Round Three: AHRMA Mid Atlantic Cross-Country

 LL Raceway, Fairmount City, PA – May 9, 2021

Author: Joshua Schucker

Photos: Nora Hergenroeder, Brett Reichart & Becky Schreckengost

Last year, LL Raceway served as the unexpected season opener of the Mid-Atlantic region’s cross-country schedule due to delays caused by the early intervention efforts to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic. It was certainly a unique time in individual and collective history, as we all managed to do the best we could with the given situation. 

Generally, that event was a milestone in our vintage racing mindset as we were able to break free from the locked down nature of society in that moment in time and make a group effort to regain some normalcy in a responsible and thoughtful manner. The event generated equal measures of excitement and uncertainty, as well as a touch of surreal. Intent to put another exclamation point on the challenges of 2020 and attempt to strip away the excitement of a return to racing, Mother Nature pounded the area with a week of rain and a race day downpour.

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In 2021, racing returns to Fairmount City’s LL Raceway in its typical early-May spot on the calendar. And, it is once again round three rather than one. That in itself is a small indication of the fact that we are all in a better place than a year ago. Although certainly not completely past the pandemic’s curse, we are progressing. Set to further distance our thoughts from the surreal of 2020 and seek redemption from its mud fest, trial-boss Jim Reitz set foot on Preston Cypher’s LL Raceway property months ahead of the event to prepare an excellent and vintage friendly course. Jim, along with his “A-Team” of helpers, sons Jamie and Mike, and Wally Naletko, worked diligently to avoid most of the low-lying areas that were most impacted by rain in 2020. Assuredly, the intent was to prepare for rain but expect clear blue skies and lovely spring weather. Despite the good expectations about weather, the long-term forecasts were telling a different story leading up to the event, and unfortunately all the reports were consistent…rain coming, and lots of it. There was a sense of dread being fomented by the weather reports, in a similar way to seeing the new trailer for this summer’s blockbuster sequel to whichever horror film was most recently popular. New movie…same place, same victims, same slasher, same outcome. Of course, for us the “slasher” is rain, and thankfully no one is truly a victim of any harm, but the result was looking to be “Quagmire 2” regardless.

However, this sequel looked to set itself apart from the pack by unveiling a completely unexpected plot twist. The meteorologists said it was going to rain, and in that respect, those reports were accurate. It rained often leading up to the event, and by the start of the first race, a steady rain had settled into the area. The plot twist took hold just after the morning’s vintage race. Temperatures, which were expected in the mid-50s, took a plunge into the 30s. Is that snow? It won’t last, after all it is May, right? Well, in 2021’s version of surreal, the rain changed to a steady snow throughout race two and was even beginning to accumulate, turning the course itself white at spots. Even though the precipitation eventually returned to liquid form, the temperatures remained downright frigid for the remainder of the event. There is no denying that these weather events dramatically impacted the course and traction, but all told, the course held up remarkably well. The effort put in by Jim and crew to avoid lower elevations was a resounding success in mitigating trouble areas. The layout, combined with the terrain and soil composition, led to more water flow and standing water than outright mud. If you were able to ignore the cold and wet, the course was extremely enjoyable and far less demanding than one would expect given the conditions. Certainly, there were slick spots and exposed roots that would cause a bit of challenge to most. The course meandered its way around the LL property using a combination of dirt roads, existing two-track, and some fresh single track. The nature of the terrain affords some extreme elevations changes throughout the duration of a four-mile lap. Variety is exceptional and the contrast between woods and historical coal mining spoils is dramatic and entertaining. 

Logan Holley raced to a pair of wins on the day.

Race One (Vintage)

