Round 2 Recap/Results – Nevis, MN
Tanner Whipple Collects $1,900 At Border Battle XC Round 2
Babbitt’s Kawasaki rider Tanner Whipple made the eight hour trek from Colona, Illinois to Northern Minnesota to capture his first Jesse Thelen Memorial trophy, along with the $1,900 winner’s share of the $5,000 purse. Whipple had been a two-time runner-up in the event which is an annual showdown of the best of the Midwest and was finally able to get the upper hand on rivals Logan Kittock and Nick Swenson.
Swenson pulled the holeshot on his Red Moto Honda over a front row of 15 riders from four surrounding states and Canadian provinces and proceeded to lead the first lap. As the pair approached the endurocross section leading to the scoring lane, Swenson missed the entrance to the split lane and crossed over the ribbon that designated the race line. The two continued to stay on each other’s wheel until the end of the second lap when Swenson voluntarily chose the bypass lane and conceded the lead to Whipple after gaining an advantage in the earlier incident.
While all of this was taking place, Rieju factory rider and defending Border Battle XC Champ, Logan Kittock was lurking in the shadows. Whipple continued to extend his lead throughout the two hour race pacing Swenson by one minute twenty-two seconds at the finish, while Kittock, who struggled with lappers would finish third, forty seconds back of Swenson.
The event drew 348 entries from seven states and continued to establish “the Jesse” as one of the most sought after wins in the region.
