Uncensored and unedited, from the man himself:
Finally the last race of the Season...
This week end the race was in sherbrooke, 2hrs east of Montreal. We left pretty early on saturday morning, but as usual Montreal traffic was just stupid and it took us 5 hrs do drive 200km...
We got there and 10 min laters i knew it was gonna be a stupid week end, the parking was really bad, and i manage to dig my trailer axle deep in soft mud.... Good thing my Ram is a stong truck i was able to get unstuck by myself.... Then me and karine left to walk the track, i also manage to loose her in the trail since her section was so different than mine... My section was horrible, water over roots and rocks all this in real tight wood...This was gonna be a survival race!
Sunday morning came the weather was nice, and i spend my time putting new tires on the bikes since this was gonna be a mudder... Karine went to the line, and she grabbed the lead in the first corner, and decimated the other girls on the moto track, but the lead was short lived when she got in the wood, all this slippery stuff is really not her favorite, and she had a lot problem riding it, she did post steady time, but off the pace off the leaders, and she finished 5th... completely toasted!!!! That finish she be able to secure 2nd for the championship!!!
Then it was me, i got my best start of the year in second!!! made a pass in the first tricky uphill, but Phil stayed with me , we rode together for the first 1:30hrs, then my team(Karine did an awesome pit stop and i was able to run away, then next lap i almost had a 2 min lead... Then a lap later Phil had shrunk the lead to 1 min, so Karine gave me the 2 lap board and i pushed harder to run away from second, but made 2 little mistake, and on the second one i saw some radiator fluid squirt off one hose...... So i picked up my bike and knew it was over.... i rode slowly to reach the scan zone and Phil caught me there, i told him to continue but to tell my team i would wait here to go thrue the scan at 2:30...
We were so far ahead that even by waiting 5 min it still gave me second place.... I was a little pissed but at the same time that race track was so stupid that stopping was almost cool... I've seen many track but this one rate as one of the worst, in the wood section i couldn't even shift second that is how bad it was! I had no fun at all... I just hope somebody wakes up in the FMSQ , and choose better race track.....
So 2nd should give me the Enduro-cross championship, but the not the 1 plate... I made the choice of riding the CEC and that killed my chance at the number one...
Whatever !!! 801 it will be again for next year...
On Monday since it was a day off we went ridin downhill MTB, with JSR, Kevin Lacombe , Marc antoine Genereux and the famous Flexi... We had a blast except for Sexy Flexi who did a smooth front flip landed on her back in rocks and tweak herself a bit....
Now it's freeriding for a while!!!!!!!!
Have a good week!!
G-rocks 801...
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Update
I just wanted to let everyone know I'm still active at 5thGear Updates and 5thGear Media.
Check me out!
You can also follow me on Twitter @SuzieQ_484 and while you're there, check out the crew @MXandOffRoad for the latest in MX news from Canada and around the world!
Check me out!
You can also follow me on Twitter @SuzieQ_484 and while you're there, check out the crew @MXandOffRoad for the latest in MX news from Canada and around the world!
Monday, January 18, 2010
2010 Calendars
For those of you who haven't already bought one, I still have plenty of 2010 CMA Hare Scramble calendars left. $25 will get you 12 months of the fastest men through the woods in Ontario.
Email me at showie@mail.com for more details.
Calendar
Custom calendars are also available.
Email me at showie@mail.com for more details.
Calendar
Custom calendars are also available.
Monday, September 21, 2009
A Long Season
Sunday September 6, 2009 saw the final round of the CMA National Hare Scramble series held at Wilberforce, hosted by the OCMC and headed up by young Nick Barker. Barker, an enthusiastic off road rider from the Intermediate class, has organized the OCMC club race at Wilberforce for the last two years, to great successes. This was his first time running a national, and in spite of some small bobbles, the event was a huge success, with riders ready and eager to come back again next September. The long weekend format made the whole event much more relaxed, as no one was rushing to get home from the small pit section for work on Monday. Many riders took the opportunity to camp out Sunday night and enjoy a few beers and stories around the campfire. It just goes to show that when the racing is done, these riders who might battle bitterly on the track, that is where it is left.
But that was Sunday night... Sunday morning, the races were on and several championships and many plates in the Pro class hung in the balance.
Jordan Fischer, the eventual winner and champion in the Mini Junior class, had another solid race. Out of the five rounds he scored points at, it was a podium finish each time. His win at Wilberforce put him out in front of second overall, and third place at Wilberforce, Braden Butcher. It was a Team Green podium and over all with Porsche Reynolds, of Cookstown, Ontario, taking the second place finish at Wilberforce and the third overall. Fischer finished the season with 67 points, followed by Butcher with 42 and Reynolds with 32. Falling just outside of the top three, Honda rider Miquel Renaud-Nolte finished fourth over all with 27 points and Tyler Wicks, of Waterloo, picked up 20 points on his KTM for a fifth over all.
Ryder Heacock, son of Pro #13 Dustin Heacock, did his father proud taking home his first #1 finish, and third podium, of the year. Heacock is one of only two Mini Senior riders to have scored points in all eight rounds of the series. With his #1 finish at Wilberforce, the young Suzuki rider finished third over all. The other rider to score points at all eight rounds, Tyler Maenz of Thorton, finished second both at Wilberforce and overall in the class. Third place went to Tyler's little brother, Ryan, who finished fifth over all. Connor Brogan, son of Vet Ex rider Wayne Brogan, finished five of the first six rounds on the top spot of the box, with one second place in Burnt River. This streak won him the overall championship; even though he scored no points in the last two rounds, Brogan had the necessary points to keep in front of second place. He took the championship with 87 points, followed by T. Maenz with 80 and Heacock with 69. Nathan Playford of Elmira finished fourth overall with 63 points, followed by R. Maenz with 55.
