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.
Monday, September 21, 2009
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.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Rescheduled Race Day
Sorry about the delay in getting these results and photos up. I’ve been quite busy with everything happening with the WEC and preparing for the Eastern rounds. I hope to see many of you ladies and gentlemen there; the western riders are fierce competition, but on home turf I’m sure Jake, Wojo, Guy and Chris will be able to pull up their socks and get the job done.
But, to the topic at hand: Vienna. The Vienna round of the CMA Hare Scramble series was originally scheduled for June 21, but due to rainy conditions and a new, unbeaten track, the race was cancelled. The rescheduled event took place last weekend, July 19, in Vienna on an entirely new course. The territory was virgin for both morning and afternoon riders, as the Intermediate, Vet Ex, Experts and Pros ran several sections of trail reserved specifically for them, with only a single or double set of tire treads from when the course was cut.
The loop was much shorter than the previous week’s event in Moorefield. The Ant Hill Classic, always a long loop, was somewhere in the 20+ kilometer range, while the Vienna loop was just short of 8 kilometers. This led to short lap times and lots of chance for the many spectators who gathered on the many elevation changes to catch a glimpse of their favorite riders, or for families stuck in the pits to cheer on their brothers, sons, friends and fathers.
In the morning, the youth classes ran a slightly s shorter version of the course. Mini Junior winner Miguel Renaud-Nolte, of Kitchener, Ontario, was the sole rider in his class, getting to the top spot after a second place in Moorefield. The #571 Honda is now in second place behind Jordan Fischer’s #566 Kawasaki.
Mini Senior, always the larger of the two classes, saw Connor Brogan do his father proud by adding another win notch to the bar pad. Connor has won every round except Burnt River, where he came in second to Port Perry’s Cody Curran. Following Brogan’s #598 KTM was Nathan Playford of Elmira, Ontario, who has been consistently improving his finishes since his debut at Burnt River. Finishing third, but standing second overall in the points standings, was Tyler Maenz, on the #594 Kawasaki hailing from Thorton, Ontario.
These tough mini riders will most likely be making the move to the Novice A class in 2010, looking to mimic the domination showed by Jesse Grummett, last year’s Youth Champion.
And what can be said about Mister Grummett, except that he is one fast kid! That #410 Yamaha flies through the woods with shades of Wojo written all over it. Jesse took home his fourth win in four races (he was absent at the previous round in Moorfield). This kid flies! By the end of the first lap, despite having taken off in the dead middle of the five lines, Grummett had worked his way into the Super Vets (who had taken off first).
Following Grummett on the podium was Jed Franko, of Caledon, Ontario and Andrew Powell of St. Catherines on a pair of KTMs. The #443 of Franko and the #398 of Powell offered a challenge for Grummett, but in the end Grummett proved to be more determined.
Representing her gender, Ainsley Farr was the only lady to who raced the Vienna loop. The tough as nails far has finished first on podium every round except Port Colborne where she fell to fifth place. She currently sits ahead of second place Kate Knight and is anticipating another #1 finish to go with the Championship plaque from 2008.
The Legends class raced again, with David Cockayne, of Kevin Cockayne relation, took home a third win and Brad Kitto, of Corunna, Ontario, took home second place.
Super Vet Brian Holloway took that #617 Suzuki right to the top of the podium at Veinna, roading past second place Greg Bradnam (Husaberg) and third place Frank Sutton (Husquavarna). For a bunch of old guys, the Super Vets are a class of gentlemen and fast riders, proving that blind stupidity and throttle twisting are nothing when compared to years of experience and a proven technique… Unless of course, you’re Bobby Prochnau (the WEC riders will understand the joke.)
Former Expert rider turned old man Lee Hill took home the top spot with the Veteran class. Retiring from the afternoon program, Hill found riding in the morning much more relaxing; a fresh, unbeaten course with fewer ruts, roots and crap to contend with. Following Hill’s freshly renumbered #970 KTM on the podium was the #911 of Jeff Stephens of Port Colborne in second and Jim Clayton in third. Clayton remains in first place overall in the points, over absentee Guido Kneiling.
Knieling is currently on vacation riding the wilds of Michigan but is expected back and better than ever for Oshweeken in August.
And that concludes the morning program.
The afternoon classes, as mentioned before, had a slightly different, but no longer, loop to run, which included to spectator accessible areas designed to encourage morning riders and their families to stay and cheer on their favorite Intermediate, Vet Ex, Expert and/or Pro.
The Intermediate class was missing several notable faces, including big brute Mark Koens and strong silent type Nick Barker. Koens was at the Gopher Dunes National, turning wrenches and changing tires, while Barker was prepping the Wilberforce loop for the newly reinstated last round. It was doubtful whether the Wilberforce round would happen, without a club or organization to back it and without adequate volunteers. OCMC stepped up, as did 20 year old Nick Barker.
Barker ran the 2008 OCMC club race at Wilberforce to great reviews and is a die hard, hard core off-road rider at heart. Much like Pro rider Chad Burford, Barker can be picked out a mile away by his vintage riding pants, and off color jersey. He proves you don’t have to match, or have a new bike, to go fast and be determined. Thank you, Nick, for making sure we get that last round in.
But, back to racing!
The Intermediate class was a battle between Dmitry Tsvetkov of Concord and Steven Bond of Kitchener. Greg Filer, who finished third overall and remains first in points, had a crash early off the start that caused him to start at the back of the field and forced him to work his way up. The short laps can be an advantage and a disadvantage in these cases. Filer had plenty of time and options to get into the more open sections of the otherwise tight course, but so did Tsvetkov and Bond.
Vet Expert was dominated, big surprise, by Roger Messier of Paris, Ontario. The black KTM flew through the short course, eating through the Expert class, passing back of the pack Pro riders and threatening the masculinity of all involved. Messier is one of only two riders to have five wins in five races this season. Last year no rider was able to have a perfect season; Messier, apparently, has taken it upon himself to correct this. Paul Andratis pushed his Husquavarna to a second place finish and Randy Zuest worked his to third.
The Expert race was another epic battle between Jonker and Milson. Despite a pretty brutal looking crash, Millson was able to bounce back (as did his front fender) to rip victory from the talons of second place. Jonker was forced to take another second place, though he traded scrapes with Millson on more than one occasion, switching back and forth for the lead. Finishing in third place was Bowmanville native Jason Griffeth on his #103 KTM. There’s got to be something about those double numbers; #77 and #88 are both on fire this season. Like Messier, Jonker and Millson fought their way into the back of the Pro ranks at Vienna.
And then there were the Pros…
At Moorefield many Pros, including front runners Brian Wojnarowski and Chris Van Hove, Mister Consistent Tyler Linton and Bryan “Swampy” Marshall, were absent, racing in Penticton at the fourth round of the World Enduro Canada CEC series. Wojo and Van Hove came back with something to prove, Linton came back with a hunger for the podium and Marshall came back with what he thought would be a new appreciation for Southern Ontario sand. But, there was no sand to speak of at Vienna, only dirt; moist, loamy, super tractiony dirt.