While attendance was down, as is expected with the forewarning provided by the forecast, a surprising group of thirty-two brave souls took their place on the starting line for the morning vintage race. They say it’s lonely at the top, and it sure looked that way as Brian Grove took the rain-drenched green flag. Brian was the only AA rider to make the start and had the front row all to himself. Typically, few can challenge the Husqvarna rider when starting in the same row, so with a clear track ahead and everyone else at least thirty seconds behind, Grove took the easy overall victory. Logan Holley’s lap times were right in the hunt, but he would have to settle for second on his DT360 followed by the Puch of Brett Reichart. Holley and Reichart took the victories in Vintage Open Expert and Vintage 200 Expert respectively. Vintage 60+ Experts Mark Schwab, Randy Marshall, and Marty Strouse would follow each other head-to-tail past the checkers to fill out the class podium in that order, as well as claiming top-ten overall positions. Schwab was challenged early and often as both Marshall and Strouse were within seconds of the lead for several laps before Mark opened some breathing room on the last lap while the Husqvarna duo of Marshall and Strouse battled to the end where Randy would clear Marty by one second for runner-up.  Dave Light made his entrance into the Vintage Open Intermediate class in style as he pushed his MX360 Yamaha through the muck to a solid victory over fellow Yamaha MX rider Mike Reitz. Emily Reichart also debuted in the vintage race at LL and followed Dave’s lead by taking the top spot in Vintage Women’s Intermediate with Jenn Smith close behind in the runner-up spot.

Emily Reichart races to the win in Vintage Womens Intermediate

Race Two (Post Vintage)

Logan Holley saved some speed for the post vintage race as he hustled his IT200 to the front of the Post Vintage 200 Expert class to take the class win while also making up the time from row two to take the overall victory in front of twenty-nine other riders. Rylin Pacella took the class and overall runner up to Holley on his CR125 followed by Eric Weiland in third overall. Weiland claimed victory on his Yamaha YZ in Post Vintage 50+ Expert. Josh Horvath would not only take the Post Vintage Open class, but also claim top intermediate rider in a solid fourth place overall just in front of AA class winner Mike Blackwell’s Yamaha IT. Geoff Kemp was faster than anyone has a right to be on a disco-era Yamaha DT175 as he became the third winner in as many rounds in Post Vintage 200 Intermediate action. Round one winner Mike McCullough took the runner-up followed by Kurt Kilby making his debut with a yellow helmet stripe. New to the series for 2021, John Brant is making his mark in Post Vintage 50+ Intermediate claiming his second win in as many attempts. Kawasaki rider Kevin Marshall set the pace early as he tried his best to keep Brant’s Yamaha behind him but had to settle for the runner-up spot when Brant made a move on the last lap. Rick Klingensmith and his Husqvarna captured first place in the Post Vintage 60+ Novice class and knocked down top novice rider honors in the tough conditions.

Mike Blackwell takes a AA class win.

Race Three (Disc Brake)

Fifteen riders hung around all day to get their shot at the course, and despite the continued cold, the course was holding up better than anticipated making for some competitive racing. Three AA riders took off from row one and remained out in front of the pack for four laps. Mike Blackwell and Brett Reichart, both riding Kawasaki KXs, were one-two with the KTM of Blade Schmidt rounding out the class and overall podium. Timothy Brendlinger and Cameron Pennington were trading fast lap times (nearly AA fast!) in Early Modern Open Intermediate, but trouble on lap one for Pennington was all that Brendlinger needed to put his RMX250 out front for the win. Josh Folmar was also turning some quick lap times on his XR250 on his way to the Pre-Modern Open Intermediate class win over Grant Reichart and his father, Keith Folmar, all Honda-mounted. Anthony Lowery was not able to beat his father, falling one second shy of Craig, the elder Lowery, in the overall standings as the two waged an epic battle to the checkered flag. Anthony was able to take solace in his victory over rivals Joey Spayd II and Dave Light in Pre-2K 200 Intermediate, while Craig secured the Pre-2K Open Intermediate crown. Joe Wallace parlayed consistent lap times into an easy win in Pre-Modern 200 Expert.

Tim Brendlinger wins Early Modern Open Intermediate

Despite difficult conditions yet again, everyone involved made the absolute best effort to make the event as successful as possible. As is typical when this group of riders, families, and volunteers puts their best foot forward in a difficult position, a better time was had than could have been expected. It is a shame for the Reitz family and their cohorts that weather continues to interfere with this event, as you can clearly tell they take great pride in the work put into the planning of this event. Thankfully that hard work paid some noticeable dividends this weekend with the thoughtfulness put into avoiding wet “problem” areas. Hopefully the future holds better weather for the LL Raceway round, because this venue possesses remarkable terrain that deserves to be unburdened by foul weather. Cross your fingers that next spring is the beginning of a streak of good fortune!