For the second year in a row, Ainsley Farr is your Women's Hare Scramble Champ! The only Women's rider to score points at every round, Farr finished second behind the young Emily Head at Wilberforce. Jessica Cannell, of Toronto, was a surprise third place finisher aboard her Green Machine. The overalls for the Women's class have Farr out front with a commanding 95 points, followed by the elder Head sister, Melissa with 50, younger sister Emily with 45, Kate Knight with 43 and Rachael Comiskey with 49.
David Cockayne, proud father of Pro rider Kevin Cockayne, was not only the #1 Legends finisher at Wilberforce, but the class Champion as well. His #612 KTM finished on the top spot of the box six out of eight rounds, earning him a dominating 90 points. Following Cockayne both in his finish and overall standings is Corrunna native and Honda rider Brad Kitto. Kitto finished with 75 points accumulated from a win and five second places. Third overall went to Rick Day of Milton, who had a win in Burnt River for 15 points.
The Super Vets, for those big bad boys 49+, saw a new champion in the way of Parry Sound's own Brian Holloway. The #617 Suzuki rider had a consistent season, scoring points at all but the last round, including a three race win streak. The overall winner at Wilberforce was Machine Racing's John Nelson, keeping his win streak alive. While Nelson only raced three rounds (Barrie, Burnt River and Wilberforce) he won every round he entered. Second place went to Caledon's Bruce Moffatt aboard the #302 Yamaha. Third place at the event went to Steven Hart of Bond Head on the #616 Yamaha. The overall in the class went to Holloway with 76 points, followed by Greg Bradnam with 66, Steven Hart with 47, John Nelson with 45 and Keith Billings with 35. Billings narrowly beat out Moffat and Lance Matthews, who each had 34 points, for the final top five spot.
The Vet class saw German born Guido Kneilling take home the overall and the win at Wilberforce, narrowly beating out Jim Clayton for the champion spot. Kneilling will contest the Vet Ex class in 2010, as per the progressive class structure. Second place at Wilberforce went to Brad Brown, of Iona, Ontario, while Clayton finished third. It was truly a battle between the two KTM riders, with the #928 of Kneilling taking the overall championship from Clayton's #929 by a single point: 91 to 90. Third place went to Steven Kelly of Oakville with 30 points, followed by Barry Billings of Cambridge with 29 and Dennis Imeson, of Bell River, with 26.
2008 Youth Champion Jesse Grummett took home the 2009 Novice A championship, with a big enough lead that he opted to run the Intermediate class in Wilberforce. The win at Wilberforce went to #426 Suzuki rider Jacob Faber. Finishing second both in the day and overall was Chris Culbert-Castello of Uxbridge. Third at Wilberforce was Mitchell Lawson, of Woodville, Ontario. The overall for the class had Grummett with 87 points, Jed Franko of Caledon with 65 (the only Novice A to attend every, and score points, at every round), Culbert-Castelo with 43, Brett McBain of St. Thomas with 38 and Andrew Powell of St. Catherines with 36.
Culbert-Castelo will most likely move up, along with Champion Grummet and Jed Franko, to the Intermediate class. These two riders, if you remember, were promoted together from the Youth class at the end of last year. They're shaping up to be quite a pair, with memories of Tony Boerkamp and Chris Van Hove written on this new generation. They are definitely riders to watch, as I don't imagine either will take too long to get to Expert, and it's only a matter of time before they're jockeying for that #1 plate.
Roger Messier had the championship locked up going into Wilberforce, but that didn't stop the former Pro from taking another victory, his first since Vienna. The big bad black KTM rider had an amazing ride, keeping up with Adam Millson and Michael Jonker of the Expert class. Behind Messier was Paul Andratis and Dave Nelson (second and third respectively). The overall for the class had Messier with an absolutely astonishing 114 points, Andratis in second with 90, followed by Nelson with 44. Randy Zuest of Rockwood had 39 points and Stephen Tustin narrowly edged out Dwayne Soper for the final top five spot with 36 points.
2009 Intermediate Champion Greg Filer was busy studying and getting ready for school, but had the championship wrapped up, with an untouchable 97 points in the biggest class. Finishing first in Wilberforce was Christian Birker, of Stoufville. Birker came out to only a few rounds, but was sure to support his friend, Barker, in his first attempt at running a national. Second lace went to Eric Langford of Millgrove, while Steven Bond took home third. The overalls had Filer in first, as already said, followed by Bond with 67 points, Dmitry Tsvetkov with 66 points, Steven Shaw with 44 points and Eric Langford with a tight 43 points.
New comer to the series Adam Millson surprised everyone when he came out of the gate ready to dominate, putting down some impressive battles with Michael Jonker. The double digit boys took commanding control of the class, often finishing first and second place throughout the season. Millson's gap, however, over Jonker allowed him the comfort to move up to the Pro class for Wilberforce and try his hand at the class he will move to in 2010. Jason Griffeth, of Bowmanville, took home the win, after finishing behind Millson and Jonker at five out of the remaining seven rounds. Torin Linton, younger brother of Pro rider Tyler Linton, finished second, followed by Jonker, who suffered mechanical trouble. The overalls have Millson up front with 102 points, followed by Jonker's 89, Griffeth with 71, Frank Cantin with 52 and Drew Slikker with 28, narrowly edging out 2008 third place finisher Lee Hill.
