall in the class.
In his first trip to Loretta Lynn’s ranch to compete in the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, Team Green Kawasaki/Babbitt’s Online rider Grant Davis used his experience as a GNCC amateur champion to finish 27th overall in the Schoolboy 2 (12-17) class with 21-37-23 scores during his first major amateur motocross race.
Krystian Janik represented Team Green in the Supermini 1 (12-15) and Supermini 2 (13-16) classes at Loretta Lynn’s aboard his KX™100 supermini. Janik had a consistent week of racing as he went 4-2-4 in the Supermini 1 (12-15) class to claim second overall. Despite being docked two positions in Moto 1 of the Supermini 2 (13-16) class for going off track while avoiding a crashed rider, Janik was able to regroup before the final two motos and bring home the championship with his consistent riding and 4-2-2 finishes.
The youngest Team Green member, Ryder Ellis, piloted his KX™65 to eighth overall in the 65cc (10-11) Limited class with his 15-7-7 scores. In the 65cc (10-11) class, Ellis was a podium contender early in the week, but modest starts and several mistakes while racing through the pack left him with an 11th place overall finish after 4-11-20 scores.
In the Women class, Sophia Phelps was determined to make this the year she won her first AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship. Consistency was key for Phelps as she finished no worse than second place throughout the week and accomplished her goal of receiving the number one plate after 2-1-1 scores.
McCoy Brough and Eddie Norred Jr. showed up for Team Green in the College (18-24) class, with both riders finishing in the Top-5 of the overall results. Brough’s consistency saw the No.34 machine grace the podium with a pair of third-place finishes, while Norred Jr. steadily progressed in each moto throughout the week. McCoy finished the week third overall going 3-3-4 and Norred Jr. finished in fourth overall with 11-8-5 scores.
Chase Meyer-Deherrera from Castro Valley, California was a clear front runner in the 450 C class and managed to give Kawasaki a win in his first moto. Meyer-Deherrera had a small blunder in the second 450 C class moto, which dropped him to eighth at the finish, but the No.50 machine still claimed second overall in 450 C class with 1-8-3 scores.
Jayden Clough claimed third overall in the 250 B Limited class. Clough looked like the favorite to win the championship but mistakes late in the moto held him back to an eighth-place moto finish giving him 1-2-8 scores.
Chris Hunter and Robb Floth both raced near the front of the Senior (40+) class, with Floth getting the better of the two in Moto 1 with his fourth-place finish as opposed to Hunter’s fifth. In the end, it was Hunter’s consistency that gave him the edge with his 5-5-2 scores for second overall besting Floth’s 4-10-3 finishes for third overall in the class.
Massachusetts’ Keith Johnson led a full gate of Team Green riders in the Master (50+) and Senior (45+) classes. In a class that included former Kawasaki champions Mike Brown and Jeff Emig, Johnson held his own against the stiff competition in the Senior (45+) class and finished third overall after 2-2-8 scores. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Johnson would again go against Emig in the Masters (50+) class, but his KX™450 proved to be the deciding factor as he was able to go 2-1-1 and claim the championship.
“Team Green has been part of the Loretta Lynn’s AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship since the beginning, and we are proud to continue that tradition into the 40th running of the event,” said Team Green Manager, Ryan Holliday. “There were over 90 KX™ racers that lined up to race at the ranch this year and we are so proud to see that number continue to grow. It is always a pleasure getting to see familiar faces and be introduced to new ones during this special event. We strive to make each year better than the last and, with the help of the entire Team Green staff and trackside support team, we were able to give all Kawasaki riders a chance at victory. I am immensely proud of all the Kawasaki racers that competed this week and can’t wait to see everyone again next year.”
Kawasaki Championships and Podium Finishes
Loretta Lynn's AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship:
85cc (10-12)
1st – Drew Adams
Supermini 2 (13-15)
1st – Krystian Janik
Mini Sr. 1 (12-14)
1st – Drew Adams
Women
1st – Sophia Phelps
Masters (50+)
1st – Keith Johnson
Supermini 1 (12-15)
2nd – Krystian Janik
250 B
2nd – Gavin Towers
Open Pro Sport
2nd – Chance Hymas
450 C
2nd – Chase Meyer-Deherrera
Senior (40+)
2nd – Chris Hunter
3rd – Robb Floth
Senior (45+)
3rd – Keith Johnson
College (18-24)
3nd – McCoy Brough
250 B Limited
3rd – Jayden Clough