Hendershot Takes First National Amateur Overall Win at Limestone GNCC
Dustin Hendershot won the Vet A Class and brought Home the Amateur Overall at the Limestone GNCC in Springville, IN on a fresh-built Yamaha YFZ450R.
Two weeks ago, he picked up a new stock bike to ride for the rest of the season and advertised his current race quad thinking it would take weeks to sell.
“I was wrong! I sold it on Wednesday night and had to pull a couple of all-nighters to get the new race bike ready for Limestone. I finished it at 5am on Friday morning, loaded it up and headed out that morning,” Hendershot explained.
Hendershot notes that proper maintenance and preparation is key for successful racing.
“Whether it’s mud, sand, rocks or deep ruts and creeks, you have to be prepared for whatever is coming at you for the next two hours,” he said. “After I made some modifications in preparation for extra mud weight, I had a goal just not to get stuck. I didn’t quite prevail on that and buried it once for about a minute, but I was able to get some help and get free and rolling again. After that I had a minute to make-up and just tried to pick smart lines and keep momentum going. Staying moving, working through traffic fast and staying out of deep ruts were all keys to the race for me.”
Hendershot has been riding since he was 5 years old.
“I first swung my leg over my dad’s 1987 Yamaha Moto4 350 Quad and since that day, all I have ever wanted was to be on the podium and earning wins. I wasn’t able to compete until I was 16 and old enough to pay for it, so truly since then, my goals have been a national championship and to be on the podium.”
Hendershot’s advice to other riders is to never give up, never give up, never give up. He also says to never be down on yourself after a bad race day. “There is always the next race that you can try again and we are all out here to have fun,” he said. He also says to never be discouraged for not winning. “Work harder,” said Hendershot. “Practice, spend more time preparing and have an open mind to learn more about bike preparation and maintenance. Learn about suspension setups and what you are capable of on a bike.” Hendershot’s last piece of advice is to offer to help a fellow racer out when they are in a bind.
“Help someone with their bike prep, pit stop, pointing out some lines, pushing them up a hill or just telling them good job after a race is over.”
Hendershot would like to thank his wife Nicole and her family for supporting him 100% in racing and helping with their son, Layne, who will turn 2 this fall. He would also like to thank the entire WEXCR Crew, Brandon and Eryca Sommers (GT Thunder), BNR Motorsports, Maxxis Tires, Get It, Spider Graphix, Matt Pierce at Pierce Performance, Fly Racing, Flexx Handlebars, Scott Motorsports, Rath Racing, Tireballs, FMF, IMS, FourWerx, Hotcams, Cylinder Works and everyone that cheers him on from the track!
Click here for podium interview video
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