Without question, Aaron Wilkins proved, without a doubt, he is one of the best starters on the line, taking yet another hole shot. Mike Vandenhoek and Wojo were hot on his tail, coming through the first left hander side by side. Wilkins was gone, leaving Wojo and Mike to battle hard, until Mike went down and Wojo, rather than going down himself, was forced to rundown his fellow racer’s bike, going over the front tire. No stranger to bad luck, or unlucky circumstances, Mike knew he was done.
Vandenhoek wasn’t the only Pro to fall out of the race. Not long after Chris Van Hove, who was fighting back and forth for the lead with Wojo once they passed Wilkins, suffered a fateful and catastrophic crash. The #5 Husquavarna crashed hard and forced the break pedal into the engine case, puncturing it, thus crippling the machine and making it one very expensive piece of scrap for the time being. Van Hove had no choice but to abandon his bike against a tree while it did a Valdez and hoof it back. Upon hearing this, Vandenhoek the good Samaritan went out to get the other unlucky rider.
Further back in the pack, Tyler Linton fought hard against Kevin Cockayne for the last podium spot before finally getting in front of his old number to take the last podium position.
When the dust settled and the riders were hosed down Wojo had another victory under his belt, putting him into first place over all. Aaron Wilkins finished second, far enough in front of Linton that he couldn’t be caught, but far enough behind Wojo that he knew he wasn’t getting first. Aaron now sits in second overall for points, pushing Van Hove into third. While Tyler managed to pick up ten points and a third place trophy, while he was away Kevin Cockayne managed to usurp his position in the points standing. Tyler Linton now sits in fifth, behind Cockayne by a shy two points.
Even though he didn’t finish the race, Chris Van Hove gets the Juha Award. In 2007 our very own Kevin Cockayne was having issues getting his bike up a particularly steep section at the World Enduro Championship’s Parry Sound stop. Gio Sala took his bike and rode it up the incline. Van Hove repeated this stunt for a morning rider, getting an overheated KTM to the top, only to have the rider loose the bike at the top.
The next round is in Oshweeken, hosted by one of the oldest motorcycle clubs in Ontario, the Steel city Riders. Last year’s course was a mud hole of sludge and slime that pushed Jake Stapleton into a second place, and a black flag forced him back to sixth, effectively ruining his up-to-that-point perfect season. Anything can happen at Oshweeken, with Hungry Man banners buried deep in the woods and the unpredictable weather of Southern Ontario in the summer.
If anyone is interested in photos from this year, 2008 “yearbook” CDs or info on the 2010 CMA Hare Scramble calendar, please email me at showie@mail.com
As always, photos are available here. Please don't steal from me. I will do prints and CDs upon reqest.
See you in the woods!
- SuziQ
But, to the topic at hand: Vienna. The Vienna round of the CMA Hare Scramble series was originally scheduled for June 21, but due to rainy conditions and a new, unbeaten track, the race was cancelled. The rescheduled event took place last weekend, July 19, in Vienna on an entirely new course. The territory was virgin for both morning and afternoon riders, as the Intermediate, Vet Ex, Experts and Pros ran several sections of trail reserved specifically for them, with only a single or double set of tire treads from when the course was cut.
The loop was much shorter than the previous week’s event in Moorefield. The Ant Hill Classic, always a long loop, was somewhere in the 20+ kilometer range, while the Vienna loop was just short of 8 kilometers. This led to short lap times and lots of chance for the many spectators who gathered on the many elevation changes to catch a glimpse of their favorite riders, or for families stuck in the pits to cheer on their brothers, sons, friends and fathers.
In the morning, the youth classes ran a slightly s shorter version of the course. Mini Junior winner Miguel Renaud-Nolte, of Kitchener, Ontario, was the sole rider in his class, getting to the top spot after a second place in Moorefield. The #571 Honda is now in second place behind Jordan Fischer’s #566 Kawasaki.
Mini Senior, always the larger of the two classes, saw Connor Brogan do his father proud by adding another win notch to the bar pad. Connor has won every round except Burnt River, where he came in second to Port Perry’s Cody Curran. Following Brogan’s #598 KTM was Nathan Playford of Elmira, Ontario, who has been consistently improving his finishes since his debut at Burnt River. Finishing third, but standing second overall in the points standings, was Tyler Maenz, on the #594 Kawasaki hailing from Thorton, Ontario.
These tough mini riders will most likely be making the move to the Novice A class in 2010, looking to mimic the domination showed by Jesse Grummett, last year’s Youth Champion.
And what can be said about Mister Grummett, except that he is one fast kid! That #410 Yamaha flies through the woods with shades of Wojo written all over it. Jesse took home his fourth win in four races (he was absent at the previous round in Moorfield). This kid flies! By the end of the first lap, despite having taken off in the dead middle of the five lines, Grummett had worked his way into the Super Vets (who had taken off first).
Following Grummett on the podium was Jed Franko, of Caledon, Ontario and Andrew Powell of St. Catherines on a pair of KTMs. The #443 of Franko and the #398 of Powell offered a challenge for Grummett, but in the end Grummett proved to be more determined.
Representing her gender, Ainsley Farr was the only lady to who raced the Vienna loop. The tough as nails far has finished first on podium every round except Port Colborne where she fell to fifth place. She currently sits ahead of second place Kate Knight and is anticipating another #1 finish to go with the Championship plaque from 2008.
The Legends class raced again, with David Cockayne, of Kevin Cockayne relation, took home a third win and Brad Kitto, of Corunna, Ontario, took home second place.
Super Vet Brian Holloway took that #617 Suzuki right to the top of the podium at Veinna, roading past second place Greg Bradnam (Husaberg) and third place Frank Sutton (Husquavarna). For a bunch of old guys, the Super Vets are a class of gentlemen and fast riders, proving that blind stupidity and throttle twisting are nothing when compared to years of experience and a proven technique… Unless of course, you’re Bobby Prochnau (the WEC riders will understand the joke.)
Former Expert rider turned old man Lee Hill took home the top spot with the Veteran class. Retiring from the afternoon program, Hill found riding in the morning much more relaxing; a fresh, unbeaten course with fewer ruts, roots and crap to contend with. Following Hill’s freshly renumbered #970 KTM on the podium was the #911 of Jeff Stephens of Port Colborne in second and Jim Clayton in third. Clayton remains in first place overall in the points, over absentee Guido Kneiling.
Knieling is currently on vacation riding the wilds of Michigan but is expected back and better than ever for Oshweeken in August.
And that concludes the morning program.
The afternoon classes, as mentioned before, had a slightly different, but no longer, loop to run, which included to spectator accessible areas designed to encourage morning riders and their families to stay and cheer on their favorite Intermediate, Vet Ex, Expert and/or Pro.
