Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green Rider Austin Forkner Caps Amateur Career with Two Titles at Freestone

2016-03-22 15:50
Freestone, TX set the stage for Monster Energy® Kawasaki Team Green™ rider Austin Forkner’s final amateur national. After a successful event in Daytona only one week ago, Team Green came into the 2016 Freestone Spring Championship with confidence. It showed on the high speed Texas track as Kawasaki topped the podium with 18 moto wins and eight overall championships.

Graduation Day
Forkner’s performance at Freestone displayed his abilities to race at a professional level, as he carved through the competition from last place to first at an impeccable speed, several times. Forkner would capture two out of three titles Friday afternoon in both the Open Pro Sport and 250A classes. Forkner was in good position for a hat trick of titles until a crash in Moto 3 of the 450A class would result in a DNF.

“It’s been a fun week,” said Forkner. “I didn’t have the best of luck with my starts but I knew I had the speed to win no matter where I started. Overall I’m happy to leave Texas with two titles and end my amateur career on a positive note. It’s hard to believe this is going to be my final amateur national, but I feel more than ready to move on and begin my professional career on my Kawasaki.”

Flashes of Green
The Freestone Spring Championship podium was seeing green all week. The young, stylish and charismatic Stilez Robertson rode brilliantly on his KX™85 during the week to win four motos and two championships in the Mini Sr. 1 (12-13) and Supermini 1 (12-15) classes, while teammate Lance Kobusch took home the Supermini 2 (13-16) title going (2-1). The consistent Jett Reynolds continued his championship streak with four wins, going on to win the 85cc (9-11) Limited and 85cc (9-12) classes. With race wins and titles coming on the KX™250F, KX100 and KX™85, it was Ryder DiFrancesco coming home with the eighth and final championship on his KX™65cc in the 65cc (7-11) class.

WMX
After having to sit out Round 1 of the Women’s Pro Motocross Championship (WMX) last week in Daytona, Hannah Hodges came into Round 2 eager to showcase her blistering speed. She would do just that, after the start in Moto 1 she began to charge towards the front of the field and by the time the white flag was waving, Hodges raced her Kawasaki to the front, taking the Moto 1 win. At the gate drop of Moto 2, it was the No. 172 Kawasaki machine of Hodges coming around Turn 1 in first. She never looked back and went on to go (1-1) for her first WMX overall.

“I’m super pumped,” said Hodges. “I’m beginning to feel more and more comfortable on my KX250F and really starting to have fun on it. I’ve always known I had the speed to compete in the WMX, I just needed to stay healthy. I can’t wait for Round 3 in California.”

Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green
2016 James Stewart Freestone Spring Championships
Team Green Championships
Austin Forkner – 250A
Austin Forkner – Open Pro Sport
Stilez Robertson – Mini Sr. 1 (12-13)
Stilez Robertson – Supermini 1 (12-13)
Lance Kobusch – Supermini 2 (13-16)
Jett Reynolds – 85cc (9-11) Limited
Jett Reynolds – 85cc (9-11)
Ryder DiFrancesco – 65cc (7-11)
Hannah Hodges – WMX Round 2 Overall Winner

Source: Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

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