As always, thanks to the Mid-Atlantic’s ever-willing team of volunteers, thank you to Preston Cypher for continuing to let the series call LL Raceway home for a weekend, and special thanks to the sponsors that make these events possible; Potomac Vintage Riders, Preston Petty Products, Stainless Cycle, Vee Rubber, Grove Printing, KMI Printing, Horizon Homes, and Works Enduro Riders. The 2021 schedule and complete results from this event can be found at https://www.ahrma.org/ahrma-mid-atlantic-region. Follow the series’ Facebook page @ AHRMA Mid Atlantic Cross Country for updates and news throughout the year.

AHRMA Regional Cross-Country Showdown: Mid-Atlantic vs Northeast

Anthracite Run – April 24, 2021

Author: Joshua Schucker

Photos: Sarah Lane

While not an outright “showdown” between the adjacent regions as the headline billing may suggest (got to have something to grab your attention, right?), the annual springtime collaborative event between the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions is always one of the best attended events each year (over one hundred eighty entries in 2021). 

The influx of riders from both regions provides a great opportunity to test your mettle against new faces, make new acquaintances in the racing community, and revisit with old friends from nearby states. After an unfortunate cancellation of last year’s event, cross-country trail boss Dan Horengic was looking to capitalize on the enthusiasm of a 2021 return. What better way to make an impact than to debut an entirely new location with freshly cut trail! While historically the cross-country race was held on the same property as Sunday’s joint motocross race at Irish Valley, Dan and his crew were able to locate some fresh land just a few minutes away that would present a new challenge to the region’s woods racers while still maintaining the popularity of the Irish Valley motocross course for Sunday’s follow-up event.

Famous Reading Outdoors (FRO) is a publicly accessible, permit-based, off-road wonderland spanning over 20,000 acres in Pennsylvania’s anthracite region., and its operations manager, Brian Rich, was generous enough to carve out a small area in Locust Gap, PA to host Saturday’s race. One look at any topographical map of FRO’s land in Northumberland and Schuylkill counties clearly demonstrates that the Dan’s track team was certainly presented with challenges, and puts an exclamation point on the cautionary disclaimers presented at the morning’s riders meeting. There is little ground that has been untouched by previous or active mining operations in this area. In fact, the parking and start area is a part of an active mining operation taking place just beyond sight. While the area provided was limited in acreage and the terrain difficult, Dan and his crew quickly went to work on the property to carve out a fun and challenging three-plus mile course. As stated, there were plenty of dangerous areas, and Dave Kutskel made it clear that the course is one of the more difficult in the series and warned that you do not stray off course due to hazards inherent in the land’s history. His description of the ribbons indicating the strip-mining created shear three-hundred-foot cliff within fifteen feet of the trail certainly drove home the point that safety demands attention this day.

All the hype surrounding the difficulty and conditions is certainly meant to humble and instigate a safe event foremost, but also to set expectations and define boundaries for those set to participate. In action, the racers operated within those boundaries and thankfully everyone remained safe. Reactions to the course were tremendously positive. The course was hemmed in between the active mine access road to the south and a steep mountainside to the north. Leaving the parking area start, the course made an immediate right and began ascending the hillside on an old rock-strewn access road. If there is something this area is known for besides coal…it’s rocks. Considering the rocky predisposition, the course was nearly 80% untouched, freshly cut, single track carefully wrought to avoid the worst of the rock areas, but inevitably required traversing at least two rather gnarly rock gardens as it wound it’s way through various piles, gullies, valleys, drops, hills, roots and trees to finish with a blast through some snaking two track in a stand of pines. After a lap or two in the morning race, the course really started to get broken in well and developed a fun and challenging flow with lots of interesting visual reminders of the land’s manipulation by human hands. Weather was wonderful for April, and conditions in the woods were magnificent. The starting and scoring areas were in an open area covered in powdery coal dust, so visibility in the eighth mile surrounding the scoring tent was a struggle. Thank you to the scoring team of Jess Reichart, Connie Zdybak, and Lori Spisak for steadfastly keeping track of the day’s action in those conditions.

