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.

Wheatly Photos

I finally uploaded the Wheatly photos, sorry ladies and gentlemen.

Down in the Boondocks

Well, boys and girls, the season is over. The dust has settled, there is no more mud on the tires and the bikes are (mostly) back in one piece before a winter rebuild. It’s time to reflect and be thankful that most of us made it through the season without a serious injury, and that while there were a few minor and one or two more serious injuries, nothing proved too serious, and thankfully nothing was fatal. In the coming weeks, I will be doing a full series recap, but for now, I still need to offer the play by play on what ended up being one of the most shocking races of the season!
Starting with the Youth classes, not many were sure how many Youth riders would turn up; Wheatley is a very far way from home, and Monday was a school day after all, but all of the usual faces were there. Jesse Grummet took another win on his TM, though he wasn’t allowed to walk away with it, as Chris Cuthbert-Castelo didn’t make the big trip just to let someone else win. Chris ended up in second place for his trouble, while Mitchell Lawson took home a solid third. There were only four competitors, with Connor Brogan rounding out the pack aboard his KTM.
The Novice A field, as usual, was packed, with local boy Brandon Tiessen took home the victory with an amazing ride, gapping second place Jacob Farber by a good margin. Series points leader, Greg Filer, made the trip, knowing that second place Mark Koens was as hungry for a championship as he was. For his trouble, Filer finished third, and received 10 points, more than enough to keep him out of Koens’ reach. Both Filer and Koens will make the move next year to the afternoon classes, taking on a new batch of bikes in the Intermediate class, filling the void left by the top two finishing Intermediates.
The Ladies class was a shocker, with local girl Renee Freeman taking on not only her class, but working her way into the Novice A class, aboard her Suzuki rocket. Amanda Hutchinson finished second, riding a solid, but somewhat distracted race, while Rachael Comisky finished third. Ainsley Farr, who suffered mechanical failure at Wilberforce that hadn’t been repaired yet, had more bad luck, crashing and injuring herself. She rode what would be a safe race, knowing that she had the championship in her pocket already.
Super Elmo Rutnik took home another victory, securing his spot as Super Vet Champ, in front of Steven Hart, an equally talented rider. Rutnik finished first in seven out of nine races, finishing second at Barrie and receiving no points at Wilberforce. Brian West, over-all third place finisher, came in second in the race, gaining 12 points to put him in front of fourth place Brian Holloway. David Filer, father of Novice A Champion Greg Filer, took home third for a fifth place finish over all.
Vet action belonged to the strong at heart. First belonged to Leon Manning; he took his first win away from dominant forces Wayne Brogan and Keith Billings, who have dominated the top spots on the podium all year. Dennis Imeson came in second, aboard his #977 Husquavarna. The final spot on the podium went to Jeff Green, of Essex, on his #992 Honda.
The afternoon classes saw a few upsets. In Vet Expert class, Tim McIntosh had his best finish of the year, taking the top spot on the podium. Don Given, the 2008 Vet Expert Champion, took the number two spot and Paul LaChance made his podium premier in third place.
Payton Gagnier of Bell River took the Intermediate win on his #153 Yamaha, ahead of Jason Griffeth of Bowmanville. Local boy, Mike King, of Leamington, took home the final spot on the podium on his #140 Yamaha. With Filer and Koens entering the class next year, Michael Jonker and Christian Birker, the juggernauts who have been battling back and forth all year for the #1 spot (Jonker took the over all), will move up into the Expert class.
Expert class was more of the same. Chad Burdford took another win, adding to his streak, winning 5 out of 9 races, coming in second once. Brandon Lawson took the second place, and Frank Cantin took the last spot on the podium. Burford, the top finisher in Expert, will move up to the Pro class next year, along with Frank Cantin.
And now we’ve reached the Pros.
Everyone knew, going in, that Jake Stapleton and Brian Wojnarowski would be first and second, but the question was who would take the #3 plate. With Stapleton absent (due most likely to a hand injury sustained at the Corduroy Enduro), stakes were higher. If Mike Vandenhoek could get those 15 points from the win, he would put himself in front of Linton for the #3 plate. Unfortunately for Linton and Vandenhoek, Aaron Wilkins was back, and the holeshot machine that he is, he took a big lead right off the start. Following Wilkins were Wojo and Vandenhoek, with Chris van Hove, local boy Brad Dixon and Linton trailing behind.
Tragedy struck Vandenhoek again; the sand was thick and took its toll on his GasGas’ air filter. Vandenhoek was forced to pull off, much to the disappointment to his crew, but also to Linton, who had been trailing behind, but fighting to get back up to Vandenhoek.
Wojo took the win, van Hove took the second and local boy, Brad Dixon, took the last spot on the podium.
For next year, this is what your Pro line up looks like:
#1 – Jake Stapleton
#2 – Brian Wojnarowski
#3 – Tyler Linton
#4 – Mike Vandenhoek
#5 – Chris van Hove
#6 – Aaron wilkins
#7 – Kevin Cockayne
#8 – Jonathan Ryan
#9 – Bryan Marshall
#10 – Mike Bond
#11 – Derek Arnold
#12 – Brad Dixon
#13 – Dustin Heacock
#14 – Darryl Forsbrey
#15 – Jeff Pillon
#16 – Tom Farr
#17 – John Head
#18 – Wayne Carrol
Chad Burford and Frank Cantin will have their choice of numbers between #19 and #79.
It was a hell of a season, ladies and gentlemen, and it looks like, for next year, it just might be an even wilder ride. So enjoy the off season, sleep in on Sundays, and know that come next May, we’ll be back to do it all over again.
Congratulations to the Champs; Jesse Grummet, Greg Filer, Ainsley Farr, Elmo Rutnik, Wayne Brogan, Don Given, Michael Jonker, Chad Burford and Jake Stapleton.
Cheers to an awesome season.

