K&N Sponsored Vicki Golden Strikes Gold at 2011 X Games 17 at the Staples Center

Golden flew over the massive 65-foot ramp-to-dirt jump with style, throwing her bike sideways with a fist in the air as she flew past the checkered flag.
Golden flew over the massive 65-foot ramp-to-dirt jump with style, throwing her bike sideways with a fist in the air as she flew past the checkered flag.
In the last line of the first story K&N Race News did with Vicki Golden, she is quoted saying "I also really want to win an X Games gold medal this summer in Women's Super X." This time around we get to start by asking her if winning the X Games Gold feels as good, or better, than she imagined it would.
Vicki Golden dominated the Women's Motocross event at X Games 17 only two days after celebrating her 19th birthday.
Vicki Golden dominated the Women's Motocross event at X Games 17 only two days after celebrating her 19th birthday.


"It definitely feels great and it means the world to me. It was such a major win for me. Winning X Games has taught me how important it is to be mentally prepared and it has proved to me how much that can boost my performance!"

And what a performance it was, Golden, who celebrated her 19th birthday only two days prior to the X Games, extended the party by flat-out dominating the Women's Motocross event at the 2011 X Games 17, held at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, California. With over 11,000 passionate fans cheering her on, the K&N sponsored rider put together a perfect showing, posting the fastest qualifying time, getting the hole-shot and winning her heat race, and then leading wire-to-wire for the win in the main event.

Golden credits her recent professional Arenacross experience, racing in the Women's Motocross (WMX) Championship, as well as training on the Kawasaki Supercross track, for helping her be ready for the single biggest Women's Motocross event of the year.
The K&N sponsored rider grabbed hole-shot and won her heat race, and then she lead wire-to-wire for the win in the main event.
The K&N sponsored rider grabbed hole-shot and won her heat race, and then she lead wire-to-wire for the win in the main event.


"Thankfully Kawasaki let me onto their Supercross test track," said Golden. "That played a big part since there were no other Supercross tracks to ride on. It was just another great way that they supported me this year. Sean Hamblin also came out and spent almost every day with me at the track. I feel my riding and my mentality has improved since I've been working with him so I can't thank Sean enough. It helped having a good team. Even though I am a privateer this year, I think things came together with my MotoUSA.com/Langston Motorsports Kawasaki ride by X Games too."
Winning the X Games gold means the world to her said Golden.
Winning the X Games gold means the world to her said Golden.


With her focus being on winning the gold, we wondered how things were going with the WMX series. "The WMX series hasn't been going exactly as planned. I started the season off with not finishing my second moto in the first round, so that set me back in points. I've caught up to fifth in the points, and I'm only seven points behind fourth, so I really want to reclaim my No. 4 for the year. I have had several fourth place finishes, and a third place in moto one at Lakewood (Colorado). We have three rounds left; I want to put in the results that I know I'm capable of. I'm working hard to be on the podium."

"After I finish the rest of the WMX series I really want to go back to AMA Pro Arenacross and pick up where I left off with that. It starts in October. I hope to race the West races again, and continue to earn points for my Pro license. Also, last year I had the opportunity to go to the Supercross in Geneva, Switzerland and I would love to go back there and race again. So I am pretty much going to focus on indoors again after the season.

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