After a week filled with racing in the heat of Tennessee brought highs, lows, and everything in between at the Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, the coveted Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award was handed out to the top up-and-coming rider. Ahead of the 2017 event, the award was re-named to honor Nicky Hayden after his passing earlier that summer.

At Saturday night’s awards ceremony after the final moto of the week, Team Green Kawasaki’s Drew Adams rider received the Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award. In doing so, Adams becoming the first Kawasaki winner to receive the Horizon Award since Jason Anderson received the award in 2010. Adams finished 4-1-1 finishes for the 250 Pro Sport title and his three-moto wins swept the Open Pro Sport title. It was a tough start to the week for Adams, who crashed in the first turn of the first 250 Pro Sport moto. However, he charged to salvage a fourth-place finish at the checkered flag to keep his title hopes alive in the championship. Throughout the rest of the week, Adams was the best rider in the pro sport classes, taking the race win in the five remaining motos. While the #33 machine is the first Kawasaki rider to receive the award in 14 years, Kawasaki still has the most Horizon Award Winners with eight, one more than Honda's seven. 

Related: Drew Adams Wins Horizon Award at 2024 Loretta Lynn’s, Turning Pro at Ironman National