I'm having technical issues with my photo host at this time, but pictures will be up shortly. I'd like to thank everyone who has given me support this season, and all the riders who have tolerated me as their paparazzi. Stay tuned for some easter egg content, prints, calendars, posters and other goodies.

May the Force be With You

Wilberforce, Ontario hosted the second last hare scramble of the year in the CMA series. Special thanks go out to Bruce Moffit and the Holton Off-Road Riders for setting up the 13 kilometre loop through sand, up and over hills, between trees and around a freshly groomed motocross track. The dirt in the woods was soft and loamy, great for traction, bad for durability. By the time the big boys in the afternoon came through the woods most of the dirt had been worn away, exposing rocks and roots, making for one bumpy ride.
Youth action had Jesse Grummett, a rider who has caused much controversy, finish outside the top three. Chris Culbert-Castelo took another victory home, with Mitchell Lawson sitting pretty in second place, both in the race and in the over all points chase. Zach Lewis took home his first set of points since Burnt River, with another third place finish.
A note on Grummett, regarding the controversy about his alleged course cutting: whether or not he is cutting the course, I do not know, and I will not enter into this debate. In an attempt to remain neutral on most controversies I kept my mouth shut on the Oshweeken event where Pro rider Jake Stapleton was put down a lap and had a water bottle thrown at him. I also tend to keep my mouth shut when I hear off colour comments about Pro riders and families taking up spots on gasoline alley. I’ve also refused to make comment on racers roosting and racing through gasoline alley. I draw the line at accusing a young rider of cheating with some very derogatory names. You know who you are; I’ve heard Grummett called words I could not in good conscious repeat.
I don’t know if he’s cheating, or if he’s not, either way, he does not deserve the backlash that he has received.