The Intermediate class was missing several notable faces, including big brute Mark Koens and strong silent type Nick Barker. Koens was at the Gopher Dunes National, turning wrenches and changing tires, while Barker was prepping the Wilberforce loop for the newly reinstated last round. It was doubtful whether the Wilberforce round would happen, without a club or organization to back it and without adequate volunteers. OCMC stepped up, as did 20 year old Nick Barker.
Barker ran the 2008 OCMC club race at Wilberforce to great reviews and is a die hard, hard core off-road rider at heart. Much like Pro rider Chad Burford, Barker can be picked out a mile away by his vintage riding pants, and off color jersey. He proves you don’t have to match, or have a new bike, to go fast and be determined. Thank you, Nick, for making sure we get that last round in.
But, back to racing!
The Intermediate class was a battle between Dmitry Tsvetkov of Concord and Steven Bond of Kitchener. Greg Filer, who finished third overall and remains first in points, had a crash early off the start that caused him to start at the back of the field and forced him to work his way up. The short laps can be an advantage and a disadvantage in these cases. Filer had plenty of time and options to get into the more open sections of the otherwise tight course, but so did Tsvetkov and Bond.
Vet Expert was dominated, big surprise, by Roger Messier of Paris, Ontario. The black KTM flew through the short course, eating through the Expert class, passing back of the pack Pro riders and threatening the masculinity of all involved. Messier is one of only two riders to have five wins in five races this season. Last year no rider was able to have a perfect season; Messier, apparently, has taken it upon himself to correct this. Paul Andratis pushed his Husquavarna to a second place finish and Randy Zuest worked his to third.
The Expert race was another epic battle between Jonker and Milson. Despite a pretty brutal looking crash, Millson was able to bounce back (as did his front fender) to rip victory from the talons of second place. Jonker was forced to take another second place, though he traded scrapes with Millson on more than one occasion, switching back and forth for the lead. Finishing in third place was Bowmanville native Jason Griffeth on his #103 KTM. There’s got to be something about those double numbers; #77 and #88 are both on fire this season. Like Messier, Jonker and Millson fought their way into the back of the Pro ranks at Vienna.
And then there were the Pros…
At Moorefield many Pros, including front runners Brian Wojnarowski and Chris Van Hove, Mister Consistent Tyler Linton and Bryan “Swampy” Marshall, were absent, racing in Penticton at the fourth round of the World Enduro Canada CEC series. Wojo and Van Hove came back with something to prove, Linton came back with a hunger for the podium and Marshall came back with what he thought would be a new appreciation for Southern Ontario sand. But, there was no sand to speak of at Vienna, only dirt; moist, loamy, super tractiony dirt.
Without question, Aaron Wilkins proved, without a doubt, he is one of the best starters on the line, taking yet another hole shot. Mike Vandenhoek and Wojo were hot on his tail, coming through the first left hander side by side. Wilkins was gone, leaving Wojo and Mike to battle hard, until Mike went down and Wojo, rather than going down himself, was forced to rundown his fellow racer’s bike, going over the front tire. No stranger to bad luck, or unlucky circumstances, Mike knew he was done.
Vandenhoek wasn’t the only Pro to fall out of the race. Not long after Chris Van Hove, who was fighting back and forth for the lead with Wojo once they passed Wilkins, suffered a fateful and catastrophic crash. The #5 Husquavarna crashed hard and forced the break pedal into the engine case, puncturing it, thus crippling the machine and making it one very expensive piece of scrap for the time being. Van Hove had no choice but to abandon his bike against a tree while it did a Valdez and hoof it back. Upon hearing this, Vandenhoek the good Samaritan went out to get the other unlucky rider.
Further back in the pack, Tyler Linton fought hard against Kevin Cockayne for the last podium spot before finally getting in front of his old number to take the last podium position.
When the dust settled and the riders were hosed down Wojo had another victory under his belt, putting him into first place over all. Aaron Wilkins finished second, far enough in front of Linton that he couldn’t be caught, but far enough behind Wojo that he knew he wasn’t getting first. Aaron now sits in second overall for points, pushing Van Hove into third. While Tyler managed to pick up ten points and a third place trophy, while he was away Kevin Cockayne managed to usurp his position in the points standing. Tyler Linton now sits in fifth, behind Cockayne by a shy two points.
Even though he didn’t finish the race, Chris Van Hove gets the Juha Award. In 2007 our very own Kevin Cockayne was having issues getting his bike up a particularly steep section at the World Enduro Championship’s Parry Sound stop. Gio Sala took his bike and rode it up the incline. Van Hove repeated this stunt for a morning rider, getting an overheated KTM to the top, only to have the rider loose the bike at the top.
The next round is in Oshweeken, hosted by one of the oldest motorcycle clubs in Ontario, the Steel city Riders. Last year’s course was a mud hole of sludge and slime that pushed Jake Stapleton into a second place, and a black flag forced him back to sixth, effectively ruining his up-to-that-point perfect season. Anything can happen at Oshweeken, with Hungry Man banners buried deep in the woods and the unpredictable weather of Southern Ontario in the summer.
If anyone is interested in photos from this year, 2008 “yearbook” CDs or info on the 2010 CMA Hare Scramble calendar, please email me at showie@mail.com
As always, photos are available here. Please don't steal from me. I will do prints and CDs upon reqest.
See you in the woods!
- SuziQ
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Updates
Due to rain, the Vienna round has been postponed until further notice. Sorry, ladies and gentlemen. Keep an eye on the Vienna Trail Rider's website for updates. I will also be updating here on my blog.
In another things, be sure to check out IMX for a preview of the WEC events happening in early July, as well as updates from my trip out west on the IMX Racer's Blog.
Also, I haven't received any nominations for 20 Questions, so perhaps I'll just have to pick someone.
Cheers,
- Suzie
In another things, be sure to check out IMX for a preview of the WEC events happening in early July, as well as updates from my trip out west on the IMX Racer's Blog.
Also, I haven't received any nominations for 20 Questions, so perhaps I'll just have to pick someone.
Cheers,
- Suzie
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Return of the King
This past Sunday the third round of the CMA Hare Scramble series was held at Burnt River. A place known for lots of rocks, logs and water, Connie and RJ had their work cut out for them controlling the beavers that kept damning culverts, flooding large sections of the track. The weather was much better than last year, with a cold snap killing some of the bugs and the rain holding off for the weekend.
Youth Junior was won by local racer Tyler Greenlaw. Yes, that’s Greenlaw as in Connie. Momma was proud to hand her son the first place trophy, that’s for sure. Points leader Jordan Fischer took home the second place spot and Braden Butcher of Barrie, Ontario finished the top three with ten points.