And then there were the Pros...
At St. Thomas, Brian “Wojo” Wojnarowski finally claimed the #1 plate, after chasing it for three years, finishing runner up twice in a row (once to the young Van Hove and once to Toyota-Yamaha teammate Jake Stapleton). With another win in front of a very proud family including his grandfather, father, wife and son, Wojo became the 2010 CMA National Hare Scramble Pro Champion.
It was a tight race, with a restart in the afternoon class due to some miscommunication. After organizer Nick Barker finished fixing the problem, the race was restarted. Wojo's first start had him out front, but the second start saw Chris “Hooter” Van Hove, Wojo's biggest competitor throughout the season, out ahead. Local boy Aaron Wilkins pushed hard too; he was in a solid second place position but wanted to make sure he kept that #2 Wojo was so sick of. Wojo, never one to sit back on his laurels, was hot on their heels and fought long and hard until a mechanical failure forced Hooter to back off the throttle and limp through the finish for a second place over all.
Unaware of the situation, Wojo continued to ride hard, losing his seat part way through the last lap, not that it really mattered, as Wojo rarely sits down.
When it was all over, the Wojo mojo worked and Mister Brian Wojnarowski was the new champion of the Pro class. Good friend and fellow Pro class rider Dustin Heacock presented him with a #1 plate. Wojo was happy with the way he rode and proud of his competitors.
All of the riders were satisfied with the challenging course that Barker had laid out and while it was difficult for some riders, they are all ready and rearing to go for next year. With the Labour Day long weekend format, it made for a hell of a pit party afterwards.
It’s the off season now, but we’ll be back soon enough. May is only eight months away!
Pro class calendars are available for $25, as are photo CDs (contact for pricing). Email me at showie@mail.com for more information.
As always, photos are available here.
But that was Sunday night... Sunday morning, the races were on and several championships and many plates in the Pro class hung in the balance.
Jordan Fischer, the eventual winner and champion in the Mini Junior class, had another solid race. Out of the five rounds he scored points at, it was a podium finish each time. His win at Wilberforce put him out in front of second overall, and third place at Wilberforce, Braden Butcher. It was a Team Green podium and over all with Porsche Reynolds, of Cookstown, Ontario, taking the second place finish at Wilberforce and the third overall. Fischer finished the season with 67 points, followed by Butcher with 42 and Reynolds with 32. Falling just outside of the top three, Honda rider Miquel Renaud-Nolte finished fourth over all with 27 points and Tyler Wicks, of Waterloo, picked up 20 points on his KTM for a fifth over all.
Ryder Heacock, son of Pro #13 Dustin Heacock, did his father proud taking home his first #1 finish, and third podium, of the year. Heacock is one of only two Mini Senior riders to have scored points in all eight rounds of the series. With his #1 finish at Wilberforce, the young Suzuki rider finished third over all. The other rider to score points at all eight rounds, Tyler Maenz of Thorton, finished second both at Wilberforce and overall in the class. Third place went to Tyler's little brother, Ryan, who finished fifth over all. Connor Brogan, son of Vet Ex rider Wayne Brogan, finished five of the first six rounds on the top spot of the box, with one second place in Burnt River. This streak won him the overall championship; even though he scored no points in the last two rounds, Brogan had the necessary points to keep in front of second place. He took the championship with 87 points, followed by T. Maenz with 80 and Heacock with 69. Nathan Playford of Elmira finished fourth overall with 63 points, followed by R. Maenz with 55.
For the second year in a row, Ainsley Farr is your Women's Hare Scramble Champ! The only Women's rider to score points at every round, Farr finished second behind the young Emily Head at Wilberforce. Jessica Cannell, of Toronto, was a surprise third place finisher aboard her Green Machine. The overalls for the Women's class have Farr out front with a commanding 95 points, followed by the elder Head sister, Melissa with 50, younger sister Emily with 45, Kate Knight with 43 and Rachael Comiskey with 49.
David Cockayne, proud father of Pro rider Kevin Cockayne, was not only the #1 Legends finisher at Wilberforce, but the class Champion as well. His #612 KTM finished on the top spot of the box six out of eight rounds, earning him a dominating 90 points. Following Cockayne both in his finish and overall standings is Corrunna native and Honda rider Brad Kitto. Kitto finished with 75 points accumulated from a win and five second places. Third overall went to Rick Day of Milton, who had a win in Burnt River for 15 points.
The Super Vets, for those big bad boys 49+, saw a new champion in the way of Parry Sound's own Brian Holloway. The #617 Suzuki rider had a consistent season, scoring points at all but the last round, including a three race win streak. The overall winner at Wilberforce was Machine Racing's John Nelson, keeping his win streak alive. While Nelson only raced three rounds (Barrie, Burnt River and Wilberforce) he won every round he entered. Second place went to Caledon's Bruce Moffatt aboard the #302 Yamaha. Third place at the event went to Steven Hart of Bond Head on the #616 Yamaha. The overall in the class went to Holloway with 76 points, followed by Greg Bradnam with 66, Steven Hart with 47, John Nelson with 45 and Keith Billings with 35. Billings narrowly beat out Moffat and Lance Matthews, who each had 34 points, for the final top five spot.