The many steep elevation changes caused more than one endo, but lessons were learned. Rachel Chomsky, of the Ladies’ Class, learned the hard way what pulling the front brake while going down hill will do when she sent her TTR-125 down one of the steep rock hills. She got up, though, and still managed to finish the race. Rachel finished second behind Amanda Hutchinson, who took her second first place trophy home. Points leader Ainsley Farr had a short race, when she cracked her water pump and had the pleasure of pushing her bike out and through the rough and rocky course.
Rachael keeping 'er on two wheels in another difficult, rocky section.

Novice A saw new faces up on the podium, with Glen Young of Pickering taking the victory on his KTM. Nick Barker of Aurora took second place home in front of many elated friends and family who, after an entire season of racing, were happy to see the #462 KTM up on the podium. Third place belonged to Fabio Vettorello, who has now worked his way into third over all in points, moving past Zac Bauman. In spite of less than stellar performances by points leaders Filer and Koens, they still hold the number one and number two spots, all but insuring that they’ll be moving up into the Intermediate class next year.

Steve Hart, amazing rider he is, showed that with age comes wisdom, skill and a toughness derived from years of riding. He won his first race of the year at WIlberforce, and he did it with cracked ribs! Rick Hone took home second place, inching closer to Brian Holloway, who sits currently in third. Mark Zimny, aboard the # 625 KTM, took home his first podium position, a solid third place.
The Veteran class saw another victory for Wayne Brogan, followed by a solid second place finish by Steve Young. Clinging to the podium after finally arriving in St. Thomas, Steve Tustin took home third place, making for one talented podium. Brogan, much like Rutnik, has had an all but perfect season, having come in first in every race with the exception of Barrie, where he finished third.
Who says you have to be young to go fast?
Steve Hart, cracked ribs and all, won his first race, and did it in awesome style!

In the afternoon, Don Given took home the medal in Vet Expert, squeezing Dave Nelson out of the first position and forcing him to settle for second. Paul Andratis took home third place, rounding out the podium.
The Intermediate class once again belonged to Michael Jonker, who took home his fifth first place trophy in as many races. Congratulations, Michael! We’ll be looking forward to seeing you race in the Expert class next year! Following Jonker was Jason Griffeth of Bowmanville in second place, and Steve Oomen of Palgrave making his series and podium debut in one shot.
For those of you who don’t remember, Oomen was the Novice A champ from last year. Clearly he hasn’t been sitting back this summer and has stepped up his game for the Intermediate class.
The big news comes from the Expert class, however, as points leader Chad Burford did not get on the podium! For what ever reason, he wasn’t “feeling it” and pulled off near the end to have a freezie. Chad, only you could make that sound good! That said, Burford will be moving up next year into the Pro ranks, and rumour has it the man with the wild hair will be running some very original equipment.
The pink thing is a freezie.

James MacPhail of Oakville took home the first place trophy, and the medal that went with it. Not only is this MacPhail’s first win of the season and his first podium, it is the first time he’s received points since Barrie! Congrats, James! Second place went to Brandon Lawson and third belonged to Torin Linton, who scraped by without getting lapped by older brother, Tyler Linton, Pro #7, as they both came through the barrels, third in their classes!
Congrats to the Linton Brothers!

As already stated, Brian Wojnarowski was out this round, so it was up to Mike Vandenhoek, Chris van Hove and Tyler Linton to step it up a notch and battle hard for those valuable 12 points. Mike Vandenhoek and Chris van Hove were off to an awesome start, chasing down leader Jake Stapleton and charging hard, battling for that second place finish, while Tyler Linton, who was last off the start, had to ride his way through the pack, spending the entire first lap riding in the dust and fog of the riders in front of him.
Vandenhoek ran out of luck once more, though, and was forced to pull off when he destroyed something in either his radiator, or his cooling pump. For all he tries, poor Mike just can’t catch a break.

Tyler Linton moved into third place in the race, and in points standings, with Chris van Hove taking home second.
Jake Stapleton ran a classic race, almost lapping up to the hard battling Linton boys, which would be third place in his own class! That’s a Ricky of a ride there, if I can go so far. Congratulations, Jake. You’ve got the number one plate!