Youth Senior was a much bigger class, with Cody Curran of Port Perry taking home the top spot. Connor Brogan, son of injured Vet Expert Wayne Brogan, took home second, breaking his two race win streak. Mister consistant, Tyler Maenz, of Thorton, Ontario, took home his third third place trophy of the year.
Kate Knight took her first podium at Burnt River, with the top spot, none the less. She beat out Melissa Head, who finished second, and Ainsley Farr, for the honour.
Novice A saw Jesse Grummett doing more of the same, taking home his third first place finish of the year, extending his lead over Chris Culbert-Castelo to 23 points. Culbert-Castelo took home second and Jed Franko, of Caledon, Ontario, took home third place.
Jim Clayton was the top finishing Veteran, followed by the #928 bike of Guido Knieling, second fastest man in the morning at the Barrie round. Waclaw Palider, of Mississauga finished in third aboard his #935 Yamaha.
Super Vet was another slaughter by John Nelson. Bruce Moffat, of Caledon and Lance Matthews, of North Caledon, fought hard, but couldn’t keep up with Nelson’s speed. After two wins, Nelson has two points of Matthews, and eight over Moffat. Elmo Rutnik, last year’s champion, won at Port Colborne, but hasn’t scored a point since, and as such is sitting back in 7th place.
Roger Messier, of Paris, put that big, black KTM back in front for a third time in the Vet Expert class, followed by Dwayne Soper of London in second and Dave Nelson of Drumbo in third.
Another three for three, Greg Filer took home his third win aboard his #177 KTM. He pushed his way into the Expert class for his victory against fellow Milgrove native Eric Langford aboard the #155. Dmitry Tsvetkov, of Concord, Ontario, made it an all orange podium in the Intermediate class.
Expert rider, Michael Jonker, had a great start to the day. Having celebrated his 19th birthday on the Friday, Jonker held off celebrations until he took home a win. He led most of the race, but suffered a harsh crash, which allowed the #77 of Adam Millson to get out in front. Payton Gagnier, of Windsor, made his debuted in second place, with Jason Griffeth taking home third. When the dust settled, the birthday boy was back in forth, finishing just outside the podium.
Now, I called this update return of the King, and there’s a reason for that. Just before noon, as the morning riders were wrapping up, Jake Stapleton, the #1 rider from last year, who won all but two rounds of the ten round series, his bikes wrapped up. Confusing many with his #17 WEC plate, Stapleton went for a ride while Chris van Hove and Wojo battled it out for second place. The race started with an almost hole shot by Aaron Wilkins, the #6 bike falling just short of Wojo’s big, blue #2. Wojo led for a while, but by the time we caught back up with the Pros, Jake had taken over and Wojo was fighting with Van Hove for second place. When the mud dried, and believe me, there was plenty of mud, Jake took the top spot on the podium, Van Hove took second (and the points lead) and Wojo took the last podium spot.
Mike Vandenhoek finished out of points, but gets big style points for keeping those fresh white boots, just that, white. Riding with his feet up over the rad shrouds made not only for pretty white boots, but was a stunt enjoyed by those watching the water “crossing.” It takes a lot of skill to turn a bike in water over the hubs, with your feet up on the shrouds.
The next round, should the weather hold off, will happen next Sunday at Vienna. It is the last chance to see big name riders such as Wojo, Chris Van Hove and Tyler Linton before they head off to the WEC for two weeks. It’s also a brand new course. This is the first time they’re running this course, so come on out and have some fun in the mud.
If the course is rained out, perhaps you’d be interested in heading out to Gopher Dunes to watch Jake Stapleton take on some of the best Ontario has to offer through the CMRC Provincials.
As usual, photos are available here. If you want photo CDs drop me a line at showie@mail.com.
See you in the woods!
- Suzie
Youth Junior was won by local racer Tyler Greenlaw. Yes, that’s Greenlaw as in Connie. Momma was proud to hand her son the first place trophy, that’s for sure. Points leader Jordan Fischer took home the second place spot and Braden Butcher of Barrie, Ontario finished the top three with ten points.
Youth Senior was a much bigger class, with Cody Curran of Port Perry taking home the top spot. Connor Brogan, son of injured Vet Expert Wayne Brogan, took home second, breaking his two race win streak. Mister consistant, Tyler Maenz, of Thorton, Ontario, took home his third third place trophy of the year.
Kate Knight took her first podium at Burnt River, with the top spot, none the less. She beat out Melissa Head, who finished second, and Ainsley Farr, for the honour.
Novice A saw Jesse Grummett doing more of the same, taking home his third first place finish of the year, extending his lead over Chris Culbert-Castelo to 23 points. Culbert-Castelo took home second and Jed Franko, of Caledon, Ontario, took home third place.
Jim Clayton was the top finishing Veteran, followed by the #928 bike of Guido Knieling, second fastest man in the morning at the Barrie round. Waclaw Palider, of Mississauga finished in third aboard his #935 Yamaha.
Super Vet was another slaughter by John Nelson. Bruce Moffat, of Caledon and Lance Matthews, of North Caledon, fought hard, but couldn’t keep up with Nelson’s speed. After two wins, Nelson has two points of Matthews, and eight over Moffat. Elmo Rutnik, last year’s champion, won at Port Colborne, but hasn’t scored a point since, and as such is sitting back in 7th place.
Roger Messier, of Paris, put that big, black KTM back in front for a third time in the Vet Expert class, followed by Dwayne Soper of London in second and Dave Nelson of Drumbo in third.
Another three for three, Greg Filer took home his third win aboard his #177 KTM. He pushed his way into the Expert class for his victory against fellow Milgrove native Eric Langford aboard the #155. Dmitry Tsvetkov, of Concord, Ontario, made it an all orange podium in the Intermediate class.
Expert rider, Michael Jonker, had a great start to the day. Having celebrated his 19th birthday on the Friday, Jonker held off celebrations until he took home a win. He led most of the race, but suffered a harsh crash, which allowed the #77 of Adam Millson to get out in front. Payton Gagnier, of Windsor, made his debuted in second place, with Jason Griffeth taking home third. When the dust settled, the birthday boy was back in forth, finishing just outside the podium.
Now, I called this update return of the King, and there’s a reason for that. Just before noon, as the morning riders were wrapping up, Jake Stapleton, the #1 rider from last year, who won all but two rounds of the ten round series, his bikes wrapped up. Confusing many with his #17 WEC plate, Stapleton went for a ride while Chris van Hove and Wojo battled it out for second place. The race started with an almost hole shot by Aaron Wilkins, the #6 bike falling just short of Wojo’s big, blue #2. Wojo led for a while, but by the time we caught back up with the Pros, Jake had taken over and Wojo was fighting with Van Hove for second place. When the mud dried, and believe me, there was plenty of mud, Jake took the top spot on the podium, Van Hove took second (and the points lead) and Wojo took the last podium spot.