The Vet class saw German born Guido Kneilling take home the overall and the win at Wilberforce, narrowly beating out Jim Clayton for the champion spot. Kneilling will contest the Vet Ex class in 2010, as per the progressive class structure. Second place at Wilberforce went to Brad Brown, of Iona, Ontario, while Clayton finished third. It was truly a battle between the two KTM riders, with the #928 of Kneilling taking the overall championship from Clayton's #929 by a single point: 91 to 90. Third place went to Steven Kelly of Oakville with 30 points, followed by Barry Billings of Cambridge with 29 and Dennis Imeson, of Bell River, with 26.
2008 Youth Champion Jesse Grummett took home the 2009 Novice A championship, with a big enough lead that he opted to run the Intermediate class in Wilberforce. The win at Wilberforce went to #426 Suzuki rider Jacob Faber. Finishing second both in the day and overall was Chris Culbert-Castello of Uxbridge. Third at Wilberforce was Mitchell Lawson, of Woodville, Ontario. The overall for the class had Grummett with 87 points, Jed Franko of Caledon with 65 (the only Novice A to attend every, and score points, at every round), Culbert-Castelo with 43, Brett McBain of St. Thomas with 38 and Andrew Powell of St. Catherines with 36.
Culbert-Castelo will most likely move up, along with Champion Grummet and Jed Franko, to the Intermediate class. These two riders, if you remember, were promoted together from the Youth class at the end of last year. They're shaping up to be quite a pair, with memories of Tony Boerkamp and Chris Van Hove written on this new generation. They are definitely riders to watch, as I don't imagine either will take too long to get to Expert, and it's only a matter of time before they're jockeying for that #1 plate.
Roger Messier had the championship locked up going into Wilberforce, but that didn't stop the former Pro from taking another victory, his first since Vienna. The big bad black KTM rider had an amazing ride, keeping up with Adam Millson and Michael Jonker of the Expert class. Behind Messier was Paul Andratis and Dave Nelson (second and third respectively). The overall for the class had Messier with an absolutely astonishing 114 points, Andratis in second with 90, followed by Nelson with 44. Randy Zuest of Rockwood had 39 points and Stephen Tustin narrowly edged out Dwayne Soper for the final top five spot with 36 points.
2009 Intermediate Champion Greg Filer was busy studying and getting ready for school, but had the championship wrapped up, with an untouchable 97 points in the biggest class. Finishing first in Wilberforce was Christian Birker, of Stoufville. Birker came out to only a few rounds, but was sure to support his friend, Barker, in his first attempt at running a national. Second lace went to Eric Langford of Millgrove, while Steven Bond took home third. The overalls had Filer in first, as already said, followed by Bond with 67 points, Dmitry Tsvetkov with 66 points, Steven Shaw with 44 points and Eric Langford with a tight 43 points.
New comer to the series Adam Millson surprised everyone when he came out of the gate ready to dominate, putting down some impressive battles with Michael Jonker. The double digit boys took commanding control of the class, often finishing first and second place throughout the season. Millson's gap, however, over Jonker allowed him the comfort to move up to the Pro class for Wilberforce and try his hand at the class he will move to in 2010. Jason Griffeth, of Bowmanville, took home the win, after finishing behind Millson and Jonker at five out of the remaining seven rounds. Torin Linton, younger brother of Pro rider Tyler Linton, finished second, followed by Jonker, who suffered mechanical trouble. The overalls have Millson up front with 102 points, followed by Jonker's 89, Griffeth with 71, Frank Cantin with 52 and Drew Slikker with 28, narrowly edging out 2008 third place finisher Lee Hill.
And then there were the Pros...
At St. Thomas, Brian “Wojo” Wojnarowski finally claimed the #1 plate, after chasing it for three years, finishing runner up twice in a row (once to the young Van Hove and once to Toyota-Yamaha teammate Jake Stapleton). With another win in front of a very proud family including his grandfather, father, wife and son, Wojo became the 2010 CMA National Hare Scramble Pro Champion.
It was a tight race, with a restart in the afternoon class due to some miscommunication. After organizer Nick Barker finished fixing the problem, the race was restarted. Wojo's first start had him out front, but the second start saw Chris “Hooter” Van Hove, Wojo's biggest competitor throughout the season, out ahead. Local boy Aaron Wilkins pushed hard too; he was in a solid second place position but wanted to make sure he kept that #2 Wojo was so sick of. Wojo, never one to sit back on his laurels, was hot on their heels and fought long and hard until a mechanical failure forced Hooter to back off the throttle and limp through the finish for a second place over all.
Unaware of the situation, Wojo continued to ride hard, losing his seat part way through the last lap, not that it really mattered, as Wojo rarely sits down.
When it was all over, the Wojo mojo worked and Mister Brian Wojnarowski was the new champion of the Pro class. Good friend and fellow Pro class rider Dustin Heacock presented him with a #1 plate. Wojo was happy with the way he rode and proud of his competitors.
All of the riders were satisfied with the challenging course that Barker had laid out and while it was difficult for some riders, they are all ready and rearing to go for next year. With the Labour Day long weekend format, it made for a hell of a pit party afterwards.
It’s the off season now, but we’ll be back soon enough. May is only eight months away!
Pro class calendars are available for $25, as are photo CDs (contact for pricing). Email me at showie@mail.com for more information.
As always, photos are available here.
Friday, September 4, 2009
About Time!