In the current Pro standings, Jake and Wojo are locked in as first and second, no one is a position to challenge either of them. Third place Tyler Linton has 60 points, Mike Vandenhoek has 57 and Chris van Hove has 42, with Kevin Cockayne in fifth with 37 points. It will all come down to Wheatly in the first weekend of October. Linton will want to hold on to that #3 plate, but Vandenhoek and van Hove won’t be willing to settle for #4 and #5 so easily.
If you’re free on Sunday, October 5, come out to Wheatly and watch to see who gets crowned as the #3 rider in the Canadian National Hare Scramble series!
In the mean time there’s the Parry Sound Grand Prix September 13 and 14, and on the 20 and 21 the Corduroy Enduro is being held.
Chris van Hove, showing us how a properly balanced diet can lead to excellent results.

If I don’t see you at the events, I’ll see you in the woods!
Photos; again, please don't steal these from me. I work hard for them, and to make you all look good. It's a labour of love, and if you steal from me, I'll hate you.
Photos

When the Satins Go Marching In

The St. Thomas round of the CMA National Hare Scramble was a much welcomed change from the mud of Oshweeken. While there were multiple water crossings and many small mud holes, it was still a much drier, much tackier track, and most riders were very pleased with the lay out.

The morning classes took off on a modified version of the course that cut out many of the trickier sections, including the large down hill section about after the start and the some of the water crossings.
Still, morning riders encountered tough terrain and some slick spots, especially just after the water crossings, where over anxious riders with wide open throttles chewed deep ruts into the river banks. According to more than one rider, the water wasn’t the problem, it was the muddy banks.
Jesse Grummett took yet another win aboard his TM. Caleb Bauman made it three for three with a third second place finish in as many races. Chris Culbert-Castelo managed to push his Kawasaki onto the podium.
Jeff Orr of Georgetown came out of nowhere aboard his #413 Honda to steal the win away from point’s leader Greg Filler, who took home second for his trouble. Third place belonged to Fabio Vetterollo. Though, by the way #395 Mark Koens and #384 Patrick Plante were battling, you’d think that they were challenging each other for the lead! The two bikes rode together for most of the race, trading places and plastic for the better part of the two hours.

Of the Ladies class, Ainsley Farr took another win, with Rachel Comisky taking second. The two Yamaha girls showed that smaller wheels doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t over come the water.
Keeping the Super record, Elmo Rutnik put in a spectacular run to put that #699 KTM at the top of the podium. Brian Holloway of Parry Sound made his way back to the podium after three rounds off the block. Frank Sutton, of London, made his first appearance on the podium aboard his #692 GasGas.

In Vet action, Wayne Brogan went for an even 100 points, taking his sixth first out of seven races. Steve Tustin, of Gilford, made his first podium finish aboard his Kawasaki, stealing second away from Husquavarna rider Steve Young, who took home the third place trophy.
In the afternoon riders encountered deep ruts, exposed roots and sections where the loamy earth was stripped into a single line.
Vet Expert Randy Zuest took another win aboard his #309 Husquavarna. Keeping with the brand, second place Paul Andratis, of Simcoe, Ontario, took another second, after a #2 finish at the Ant Hill. Dave Nelson managed to keep the #328 KTM on the podium, but just barely, taking home third place.

The Intermediate class saw Michael Jonker take home another first place trophy with his #127 KTM, all but guaranteeing his place in the Expert class for next season. Marcel Filion of St Catherines put his #178 Honda on the podium for the first time since Port Colborne, capturing another second place. Steven Bond finished in third, improving on his previous finishes.

Chad Burford took home another win, collecting another 15 points, earning an even 90 points so far this season. Leigh Boerkamp made another appearance, and improved on his third place finish at the Ant Hill, taking home the second place trophy. Torin Linton took home third, but is still 9 points back from Lee Hill in fourth and only 2 points ahead of Brandon Lawson in sixth.