Mike Vandenhoek finished out of points, but gets big style points for keeping those fresh white boots, just that, white. Riding with his feet up over the rad shrouds made not only for pretty white boots, but was a stunt enjoyed by those watching the water “crossing.” It takes a lot of skill to turn a bike in water over the hubs, with your feet up on the shrouds.
The next round, should the weather hold off, will happen next Sunday at Vienna. It is the last chance to see big name riders such as Wojo, Chris Van Hove and Tyler Linton before they head off to the WEC for two weeks. It’s also a brand new course. This is the first time they’re running this course, so come on out and have some fun in the mud.
If the course is rained out, perhaps you’d be interested in heading out to Gopher Dunes to watch Jake Stapleton take on some of the best Ontario has to offer through the CMRC Provincials.
As usual, photos are available here. If you want photo CDs drop me a line at showie@mail.com.
See you in the woods!
- Suzie
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Two to Tango
Well, ladies and gentlemen, after a weekend off, the CMA Hare Scramble series is back in full swing with three back to back races. The first in the triple header was the OCMC fronted Barrie Round held at RJ’s Motorsports Park. Traditionally the largest race of the year, RJ’s the talent field was as deep and varied as the many ruts that developed in the tight woods.
Things started off good with a light rain; given the high sand content of the soil, a light rain was a welcome sight for many riders, even if it meant a very cold start to the morning. Massive numbers turned out for the Novice A and B classes, with first time riders and local OCMC racers making up a huge part of the non-regulars. The large numbers, especially in the morning class, meant that by the time the big boys in the afternoon took over the track, the ruts were deep and breaking and acceleration bumps were big enough to swallow a rear tire whole! Even so, there were still plenty of fast lines and wide open spaces, so much so that bikes were going through more than the regular amount of gas and more than one rider, including Pro Aaron Wilkins, ran out of gas.
As always, Barrie can be a confusing track, with up to three different sets of trail cut into the woods; riders were instructed to stay on the correct path by following the arrows, and not necessarily just following the tracks. Marshalls and club volunteers were out in droves to make sure that everyone played it honest and kept to the correct path.
With so many riders, the Youth class was split into Mini Junior and Mini Senior. Zachary Morgan, #534, rode four gruelling laps for the top spot in the Mini Junior class, followed by Kaleb Gray and Jordan Fisher who each finished three laps, taking home second and third respectively. Mini Senior saw Connor Brogan, son of 2008’s Vet Champ Wayne Brogan, take home the first place spot. Cody Curran took home second and Tyler Meanz took home third.
Special notice goes out to the Brogan family. Wayne suffered an accident at the Port Colborne round, and lost part of his baby toe, in his first afternoon race, no less! Everyone’s wishing you a fast recovery, Wayne!
Birthday girl Melissa Head took home another victory and the 1st place trophy at her home track. The freshly turned 16 year old doesn’t even have a driver’s licence yet, but that doesn’t seem to stop her from burning her way into the Novice A class! Following in her older sister’s tire tracks was Emily Head, who took home second. Ainsley Farr, the reigning champion, rounded out the podium.
Jesse Grummett is looking to prove himself a one trick pony in the Novice A class, and that trick is winning. He’s two for two in his rookie year in the Novice A, and looking forward to Burnt River to add another notch to his bar pad. Following Grummett was Rob Westenberg in second and Chris Culbert-Castelo took home third.
Guido Kneilling was second fastest rider, period, in the morning program, soundly taking the win for the +40 class, and battling with Super Vet John Nelson. Chasing the #928 bike was Todd Topper, in second, and Brian Zuest in third.
The old guys saw a new challenge moving back into the morning from the afternoon program. Last year, John Nelson rode several rounds in the Vet Expert class. Being old enough, he chose to run the morning class as a Super Vet, taking home the top spot soundly, and becoming the overall fastest rider in the morning program. Lance Matthews finished second behind Nelson, and Bruce Moffat took home the final podium spot in third.
The afternoon program, as per usual, ran a slightly modified version of the course. Track Marshalls and volunteers were also crawling all over the place, making sure riders kept honest and stuck to the correct trails.
Greg Filer kept his #177 KTM up front for four laps, taking home the win in Intermediate for the second time. It looks like Filer plans a repeat of last year, blasting his way through the muck and mud to stay up front in almost every race. Chasing Filer’s roost were Steven Shaw and “Baby” Birker, who finished second and third respectively.
Vet Expert was down two tough competitors this round, with John Nelson opting to ride with the rest of the really old guys, and Wayne Brogan out with an injury, it was Roger Messier on that mean, black KTM who took home the top spot. Paul Andratis took home the runner up trophy and Randy Zuest claimed the last podium position.
The Double Digit boys, Adam Millson, #77, and Michael Jonker, #88, battled it out once again in the Expert class, with Millson taking the win, forcing Jonker to take second. The #104 of Frank Cantin battled hard, but couldn’t break past third place.
And then we have the Pros...
Professionalism and drama aside, these men are here to race, and race they did. Aaron Wilkins shocked the audience by not only not getting the hole shot, but by being one of the last riders off the line. Wojo took the hole shot, but a very hungry Chris van Hove, sick of eating roost, was on his heels. Memories of last year’s #2 finishes are clearly fresh in both riders’ minds, and neither plans to be second best this year. Both riders know what it’s like to win, and both are capable of being a champion. We’re in for a great summer of racing between these two, but back to Barrie.
I’m going to start further back than just the top three, because there are a few people who I think deserve recognition who wouldn’t get it if I only cherry picked the top three. Bryan “Swampy” Marshall, the #9 Honda, had a rough start, but it can be forgiven, after all, he was the only Pro who also raced in the Youth Junior class, on a fifty! Bryan’s oldest son, Curtis, rode his first race with his Daddy behind him the entire way. Way to go, MiniMarshall!
Another rider trying something new was CMRC transplant Trevor Hall. The Pro Motocrosser rode his first hare scramble at Barrie, and after two and a half hours he was banged up, bloodied, disoriented, but more than willing to come back and do it all over again! Hall battled hard with the #3 rider, Tyler Linton, but crashed and stalled just enough to let Linton get some room on him. Linton, no slouch when it comes to moto, was able to hold the MXer off even on the mototrack before pulling away in the tight stuff. The pair ran fourth and fifth for most of the race. Hall finished fifth overall for the day.
Once he past Hall, Linton kept on the gas, his eyes set on the last podium spot. All that stood in front of him and a third place finish was the #7 KTM of Kevin Cockayne. The pair ripped around, but Linton was just too focussed. He passed Kevin and finished just in front of the Mission Cycle KTM rider for the final podium position.
Now, as for those two behemoths, van Hove and Wojnwaoski. They fought hard, back and forth trading for first and second for much of the first lap, until Wojo made a mistake and crashed and van Hove capitalized on Wojo’s bad luck and extended a lead that Brian, no matter how hard he pushed himself, just couldn’t catch.