St. Thomas
August 16th was a big day for dirt biking in Canada. It was the last day of the Walton Trans Can race, the big to-do for all the CMRC moto-heads. But even more near and dear to our hearts, August 16th was the day the man who would be king, the two time runner up in the CMA Hare Scramble series, finally got what he came for. After opening up the gap in Oshweeken on second seated Chris Van Hove, Wojo pushed harder, while Hooter was forced back by more bike trouble. When the mud and dust had settled, it was final: with one race left, Wojo was Champion. After chasing the #1 plate for three years, Wojo finally had it. Congratulations, Wojo! I don’t think anyone has worked as consistently hard for that plate; you earned it, buddy!
But before we go deeper into the Pro race, as there was as much drama as in any other Pro class, let’s start from the beginning.
St. Thomas is a beautiful track, known for its valleys and multiple water crossings. Put on by the Lynn Valley Dirt Riders, the event was well organized, as always, and fun for both competitors and spectators. I am constantly amazed by the number of people, the growing number of people, who stay to watch the Pros and afternoon classes. It shows that the support is there, and that you, as spectators and fans of the sport, are proud of the level of riding that we have here in Ontario. Our riders are trying to step it up, those who participated in the WEC were woken up when they faced the best from the West.
The day opened up, as most do, with the youth classes. For the Mini Junior class, Jordan Fisher, who has been sitting in first for some time now, collected another win at St. Thomas giving him a whopping twenty-point lead over second place Braden Butcher. Porsche Reynolds, of Cookstown, Ontario, made it a team Green podium by putting the #552 Kawi up next to the #540 and #566s of second and first. In Mini Senior Nathan Playford, no stranger to the podium, finally climbed his way to the top of the box on his #577 KTM. The orange rider has had two second place finishes and a third, but in St. Thomas finally made his way to first place, followed by brothers Tyler and Ryan Maenz of Thorton Ontario. Tyler took home second aboard his #594 Kawasaki, while #555 Ryan rode his Honda to a solid third.
Ainsley Farr is your 2009 CMA Ladies Champion! The only female rider to score points at every round, that hard working woman has put herself a full forty points in front of second place Kate Knight with a second place at St. Thomas. On top of the podium was local lady Renee Freeman, of Ruthven, Ontario. Rachel Comiskey took home third place and ten points for her efforts.
Novice A was a bit of an upset, with Chris Culbert-Castelo taking the win, with points leader Jesse Grummett coming in second. In the Youth class last year these two riders rode hard against each other, and I guess they aren’t done battling yet. Culbert-Castelo will have to make the move to the afternoon program, however, if he wants to keep up with Grummett who will make the move at Wilberforce, this Sunday. Local boy Brett McBain, on the #737 Yamaha, took home third place.
In the Veteran class, Jim Clayton edged out Guido Knieling to lead the class by a slim four points. Clayton’s win stretched his lead over Knieling, who took home second place. Jeff Stephens, of Port Colborne, make it an all orange podium, with three KTMs up on the box. The Veterans, all plus 40, are a tough bunch of men who are still running with the young bulls.
Speaking of tough, older men, the Super Vet class, composed to 50+ year old riders, has been dominated by Brian Holloway, the Parry Sound native and Suzuki rider has put that yellow #617 up on the box more times than any other rider in the class, including the top spot at St. Thomas. Yamaha rider Steven Hard took home the second place finish, for third overall in the class, while Husaberg rider, Greg Bradnam, put that big euro bike in third place, for second overall.
Following the Veterans and Super Vets can be difficult, if you aren’t a Legend. Not only a Legend, but part of what might become a Legacy, David Cockayne put his #612 KTM up on the top of the box, yet again, leading his class with a monsterous 75 points. He has won five out of seven rounds. Brad Kitto took home a fourth second in a row, twelve points behind Cockayne.
Now, the morning vets are fast, and experienced riders, but when a Veteran wins his class, he gets bumped into the afternoon program, to the Vet Expert class. Roger Messier battled hard with Paul Andreatis all year for the #1 spot, and while Andreatis took home the win at St. Thomas on his Huskey, Messier’s mean, black KTM took the overall after finishing second. In third place, Dwayne Soper of London, Ontario, made it a total Euro podium, with that #371 KTM on the last podium position.
Speaking of dominators, Greg Filer made his last appearance at St. Thomas, taking home yet another first place trophy. As your 2009 CMA Intermediate champion Filer will race in the Expert class next year. Following him on the podium was Oshweeken’s top Intermediate rider Steven Bond, of Kitchener, Ontario. Steven Shaw, in Uxbridge, Ontario put his Yamaha back up on the podium for the first time since Barrie, with a third place finish.
The Millson/Jonker show continued once again, with Jonker being forced back into second after a triumphant, hard fought win in Oshweeken. Millson edged out the younger rider and took home another fifteen points, making him the first rider to push into the 100 point range, with 102 points after six wins and one second. Jonker is in second place with 79 points. Jason Griffeth, of Bowmanville, Ontario, took home the third place trophy at St. Thomas, and is seated in third place, a mere four points in front of Frank Cantin in fourth.
And... the Pros...
At St. Thomas Brian Wojnarowski did what he’s been trying to do since he moved into the Pro class four years ago. Brian “Wojo” Wojnarowski is your 2009 CMA Pro Hare Scramble Champion! With a win at St. Thomas, Wojo pushed himself out of the reach of second place in the standings Aaron Wilkins. Wilkins, one of only three Pros to get to the top spot of the box, had a rough run at St. Thomas and finished just inside the points, receiving only three points. Third in the points standing, Kevin Cockayne took home third place behind Mister Mike Vandenhoek. Vandenhoek finally got that mellow yellow Suzuki on the podium after a season filled with DNFs, bike trouble and bad luck.
