Class Championship Battles Take Shape on Thursday at Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship

23 Total Motos Highlight Action-Packed Day at Loretta Lynn’s

HURRICANE MILLS, TN – August 5, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – The journey to crown 36 AMA National Champions took another big step on Thursday at Tennessee’s Loretta Lynn Ranch, as the second moto for 23 classes unfolded at the 41st running of the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship. The third day of racing was destined to be one of the most important outings of the week as every gate drop played a key role in how the championship battle in each respective class will play out.

Moto 2: 250 Pro Sport

After a thrilling first moto that saw NSA Yamaha Factory Amateur Team rider Gavin Towers and Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Ryder DiFrancesco go bar-to-bar to the checkered flag, Thursday’s Moto 2 presented a major opportunity to move into an advantageous position in the quest for one of Loretta Lynn’s most high-profile class championships.

While Towers emerged with the early advantage, there’s no doubt that DiFrancesco has consistently been the fastest rider at the Ranch this week, even if his results don’t necessarily show it. The one thing holding DiFrancesco back were his starts, but he turned that fortune around to start Moto 2, where he emerged in second behind Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Talon Hawkins.

The lead pair showed tremendous pace early in the moto, which allowed them to build a gap over the rest of the field, where Towers led the way running in third. Despite consistent and relentless pressure from DiFrancesco, Hawkins showcased why he’s another one of the sport’s top prospects by continuously fending off the Kawasaki rider. The gap between the leaders hovered between one to two seconds and as they started to encounter lapped traffic it allowed GASGAS Factory Amateur Team’s Caden Braswell to make it a three-rider affair.

Braswell’s pressure on DiFrancesco from third forced the Kawasaki rider to pick up his pace and he responded with a pass on Hawkins in the closing minutes of the moto. On the ensuing lap Braswell made the pass on Hawkins for second. Once out front, DiFrancesco continued to push as Braswell kept him within striking distance. The Team Green rider successfully captured his second moto win of the week by a few bike lengths over Braswell, while Hawkins rounded out the top three.

Back-to-back podium finishes for DiFrancesco and…