Just as van Hove came back harder than ever after coming second at Port Colborne, there is no doubt Wojo will come back like a bat out of Hell itself at Burnt River. A man with strict determination, who blames no one but himself, Brian Wojnarowski will come to Round 3 with a point to make.
Burnt River takes place at the Burnt River Off-Road Facility this Sunday, June 14th. Come out and show your support for your favourite riders, because anyone who has been to Burnt River knows the kind of Hellish terrain that can be found in the back woods.
See you there!
As always, photos are available. Please don’t steal them. I will be selling photo CDs, if you’re interested, email me at showie@mail.com or 5thgearphotography@mail.com. Also, 2008 Photobooks will be available soon, pricing to be determined, on a preorder, first come first serve basis. If you’re interested, contact me via email, or find me at the races.
Also, many of you might have noticed that in the afternoon I wasn’t alone. My friend, Angela Poon, took some great shots. Check her stuff out here!
Thanks for all of your support. Cheers!
Things started off good with a light rain; given the high sand content of the soil, a light rain was a welcome sight for many riders, even if it meant a very cold start to the morning. Massive numbers turned out for the Novice A and B classes, with first time riders and local OCMC racers making up a huge part of the non-regulars. The large numbers, especially in the morning class, meant that by the time the big boys in the afternoon took over the track, the ruts were deep and breaking and acceleration bumps were big enough to swallow a rear tire whole! Even so, there were still plenty of fast lines and wide open spaces, so much so that bikes were going through more than the regular amount of gas and more than one rider, including Pro Aaron Wilkins, ran out of gas.
As always, Barrie can be a confusing track, with up to three different sets of trail cut into the woods; riders were instructed to stay on the correct path by following the arrows, and not necessarily just following the tracks. Marshalls and club volunteers were out in droves to make sure that everyone played it honest and kept to the correct path.
With so many riders, the Youth class was split into Mini Junior and Mini Senior. Zachary Morgan, #534, rode four gruelling laps for the top spot in the Mini Junior class, followed by Kaleb Gray and Jordan Fisher who each finished three laps, taking home second and third respectively. Mini Senior saw Connor Brogan, son of 2008’s Vet Champ Wayne Brogan, take home the first place spot. Cody Curran took home second and Tyler Meanz took home third.
Special notice goes out to the Brogan family. Wayne suffered an accident at the Port Colborne round, and lost part of his baby toe, in his first afternoon race, no less! Everyone’s wishing you a fast recovery, Wayne!
Birthday girl Melissa Head took home another victory and the 1st place trophy at her home track. The freshly turned 16 year old doesn’t even have a driver’s licence yet, but that doesn’t seem to stop her from burning her way into the Novice A class! Following in her older sister’s tire tracks was Emily Head, who took home second. Ainsley Farr, the reigning champion, rounded out the podium.
Jesse Grummett is looking to prove himself a one trick pony in the Novice A class, and that trick is winning. He’s two for two in his rookie year in the Novice A, and looking forward to Burnt River to add another notch to his bar pad. Following Grummett was Rob Westenberg in second and Chris Culbert-Castelo took home third.
Guido Kneilling was second fastest rider, period, in the morning program, soundly taking the win for the +40 class, and battling with Super Vet John Nelson. Chasing the #928 bike was Todd Topper, in second, and Brian Zuest in third.
The old guys saw a new challenge moving back into the morning from the afternoon program. Last year, John Nelson rode several rounds in the Vet Expert class. Being old enough, he chose to run the morning class as a Super Vet, taking home the top spot soundly, and becoming the overall fastest rider in the morning program. Lance Matthews finished second behind Nelson, and Bruce Moffat took home the final podium spot in third.
The afternoon program, as per usual, ran a slightly modified version of the course. Track Marshalls and volunteers were also crawling all over the place, making sure riders kept honest and stuck to the correct trails.
Greg Filer kept his #177 KTM up front for four laps, taking home the win in Intermediate for the second time. It looks like Filer plans a repeat of last year, blasting his way through the muck and mud to stay up front in almost every race. Chasing Filer’s roost were Steven Shaw and “Baby” Birker, who finished second and third respectively.
Vet Expert was down two tough competitors this round, with John Nelson opting to ride with the rest of the really old guys, and Wayne Brogan out with an injury, it was Roger Messier on that mean, black KTM who took home the top spot. Paul Andratis took home the runner up trophy and Randy Zuest claimed the last podium position.
The Double Digit boys, Adam Millson, #77, and Michael Jonker, #88, battled it out once again in the Expert class, with Millson taking the win, forcing Jonker to take second. The #104 of Frank Cantin battled hard, but couldn’t break past third place.
And then we have the Pros...
Professionalism and drama aside, these men are here to race, and race they did. Aaron Wilkins shocked the audience by not only not getting the hole shot, but by being one of the last riders off the line. Wojo took the hole shot, but a very hungry Chris van Hove, sick of eating roost, was on his heels. Memories of last year’s #2 finishes are clearly fresh in both riders’ minds, and neither plans to be second best this year. Both riders know what it’s like to win, and both are capable of being a champion. We’re in for a great summer of racing between these two, but back to Barrie.
I’m going to start further back than just the top three, because there are a few people who I think deserve recognition who wouldn’t get it if I only cherry picked the top three. Bryan “Swampy” Marshall, the #9 Honda, had a rough start, but it can be forgiven, after all, he was the only Pro who also raced in the Youth Junior class, on a fifty! Bryan’s oldest son, Curtis, rode his first race with his Daddy behind him the entire way. Way to go, MiniMarshall!
Another rider trying something new was CMRC transplant Trevor Hall. The Pro Motocrosser rode his first hare scramble at Barrie, and after two and a half hours he was banged up, bloodied, disoriented, but more than willing to come back and do it all over again! Hall battled hard with the #3 rider, Tyler Linton, but crashed and stalled just enough to let Linton get some room on him. Linton, no slouch when it comes to moto, was able to hold the MXer off even on the mototrack before pulling away in the tight stuff. The pair ran fourth and fifth for most of the race. Hall finished fifth overall for the day.
Once he past Hall, Linton kept on the gas, his eyes set on the last podium spot. All that stood in front of him and a third place finish was the #7 KTM of Kevin Cockayne. The pair ripped around, but Linton was just too focussed. He passed Kevin and finished just in front of the Mission Cycle KTM rider for the final podium position.
Now, as for those two behemoths, van Hove and Wojnwaoski. They fought hard, back and forth trading for first and second for much of the first lap, until Wojo made a mistake and crashed and van Hove capitalized on Wojo’s bad luck and extended a lead that Brian, no matter how hard he pushed himself, just couldn’t catch.
Just as van Hove came back harder than ever after coming second at Port Colborne, there is no doubt Wojo will come back like a bat out of Hell itself at Burnt River. A man with strict determination, who blames no one but himself, Brian Wojnarowski will come to Round 3 with a point to make.