With one race left, Wilberforce this weekend, the Pro class looks like this:
Brian Wojnarowski – 79
Aaron Wilkins – 63
Kevin Cockayne – 51
Chris Van Hove – 47
Tyler Linton – 41
Dustin Heacock – 38
Jeff Pillon – 26
Chad Burford – 21
Mike Vandenhoek – 19
Bryan Marshall – 16
Michael Bond – 15
Jake Stapleton – 15
Tim McIntosh – 11
Trevor Hall – 6
Tom Farr – 3
Jonathan Ryan – 2
Brandon Lawson – 1
Nick Barker, OCMC rider and Wilberforce organizer, has put lots of work into the Wilberforce course, so I encourage everyone to come out and give it a run, and congratulations to the champions who’ve been decided already, and good luck to those titles still in contention!
As always, photos are available here. I will be selling calendars for pre order at the race at Wilberforce; come up and see me (in the red IMX shirt) to take a look at the promo copy and to order your very own copy of the 2010 Pro calendar, $25/each.
See you in the woods!
August 16th was a big day for dirt biking in Canada. It was the last day of the Walton Trans Can race, the big to-do for all the CMRC moto-heads. But even more near and dear to our hearts, August 16th was the day the man who would be king, the two time runner up in the CMA Hare Scramble series, finally got what he came for. After opening up the gap in Oshweeken on second seated Chris Van Hove, Wojo pushed harder, while Hooter was forced back by more bike trouble. When the mud and dust had settled, it was final: with one race left, Wojo was Champion. After chasing the #1 plate for three years, Wojo finally had it. Congratulations, Wojo! I don’t think anyone has worked as consistently hard for that plate; you earned it, buddy!
But before we go deeper into the Pro race, as there was as much drama as in any other Pro class, let’s start from the beginning.
St. Thomas is a beautiful track, known for its valleys and multiple water crossings. Put on by the Lynn Valley Dirt Riders, the event was well organized, as always, and fun for both competitors and spectators. I am constantly amazed by the number of people, the growing number of people, who stay to watch the Pros and afternoon classes. It shows that the support is there, and that you, as spectators and fans of the sport, are proud of the level of riding that we have here in Ontario. Our riders are trying to step it up, those who participated in the WEC were woken up when they faced the best from the West.
The day opened up, as most do, with the youth classes. For the Mini Junior class, Jordan Fisher, who has been sitting in first for some time now, collected another win at St. Thomas giving him a whopping twenty-point lead over second place Braden Butcher. Porsche Reynolds, of Cookstown, Ontario, made it a team Green podium by putting the #552 Kawi up next to the #540 and #566s of second and first. In Mini Senior Nathan Playford, no stranger to the podium, finally climbed his way to the top of the box on his #577 KTM. The orange rider has had two second place finishes and a third, but in St. Thomas finally made his way to first place, followed by brothers Tyler and Ryan Maenz of Thorton Ontario. Tyler took home second aboard his #594 Kawasaki, while #555 Ryan rode his Honda to a solid third.
Ainsley Farr is your 2009 CMA Ladies Champion! The only female rider to score points at every round, that hard working woman has put herself a full forty points in front of second place Kate Knight with a second place at St. Thomas. On top of the podium was local lady Renee Freeman, of Ruthven, Ontario. Rachel Comiskey took home third place and ten points for her efforts.
Novice A was a bit of an upset, with Chris Culbert-Castelo taking the win, with points leader Jesse Grummett coming in second. In the Youth class last year these two riders rode hard against each other, and I guess they aren’t done battling yet. Culbert-Castelo will have to make the move to the afternoon program, however, if he wants to keep up with Grummett who will make the move at Wilberforce, this Sunday. Local boy Brett McBain, on the #737 Yamaha, took home third place.
In the Veteran class, Jim Clayton edged out Guido Knieling to lead the class by a slim four points. Clayton’s win stretched his lead over Knieling, who took home second place. Jeff Stephens, of Port Colborne, make it an all orange podium, with three KTMs up on the box. The Veterans, all plus 40, are a tough bunch of men who are still running with the young bulls.
Speaking of tough, older men, the Super Vet class, composed to 50+ year old riders, has been dominated by Brian Holloway, the Parry Sound native and Suzuki rider has put that yellow #617 up on the box more times than any other rider in the class, including the top spot at St. Thomas. Yamaha rider Steven Hard took home the second place finish, for third overall in the class, while Husaberg rider, Greg Bradnam, put that big euro bike in third place, for second overall.
Following the Veterans and Super Vets can be difficult, if you aren’t a Legend. Not only a Legend, but part of what might become a Legacy, David Cockayne put his #612 KTM up on the top of the box, yet again, leading his class with a monsterous 75 points. He has won five out of seven rounds. Brad Kitto took home a fourth second in a row, twelve points behind Cockayne.
Now, the morning vets are fast, and experienced riders, but when a Veteran wins his class, he gets bumped into the afternoon program, to the Vet Expert class. Roger Messier battled hard with Paul Andreatis all year for the #1 spot, and while Andreatis took home the win at St. Thomas on his Huskey, Messier’s mean, black KTM took the overall after finishing second. In third place, Dwayne Soper of London, Ontario, made it a total Euro podium, with that #371 KTM on the last podium position.