It was another blue and orange podium in the Pro class, with Stapleton coming back from his sixth place finish in Oshweeken for another first. Brian Wojnarowski managed to put more points between himself and Mike Vandenhoek, securing his #2 plate for another year before heading off to Greece for the ISDE, finishing in a solid second place in front of Chris van Hove and his #1 KTM, who took home third. Aaron Wilkins ran another amazing first half, running in the top three for most of the first hour, before fading back to fourth.

Drama in the Pro ranks happened again, but this time it didn’t involve spectators, scorers or Jake Stapleton. In the first corner a pile up occurred when the #5 KTM belonging to Kevin Cockayne and the #7 Honda of Tyler Linton collided. Linton’s foot peg apparently punctured the KTM rad, ending Cockayne’s race day before it even started.
Will the real Mike Vandenhoek please stand up?


Again, I've made all the photos from St. Thomas available, but please respect me and my work. I walked the entire track to get these photos, walking through mud, crossing the river and up and down some steep hills, so please don't steal my photos.
http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f218/GrayerGray/St%20Thomas/?start=all"

Mid Week Update

I know I haven't gotten my update done yet, but it seems that the YOUTH and SUPER VET results are MISSING! If anyone has a photo of the results, feel free to send them to me at showie@mail.com, it would be much appreciated. From there, I will forward the results onto the proper people. This appeal came to me from the top, so it's not just me asking for it, it's your governing body, the CMA.

In other interesting news riders are getting ready for the ISDE in two weeks. Ontario's own Brian Wojnarowski, our Number Two man on the Yamaha packed up his WR450 over a month ago, but will leave at the end of this week to be reunited with the woods weapon. With a fresh armfull of Shift gear, two new chest protectors and a bucket of gloves, Wojo plans to work his mojo against the toughest of the tough in the world of off road riding in the E2 class for the Trophy Team. The best of luck to you, Brian! We'll all be cheering for you!

With Wojo out of the picture, this means that the next round of scramble action will be even more exciting! The number two spot is wide open, and with bad luck plauging Mike Vandenhoek, good luck on Tyler Linton's side, and Aaron Wilkin's starts that can only be described as incredible, it's going to be one Hell of a battle at Wilberforce. And if Chris van Hove chooses to make the trek, he could throw a huge wrench in Linton's plans for the #3 plate.

The update -should- be finished sometime later today, or early tomorrow. Keep checking back, as I'm going to try to have some more regular content in the future, gearing up for the last few rounds of the year. Also, look for rider, mechanic and organizer interviews in the off season! Anything that'll keep you coming back for photos, news and tips and tricks for the off road rider!

Also, photo books are in the works, people! Yessiree, photo books! Organized by race, I'm going to publish some of my best shots of the year. I don't know what it's going to cost me yet (yes, I'm publishing it by myself) so I can't give a rough cost out to anyone. Keep checking in, though, as I get more information, I'll post it.

If you have any comments, questions, ideas, as always, I'm available BEFORE and AFTER (clearly, not during) the races, and you can reach me at showie@mail.com.

Keep 'er on the trail!
- S

Wojo Mojo

Brian Wojnarwoski: Mud, what mud?

The sixth round of CMA hare scramble action landed in Oshweeken this past weekend, and so did the rain. Saturday afternoon the skies opened up and the rains came down. And down. And down. The hard pack clay of the Oshweeken club trails turned into slick goo that stuck to everything. Bikes gained weight with every spin of the tires and riders had to constantly fight the traction stealing slickness both up and down steep hills.
This mud.

Conditions in the morning went from bad to worse as the rain came back for the late morning riders, soaking the Novice and Vet classes and Ladies with another 25 mm of cold precipitation. Riders on the line waited under umbrellas held by stalwart friends and family members, huddled over gloves and goggles in a desperate attempt to delay the inevitable: a slick soaking of mud. When the board went side ways and the bikes roared to life off the line the mud flew! Even two lines back riders were catching roost of the starters. The grass on the starting line straight away didn’t last long and soon became one of the snottiest, slickest sections. By the time the afternoon classes took to the line it was a mess.