Burnt River takes place at the Burnt River Off-Road Facility this Sunday, June 14th. Come out and show your support for your favourite riders, because anyone who has been to Burnt River knows the kind of Hellish terrain that can be found in the back woods.
See you there!
As always, photos are available. Please don’t steal them. I will be selling photo CDs, if you’re interested, email me at showie@mail.com or 5thgearphotography@mail.com. Also, 2008 Photobooks will be available soon, pricing to be determined, on a preorder, first come first serve basis. If you’re interested, contact me via email, or find me at the races.
Also, many of you might have noticed that in the afternoon I wasn’t alone. My friend, Angela Poon, took some great shots. Check her stuff out here!
Thanks for all of your support. Cheers!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
News
Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,
I get asked from time to time if I can make higher resolution version of my photos available. The pictures that I post online are not the same as the ones that I have on my hard drive(s); they're lower resolution, and smaller. Well, I'm going to make better quality images available.
I will be offering photo CDs now, with varying prices dependending on the number of races and the number of riders on the CDs.
Basic pricing is $5 per rider/per race, and if you were interested in more riders/races, email me and we can work something out. I am also available to do custom prints, thank you plaques and posters.
I can be reached at 5thgearphotography@mail.com or at the races.
Next race is June 7th at RJ's Motorsports Park in Barrie.
Also, look for an update on off road coverage by yours truly in the next issue of Inside Motocross and Off-Road and make sure to check out the racer's blog too!
See you in the woods!
- SuziQ
I get asked from time to time if I can make higher resolution version of my photos available. The pictures that I post online are not the same as the ones that I have on my hard drive(s); they're lower resolution, and smaller. Well, I'm going to make better quality images available.
I will be offering photo CDs now, with varying prices dependending on the number of races and the number of riders on the CDs.
Basic pricing is $5 per rider/per race, and if you were interested in more riders/races, email me and we can work something out. I am also available to do custom prints, thank you plaques and posters.
I can be reached at 5thgearphotography@mail.com or at the races.
Next race is June 7th at RJ's Motorsports Park in Barrie.
Also, look for an update on off road coverage by yours truly in the next issue of Inside Motocross and Off-Road and make sure to check out the racer's blog too!
See you in the woods!
- SuziQ
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Here we go again!
This past Sunday, May 24, the opening round of the CMA Hare Scramble series was held in Port Colborne, Ontario. Run backwards from the previous year, the course had many of the same difficult obstacles that made it fun and challenging last year, and one that made it a very dangerous event. The log hop from last year was still there, though a large divot had been worn into it by rear tires repeatedly spinning against it. The danger came from the dust; in spite of rain on Saturday and early Sunday morning, by the time the big boys in the afternoon took to the course, the open straightaways were treacherously dusty, as freshman Pro Chad Burford would unexpectedly find out. But we’ll get to that in a minute.
The Novice A class lost lots of top finishers from last year, including the series champion Greg Filer. Sunday showed a whole new crop of racers to compete in the fast young class of the morning. Jesse Grummet, #410 , who we all remember from last year as the strong finishing Youth rider, advanced to the Novice A class and took first place soundly, finishing in 2 hours, eight minutes and fifty-three seconds. Following Grummet in second place was Jeff Lee, #371, and Rob Westenberg, #420, in third.
There was upset in the Ladies’ class; with both Ainsley Farr, 2008 Champion, and Amanada Hutchinson, 2007 Champion, racing, but neither coming in at the top spot. New comer and OCMC member, Melissa Head rode her #501 KTM to a first place finish over Hutchinson, who took home second place on the #521 CRF. Head’s younger sister, Emily, #500, took home the third place, coming in less than 20 seconds after Hutchinson.
The Vet class saw promotion of last year’s champion, Wayne Brogan, to the afternoon to run with the Vet Experts, leaving the door open for a new champ. Jeff Hart, on the 939 bike, took the first win of the season, with Guido Knieling, on the 928 KTM, taking home the runner up spot. Third place belonged to Barry Billings, #905.
In Super Vet, there was an incredible sense of déjà vu, with the familiar #699 of Elmo Rutnik out front by almost five full minutes over second place, Rick Hon, #607. Brian Holloway, #617, had the final podium spot by just under a minute, coming in five minutes after Rutnik.
As already reported, the afternoon classes saw a huge swelling in their ranks, with many Novice A’s moving up to the Intermediate class. Greg Filer, last year’s Novice A champion, took home the first win of the season in his rookie race in the Intermediate class, aboard his #177 KTM. Welcome to the big leagues, Greg; you were the only Intermediate rider to complete six laps! Following Filer was Steven Shaw aboard the #200 bike, who finished just past the two hour mark, coming in at 2:00:01. Third place was right behind; coming in at 2:00:02 was #145, Peter Depagter for a tight third place. Other Novice riders who moved up to the afternoon class include Nick Barker, Patrick Plante and Mark Koens.
Vet Expert was won by Paris, Ontario native, #327, Roger Messier. #326, Paul Andratis, came in a minute later for a second place finish, with John Head, #358, taking the final podium spot, edging out #309 Randy Zuest by a matter of thirty-three seconds. Brogan, a fresh promotion from the morning class, had a less than ideal welcome to the afternoon, reportedly severing off a toe! We wish you good luck, and swift healing, Wayne!
The Expert class was down four notable names from 2008. Chad Burford and Frank Cantin were promoted to the Pro ranks, and it is expected that Torin Linton will join them when he recovers from an ankle injury. Lee Hill, a top finisher last year in spite of having many years of “experience” over the other riders, was also not present for the season opener; it is expected that he will return to Expert class.
In another surprise welcome, Michael Jonker, fresh promotion from the Intermediate class, took home an impressive second place in his first race of the year aboard his #88 KTM. Man, there’s gotta be something about those KTMs, because 2 out of 3 podium finishers rode the orange bikes. #103, Jason Griffeth, took home the third place trophy. First place went to #77, Adam Millson, of Ponty Pool, Ontario. Ponty Pool, as some of you might remember, is also home to Brian “Wojo” Wojnarowski. And yes, before you ask, the two came together and are good friends; no wonder Millson was able to keep over a full minute between himself and Jonker, even though he is an admitted moto-guy.
And, here we are, the main event. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you, the Pro class!
Jake Stapleton, the man from Oz who came to Canada after touring Europe and took home the #1 plate for his troubles, will be focussing his attentions on the World Enduro Canada CEC series, and as such, will not be defending his plate. With that in mind, Chris van Hove, the 2007 Champion, has redoubled his efforts, as has Wojo, and both are going to do their best to make sure it’s their bike that has that much sought after #1 on the front in 2010.