Speaking of dominators, Greg Filer made his last appearance at St. Thomas, taking home yet another first place trophy. As your 2009 CMA Intermediate champion Filer will race in the Expert class next year. Following him on the podium was Oshweeken’s top Intermediate rider Steven Bond, of Kitchener, Ontario. Steven Shaw, in Uxbridge, Ontario put his Yamaha back up on the podium for the first time since Barrie, with a third place finish.
The Millson/Jonker show continued once again, with Jonker being forced back into second after a triumphant, hard fought win in Oshweeken. Millson edged out the younger rider and took home another fifteen points, making him the first rider to push into the 100 point range, with 102 points after six wins and one second. Jonker is in second place with 79 points. Jason Griffeth, of Bowmanville, Ontario, took home the third place trophy at St. Thomas, and is seated in third place, a mere four points in front of Frank Cantin in fourth.
And... the Pros...
At St. Thomas Brian Wojnarowski did what he’s been trying to do since he moved into the Pro class four years ago. Brian “Wojo” Wojnarowski is your 2009 CMA Pro Hare Scramble Champion! With a win at St. Thomas, Wojo pushed himself out of the reach of second place in the standings Aaron Wilkins. Wilkins, one of only three Pros to get to the top spot of the box, had a rough run at St. Thomas and finished just inside the points, receiving only three points. Third in the points standing, Kevin Cockayne took home third place behind Mister Mike Vandenhoek. Vandenhoek finally got that mellow yellow Suzuki on the podium after a season filled with DNFs, bike trouble and bad luck.
With one race left, Wilberforce this weekend, the Pro class looks like this:
Brian Wojnarowski – 79
Aaron Wilkins – 63
Kevin Cockayne – 51
Chris Van Hove – 47
Tyler Linton – 41
Dustin Heacock – 38
Jeff Pillon – 26
Chad Burford – 21
Mike Vandenhoek – 19
Bryan Marshall – 16
Michael Bond – 15
Jake Stapleton – 15
Tim McIntosh – 11
Trevor Hall – 6
Tom Farr – 3
Jonathan Ryan – 2
Brandon Lawson – 1
Nick Barker, OCMC rider and Wilberforce organizer, has put lots of work into the Wilberforce course, so I encourage everyone to come out and give it a run, and congratulations to the champions who’ve been decided already, and good luck to those titles still in contention!
As always, photos are available here. I will be selling calendars for pre order at the race at Wilberforce; come up and see me (in the red IMX shirt) to take a look at the promo copy and to order your very own copy of the 2010 Pro calendar, $25/each.
See you in the woods!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Calendars!
This here is a link to my facebook album containing the preliminary (aka concept/preview) designs for the 2010 CMA Pro Calendar. Last year's calendar was a great success, so I'm going to be doing it all over again! But with one change... Last year I was unable to use photos from the last round (Wheatley) because I was selling the product already. This year I plan to remedy that problem (because I love Wilberfoce so much! Thanks to Nick for keeping it on the schedule for us!) by doing these concepts, and then taking orders.
Calendars are $25 each, with bulk discounts available, and will be shipped to you (shipping included in your price). They feature a 12 month format, featuring 12 riders including Wojo, Hooter, Tyler, Mike, Kevin, Aaron, Swampy, Jake, Trevor, Dustin and Jeff, with photos from every round (except Moorefield, where I was absent).
Calendars can either be ordered at Wilberfoce on September 6th, or you can email me at showie@mail.com.
For an update on the Western WEC, from myself and the West Coast Suzie, pick up the new issue of IMX, released at Walton this past week.
I will be updating with the results from St. Thomas as soon as I get the official results. The Pro class was filled with more drama as usual, but one thing is sure, Wojo is one happy man. :)
Calendars are $25 each, with bulk discounts available, and will be shipped to you (shipping included in your price). They feature a 12 month format, featuring 12 riders including Wojo, Hooter, Tyler, Mike, Kevin, Aaron, Swampy, Jake, Trevor, Dustin and Jeff, with photos from every round (except Moorefield, where I was absent).
Calendars can either be ordered at Wilberfoce on September 6th, or you can email me at showie@mail.com.
For an update on the Western WEC, from myself and the West Coast Suzie, pick up the new issue of IMX, released at Walton this past week.
I will be updating with the results from St. Thomas as soon as I get the official results. The Pro class was filled with more drama as usual, but one thing is sure, Wojo is one happy man. :)
Friday, August 14, 2009
Oshweken 2.0
They say that lightning doesn’t strike twice. Well, I don’t know who they are, but I think that they’re wrong. Oshweken was another mud bog of a race, with a huge thunderstorm setting the afternoon classes back by almost two hours, with the skies opening up just before the two hour mark came up in the morning.
The early morning Youth classes got off scot free with slightly slippery clay but no deep, sticky mud. Kyle Bichard of Georgetown, Ontario, took home the win in the Mini Junior classes, with Tyler Wicks taking home the second place trophy. Cookstown native Porsche Reynolds took the last spot on the podium in the little-little bike class.
In the Mini Senior class it was another win for Connor Brogan, who now has a commanding 31 point lead over second seated rider Tyler Maenz. Nathan Playford of Elmira put his #577 KTM up on the podium for the third time in a row, taking a solid second place. Ryder Heacock, son of the big #13 Pro Dustin Heacock, finished the podium off in third on his #551 Suzuki.