For everyone who raced that disgusting, soupy, greasy, slippery, slick, muddy day, I’m putting ALL of my photos up. That's 133 photos! I can't tag everyone, mostly because unless I know you well enough to know your gear, I probably can't tell you from anyone else with all that mud on! If you see yourself, email me (showie@mail.com) and I'll set a tag in. Whether you were first, or dead last, if I have a photo of you, it’s here! Everyone who finished that race deserves to see themselves, thick and loaded down with mud.
A special congrats goes to the Novice B rider who came out of the woods in the afternoon; you came in after time, buddy, but you finished, and that’s what really matters. You didn’t pull off and you didn’t give up.
#751 Coming out of the woods after nearly three gruelling hours on the track!


Youth phenom Jesse Grummet, who has an incredible lead on second place, stayed home for the bike wrecker of a race, leaving first place wide open for anyone who was brave enough to complete the shorter morning loop. Chris Culbert-Castelo, of Port Perry, Ontario, took the victory, pushing himself into third over all for points. Number two once again went to Caleb Bauman of Flordale aboard his Kawi. Mitchell Lawson rounded out the podium with a solid third place finish. Grummet remains untouchable, however, with a giant 13-point gap on Lawson, and an impressive record of four wins in six rounds.
When the youth classes pulled off the field, letting the boys and girls of the morning classes take over, the skies decided to open up. The rain was cold, and just hard enough to be more than annoying. It also kept me, for the most part, off the track and hiding under a pit tent.
Caleb’s older brother, Zac, took the victory out of the hands of Mark Koens and Fabio Vettorello who finished third and second respectively. The slick and muddy weather, which favours the larger, stronger, stockier riders in the novice classes, played against the points leader, Greg Filler, who’s 377 KTM finished outside of the points. Koens has closed the gap on first place to ten points; if he can steal a victory this weekend in St. Thomas and Filler finishes below sixth place, we might have a new points leader for the Novice A class!
After losing a win to friend Amanda Hutchinson, Ainsley Farr came back in the mud. Surprising that little 85 pulled through, but the small bike and rider pulled through the woods for another victory. Ainsley has walked away with the championship this year, and there’s no doubt about that! Second place went to Donna Fisher aboard her Suzuki and third belonged to Rachel Comisky. Now, of the three women, only Fisher was aboard a full size bike, so again I am amazed that these machines pulled through the mud; clearly a testament to the determination of the riders.
Elmo Rutnik puts the “Super” in Super Vet, and he showed why at Oshweeken. Of all the riders who took to the track, both morning and afternoon, Rutnik would be one of the smoothest guys out there!
Elmo "Mister Smooth" Rutnik

He certainly put his years in the sport, riding in all sorts of unseemly conditions, to good use in the slop that was Oshweeken, all but securing his place as Super Vet champion. Second place went to Brian West, of Sarnia, Ontario, while Steven Hart took home third. Hart won’t be back for St. Thomas, however, as in his battle to hold on to third in the slippery conditions, he crashed and injured his ribs. We’ll be thinking about you, and wishing you a speedy recovery!
Wayne Brogan was another Vet who put his years of nasty conditions to good use in the mud; extending his points lead over second place in the Plus 40 Vet Class. Brogan took the win over Jim Clayton, second, and Steve Young, third, thus extending his points lead by an indomitable 34 points! With just three races left, and Brogan’s impressive win record, it’s unlikely that anyone will be able to catch him.
Whatcha lookin' at?

The skies were kind enough to clear up a little for the afternoon riders, but really all that served to do was add sunlight and stickiness to the mud and muck. Deep tire ruts had formed in many places, with slide marks on either side, from where riders had put their feet down to steady themselves in corners, down slick hills or just in tight straight sections! Even Jake “the Great” Stapleton was caught with his feet down!
Brian "Swampy" Marshall, showing us how it's done.