The race started, as most races do, with a hole shot from Aaron Wilkins, sporting the #6 on his Mission Cycle KTM. Wojo and Mike Vandenhoek were right on his rear fender. By the time the riders got out into the field section, Wojo and Vandenhoek had pulled in front of Wilkins. They spent the better part of the race battling it out, with Chris van Hove pushing his #5 Husquavarna past the #6 KTM eventually for third place.
Mike Vandenhoek must be Irish, because he certainly has the luck of the Irish. The bad luck that haunted him last year continued into 2009. After pulling in for an extended pit stop to try to fix a stuck clutch, Vandenhoek eventually had to pull out for the rest of the race. Hopefully he’ll have everything sorted out before Barrie on June 7.
But back to the racing...
Aaron Wilkins took third place when he was the first Pro to come in after the 2.5 hour mark, with only Wojo and Chris van Hove going for the eighth lap.
With Vandenhoek out, van Hove pushed that big, bad 450 into second place, closing in on Wojo’s hold on first. It came down to a matter of seconds; Wojo finished at a time of 2:49:24 and van Hove coming in at 2:49:29. It was an incredible last lap as the pair went over the log hop. Riders, spectators and family members cheered the only remaining riders on as they sped through to the finish.
At the finish, there were congratulations, hugs, handshakes and high fives, with everyone looking towards the future.
If Sunday was any indication of how the season is going to go, we’re in for a very exciting season of riding, with changes in all the classes.
The season will continue in two weeks at RJ’s Motorsports Park in Barrie, Ontario.
As usual, photos are available. Please don't steal my photos.
The Novice A class lost lots of top finishers from last year, including the series champion Greg Filer. Sunday showed a whole new crop of racers to compete in the fast young class of the morning. Jesse Grummet, #410 , who we all remember from last year as the strong finishing Youth rider, advanced to the Novice A class and took first place soundly, finishing in 2 hours, eight minutes and fifty-three seconds. Following Grummet in second place was Jeff Lee, #371, and Rob Westenberg, #420, in third.
There was upset in the Ladies’ class; with both Ainsley Farr, 2008 Champion, and Amanada Hutchinson, 2007 Champion, racing, but neither coming in at the top spot. New comer and OCMC member, Melissa Head rode her #501 KTM to a first place finish over Hutchinson, who took home second place on the #521 CRF. Head’s younger sister, Emily, #500, took home the third place, coming in less than 20 seconds after Hutchinson.
The Vet class saw promotion of last year’s champion, Wayne Brogan, to the afternoon to run with the Vet Experts, leaving the door open for a new champ. Jeff Hart, on the 939 bike, took the first win of the season, with Guido Knieling, on the 928 KTM, taking home the runner up spot. Third place belonged to Barry Billings, #905.
In Super Vet, there was an incredible sense of déjà vu, with the familiar #699 of Elmo Rutnik out front by almost five full minutes over second place, Rick Hon, #607. Brian Holloway, #617, had the final podium spot by just under a minute, coming in five minutes after Rutnik.
As already reported, the afternoon classes saw a huge swelling in their ranks, with many Novice A’s moving up to the Intermediate class. Greg Filer, last year’s Novice A champion, took home the first win of the season in his rookie race in the Intermediate class, aboard his #177 KTM. Welcome to the big leagues, Greg; you were the only Intermediate rider to complete six laps! Following Filer was Steven Shaw aboard the #200 bike, who finished just past the two hour mark, coming in at 2:00:01. Third place was right behind; coming in at 2:00:02 was #145, Peter Depagter for a tight third place. Other Novice riders who moved up to the afternoon class include Nick Barker, Patrick Plante and Mark Koens.
Vet Expert was won by Paris, Ontario native, #327, Roger Messier. #326, Paul Andratis, came in a minute later for a second place finish, with John Head, #358, taking the final podium spot, edging out #309 Randy Zuest by a matter of thirty-three seconds. Brogan, a fresh promotion from the morning class, had a less than ideal welcome to the afternoon, reportedly severing off a toe! We wish you good luck, and swift healing, Wayne!
The Expert class was down four notable names from 2008. Chad Burford and Frank Cantin were promoted to the Pro ranks, and it is expected that Torin Linton will join them when he recovers from an ankle injury. Lee Hill, a top finisher last year in spite of having many years of “experience” over the other riders, was also not present for the season opener; it is expected that he will return to Expert class.
In another surprise welcome, Michael Jonker, fresh promotion from the Intermediate class, took home an impressive second place in his first race of the year aboard his #88 KTM. Man, there’s gotta be something about those KTMs, because 2 out of 3 podium finishers rode the orange bikes. #103, Jason Griffeth, took home the third place trophy. First place went to #77, Adam Millson, of Ponty Pool, Ontario. Ponty Pool, as some of you might remember, is also home to Brian “Wojo” Wojnarowski. And yes, before you ask, the two came together and are good friends; no wonder Millson was able to keep over a full minute between himself and Jonker, even though he is an admitted moto-guy.
And, here we are, the main event. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you, the Pro class!
Jake Stapleton, the man from Oz who came to Canada after touring Europe and took home the #1 plate for his troubles, will be focussing his attentions on the World Enduro Canada CEC series, and as such, will not be defending his plate. With that in mind, Chris van Hove, the 2007 Champion, has redoubled his efforts, as has Wojo, and both are going to do their best to make sure it’s their bike that has that much sought after #1 on the front in 2010.
The race started, as most races do, with a hole shot from Aaron Wilkins, sporting the #6 on his Mission Cycle KTM. Wojo and Mike Vandenhoek were right on his rear fender. By the time the riders got out into the field section, Wojo and Vandenhoek had pulled in front of Wilkins. They spent the better part of the race battling it out, with Chris van Hove pushing his #5 Husquavarna past the #6 KTM eventually for third place.
Mike Vandenhoek must be Irish, because he certainly has the luck of the Irish. The bad luck that haunted him last year continued into 2009. After pulling in for an extended pit stop to try to fix a stuck clutch, Vandenhoek eventually had to pull out for the rest of the race. Hopefully he’ll have everything sorted out before Barrie on June 7.
But back to the racing...
Aaron Wilkins took third place when he was the first Pro to come in after the 2.5 hour mark, with only Wojo and Chris van Hove going for the eighth lap.
With Vandenhoek out, van Hove pushed that big, bad 450 into second place, closing in on Wojo’s hold on first. It came down to a matter of seconds; Wojo finished at a time of 2:49:24 and van Hove coming in at 2:49:29. It was an incredible last lap as the pair went over the log hop. Riders, spectators and family members cheered the only remaining riders on as they sped through to the finish.
At the finish, there were congratulations, hugs, handshakes and high fives, with everyone looking towards the future.
If Sunday was any indication of how the season is going to go, we’re in for a very exciting season of riding, with changes in all the classes.
The season will continue in two weeks at RJ’s Motorsports Park in Barrie, Ontario.
As usual, photos are available. Please don't steal my photos.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
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