As the morning riders took to the line the skies all around the land cut deep into the back of a farm on the Oshweken Reserve were dark and filled with doom and gloom. The morning riders were praying that the rains would hold off until they were finished, while the afternoon riders, with a few exceptions (*cough*Wojo*cough*), were praying that the skies would open up and dump on the morning and dry up for the afternoon.
It was a hot, humid and sticky race for the morning riders, with the Ladies, Novice B and A, Vet and SuperVet riders taking off in 30 degree weather with a humidex pushing the temperature almost into the 40s! Yeah, it was hot.
2008 Ladies Champion Ainsley Farr is working her way towards a repeat with another victory. She’s now so far ahead of second place Kate Knight that the only way Knight can take the #1 is by winning the next two rounds, while Farr scores no points. OCMC member Rachel Chomiskey took home the second place trophy in her third race of the year with local lady Ginny Carson taking home the final podium spot on her RM 125.
David Cockayne, of the #7 on the KTM Cockaynes, took home another win in the Legends Class, with a solid 60 points to put him out front. Brad Kitto of Coruuna, Ontario finished second, sitting now in second with 51 points.
Novice A was another Jesse Grummett show, but the Kid Champ wasn’t without challengers. Local rider and Steel City member Rick Boughner had an awesome start, pushing that big 470 YZ 250 out into second through the first corner. Jed Franko, the second place finisher and second seated rider in points, took home the hole shot in true KTM style, reminiscent of Hole Shot Hero Aaron Wilkins. Jessie Grummett took home another victory, setting up a 23 point gap between himself in first place and Franko in second. Jeff Lee of Welland, Ontario took home a third place to finish the podium.
Another win from Jim Clayton of St. Thomas set him into first in front of fellow KTM rider Guido Knieling in the hotly contested Veteran class. Chris Taylor of Ancaster, Ontario pushed his #961 Honda into second while the Kohlwessen (that’s in Germany) had to settle for third place. Clayton sits in first, a single skinny point separating him from second seated rider Knieling.
In Super Vet action Brian Holloway took home a second win in as many races, stretching his lead over second seated rider Greg Bradnam. Bradnam finished second on his #910 Husaberg. Bond Head native Steven Hart pushed that #616 Yamaha into third, making his presence known on the track.
As the last riders from the morning classes were pulling off the track the skies were opening up pouring heavy rain, punctuated with lightning streaking across the sky and thunder loud enough to shake the fifth wheel trailers of the Linton, Van Hove and Marshall camps. The heavy rain and thunder lasted for the better part of an hour, and when it was all over several trees had fallen throughout the woods. Steel City stepped up and cleared a path for riders, while the riders were thinking “Not again,” with few exceptions.
The Intermediate class saw Steven Bond take a win away from Greg Filer. Filer, who took home second, is now 23 points ahead of second place Dmitry Tsvetkov. Robert King of Burlington, Ontario, took home his first podium position with a third place.
In Vet Expert action Roger Messier had to settle for second behind the Husquavarna of Paul Andratis of Simcoe, Ontario. While the mud took away Messier’s perfect season, he remains 24 points ahead of Andratis. Chris Donald, on the big bad #330 Machine Racing Honda finished in third.
The Millson/Jonker show continued in Oshweken as the #77 and #88 bikes took off ahead of the rest of the line. They traded off the lead before Jonker finally managed to do what he had been trying to do since Port Colborne. Millson’s perfect season, much like Messiers, went down in Oshweken, with Jonker finally taking the win. Congrats, Michael! Local boy Drew Slikker of Caledonia, Ontario took home the last spot on the podium.
And last but not least, the Pros.
They’re fast. They’re smooth. They have pretty red and white number plates.
Wojo is on a quest for speed, hungry to build on his momentum from Vienna. He and Aaron Wilkins had quite the battle going on from the start. The Hole Shot Hero, however, ended up on the top spot of the box at the end of the day, with Wojo taking a satisfied second. Tyler Linton took home a confusing third. As with all mud races, figuring out who finished where was a trick of the time keepers.
Chris Van Hove’s Husquavarna quit well before the young gun was ready to give up, but with a dog bite filled with sweat and gas on his leg, and a 450 that didn’t want to run, the rider was forced out early once again. The former champion is now a heart breaking 19 points back from Wojo who sits in first.
Wojo’s 64 points aren’t keeping him safe, however, as after two wins, one third, one second and one fourth place finish, Aaron Wilkins is only four points back with 60. Van Hove remains in third place with 45 points. Four points back from him sits Tyler Linton in fourth, tied with Wilkins’ Mission Cycle team mate Kevin Cockayne. Back in sixth sits Dustin Heacock, who has re-entered the game after a year of taking it easy. Jeff Pillon proves that consistency is key, sitting in seventh. Pro Rookie Chad Burford is at home in eighth place, while Michael Bond sits in ninth. Rounding out the top ten is one time finisher, former Champion and runner up in the points race for the WEC National Enduro, Jake Stapleton. With a fifteen point victory in Burnt River, Stapleton has managed to put himself in front of Bryan Marshall (eleventh) and Mike Vandenhoek (twelfth).
This weekend the series heads to St. Thomas for the second to last round of the series. Hosted by the Lynn Valley Dirt riders, sponsored by Husaberg, Husquavarna and Ross Rocher Sales, the race is a favourite among riders and spectators.
For more information check out the CMA Website, otherwise I’ll see you in the woods.
As always, photos are available here. Please do not steal them. Photo CDs are available for sale, contact me for details either through email or at the races.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