Stapleton, doing the Swampy-Slide.

Vet Expert Dave Nelson put a victory notch in his belt, something he hasn’t been able to do since Barrie back in June! Jamie Jones, known for his bright pink pants which bring back memories of the early ‘90s, was a solid second, a nice recovery from the Ant Hill where he finished just shy of the podium in fourth. Don Given, points leader on the 323 Yamaha finished just this side of the podium cut off for a third. Of all the classes, Vet Expert is the tightest points race. One point separates first and second, with Don Given ahead of Dave Nelson 65 to 64; St. Thomas will be a deciding factor. It’s my prediction that these two phenomenal riders will be battling it out to the last lap, in the last race.
Even the mud couldn't hide Jones' bright pink pants!

Michael Jonker made it three wins in a row at Oshweeken, and four wins over all, extending his lead over second in points Christian Birker. Marcel Filion took his second second place of the year, and first podium position since the first race in Port Colborne. Steven Shaw, of Uxbridge, fell back a position from his second in Moorefield, to finish off the podium in a solid third. For his part, Birker finished within the points, collecting six for his fifth place finish. He remains in second, ten points ahead of third.
Drama in the Expert class! First ranked Expert Chad Burford threw his bike down, sick of the conditions, the dangerous hills and corners. When asked later, he commented: “It’s just not fun when it’s like this.” Burford did pick his bike up, and managed to finish second, in front of Brandon Lawson, but behind Lee Hill. With his third podium of the year, and first win, Hill must have been at least a little happy with the way things turned out.
Speaking of drama, here are the Pros! Brian Wojnarowski took his first win and broke his second place curse with a phenomenal ride in the mud! Wojo made the mud look easy with a smooth style and amazing balance. Jake was running in second behind Wojo, but due to an issue with the scorers, he was penalized and put a lap down, opening the door for Tyler Linton to make his podium debut in second place! The 12 points second place got him allowed Linton to pull away from Aaron Wilkins who was threatening the #4 plate for the front of Linton’s bike. Mike Vandenhoek made another appearance in third. Stapleton is only 9 points in front of Wojo in the points chase, with Vandenhoek 21 off that, and Linton a mere 6 points away from putting a #3 on his bike.
Aaron Wilkins, with a 1/2" extention for a shock bolt, and no rear breaks, he's STILL smiling!


Even a lap down, Jake Stapleton still managed to pick up 5 points for a sixth place finish. Stapleton, ever the even tempered gentleman, shrugged the black flag, which was apparently due to not calling his number out while going through the barrels, with that polite little smile, and even walked away from a “fan” who threw a full water bottle at him after he allegedly roosted the scoring tent. Now, I wasn’t there, but from the looks of the tent, Stapleton wasn’t the only one flinging mud. Besides, it’s a mud race, roost happens. Acting like a goon and chucking a water bottle at any rider, no less a Pro, is a disgusting show of unprofessional behaviour, regardless of who did it. It’s inexcusable. And to the fans who called the would be pitcher on his actions: Thank you!
Oshweeken was a nasty race, with nasty circumstances, nasty conditions, and clearly at least one nasty spectator. With that in mind, everyone will be looking forward to St. Thomas. The weather has been good this week, and while they’re calling for thunderstorms Sunday afternoon, we all have high hopes for one race, just one race, where there’s at least a little less mud.
See you at the races! And for everyone who entered and finished the race: Congratulations! You all deserved it, regardless of the position you finished in.
Photos. Please don't copy/distribute them without permission. I go through a lot of trouble to get these photos.
http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f218/GrayerGray/Oshweeken/

EDIT
It has been brought to my attention that Youth rider Jesse Grummett was allegedly disqualified for cheating this round; this information comes from a participant and not a CMA representative, or representative of the Steel City Riders. I say "allegedly" because I can neither confirm or deny that Grummett actually cheated. With the poor track conditions, anything is possible.