Brandon Clarke
1. Open Pro Sport: Youth vs. Experience
This is the ultimate clash of generations. Young hotshots lining up against former factory pros who stepped away from the circuit anywhere from a couple years ago to more than a decade ago.
Running some quick numbers (and admittedly a few Google searches), I found a 26-year age gap between Andrew Short and Kane Ballasing.
Think about that for a second.
Shorty made his professional debut years before Kane was even born. In fact he even made the move into the premier 450 class nearly a year and a half before Kane entered the world.
On paper, modern technique and youthful speed should win every time.
But as a mediocre vet rider, I’ve learned one thing: old guys love smooth lines… and at Loretta’s, smooth lines are usually the fast lines.
So the question is simple: Can Shorty remind these kids why experience still matters, or does Father Time finally take the L?
2. Schoolboy 2 Could Shake Up 250 B Limited
If you take a look through the entry lists for Schoolboy 2 and 250 B Limited and you’ll notice there’s a ton of crossover. The same riders are pulling double duty.
Why does that matter?
If you’ve happened to read last night’s The Ripple Effect, you already know I think the biggest wildcard at Loretta’s isn’t the racing itself, it’s the Moto 1 gate selection process.
A bad start. A first-turn pileup. A bent bike. Even just burning extra energy clawing back through the pack…
None of those things affect the overall points between the two classes, but they absolutely can affect the rider.
A chaotic Schoolboy 2 moto could create its own ripple effect before those same riders ever line up for Moto 2 of 250 B Limited.
Sometimes the biggest storyline isn’t in the class you’re watching, it’s in the one that happened a few hours earlier.
3. Expect a Maddox Temmerman Bounce-Back
On a similar theme, my last thing to watch today is Maddox Temmerman.
Moto 1 of Supermini 1 didn’t exactly go according to plan. He finished fifth, but if you dig a little deeper, the lap times tell a different story. The speed was there..
I don’t think yesterday changes who Maddox is.
I think it motivates him. And today he gets a fresh slate in Supermini 2.
Look for him to come out swinging and remind everyone why he came into the Ranch as one of the favorites.