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Race One (Vintage)

AA riders Brian Grove and Josh Zerance set the pace for the 54 riders in the morning’s vintage race. Grove’s Husqvarna would pull away to a near five-minute lead over Zerance to take the checkers for the overall win. Josh’s Can-Am held on for second. After years of persuasion from life-long family friend Richard Colahan, Jamie Wright made his vintage racing debut on Colahan’s race-prepped ’74 Honda XL250. With a missing muffler, it was hard to miss Jamie as he roared to third overall and the win in Vintage Open Expert competition. Mike Ferguson and Christian Brumbaugh would follow Jamie for second and third in class respectively. Ed Weger outlasted the early leaders Kevin Marshall and Ed Klinger when, on lap three, he muscled his Husqvarna past Klinger’s Husky to take the Vintage 50+ Intermediate class lead and never look back. Klinger held on to the second spot followed by Noah Gullichson in third. A large group of riders took the green flag in the Vintage 60+ intermediate class and proceeded to see nothing but Glenn Hershey’s rear fender, none more so than Otto Dejager who stalked Glenn’s Can-Am all race long closing the gap to two seconds at the white flag. Otto would then proceed to lay down his quickest lap time of the day ending Hershey’s dominance and claiming the class victory. Glenn would still muster a respectable second in the competitive class followed by constant rival Dave McIntyre in third. Jim Reitz pushed aside concerns that this wasn’t a novice friendly course by laying down a solid lap time to place himself as the top novice for the race, and a class win in Vintage 70+ Novice.

Steve Mason Jr

Race Two (Post Vintage)

Any thought Brian Grove had of knocking down two AA class wins were spoiled by Steve Mason Jr as he had his Yamaha IT flying. Grove kept Mason on his toes being consistently within twenty seconds, but Mason would take the win in AA and the overall, with Grove taking second in both categories on his Husqvarna. Darrell Wassill was no slouch either laying down lap times close to the top two and nailing the third spot on the podium ahead of seventy-eight others. Post Vintage 50+ Intermediate laid claim to the largest class of the day with a whopping sixteen riders vying for the crown. Vince Monks would spoil the day for the rest when he took the lead on lap two and soldiered to a commanding win on his YZ. Tommy Tippett (Can-Am) and Anthony Yannitelli (Maico) tried to reel in Monks but to no avail as they had to settle for second and third. Kurt Flachbart made the trip down to PA from Maine to serve as the guest speaker at Saturday evening’s Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region awards banquet, where he humorously told his tale of a life-long motorcycle love affair and path to becoming the owner and editor of Trail Rider Magazine. While in town, Kurt lined his Husky up in the Post Vintage Open Intermediate row and capitalized on Josh Horvath’s early exit to take the lead and hold on to the capture the checkers followed by IT rider Mike Flaherty and Potomac Vintage Riders head honcho Tommy Grimmel in third. In more Open class action, Steven Perrotto, Mark Hummel, and Dane Brownawell swapped leads multiple times before Hummell’s Husqvarna took over for keeps on lap four. Dane maintained the runner-up spot on his Yamaha with Perrotto just behind. Laci Horvath followed up her earlier Women’s Vintage Expert win with another victory in the Women’s Post Vintage Expert class.

Laci Horvath grabs a Womens class win.

For several years now, the trio of Yamaha IT’s of Shane Reichert, Josh Stewart, and Eric Rupp, collectively known as the Dover Vintage Riders, have become a familiar sight in the Post Vintage 200 Intermediate class. While all are consistently in the mix in a competitive class, Rupp is the only member of the “team” to not yet have claimed a first-place finish at some point. That all changed at Locust Gap as Rupp was riding at the top of his game. Steadily shrugging off any challenge to the top spot and pushing his IT200 to fast and consistent lap times, Eric finally stamped his name in the winner’s column by mere seconds. It was truly heart-warming to see the joy shared by this group of close friends and their families as they celebrated the long-awaited victory together.

Eric Rupp grabs his first checkers racing at Locust Gap

Race Three (Disc Brake)

John Ashcraft is the man to beat when he is aboard his mighty CR500. Once again, he dominated the AA class besting Ethan Waddell (Yamaha) and Mike Blackwell (Kawasaki). Roy Miller spent the race being badgered by pressure from Mark Hummell before finally placing some breathing room between them on the last lap to make the Early Modern Open Expert victory a bit more convincing. Brian Schwein would follow closely behind on his YZ250 for third. The Pre-2K 200 Intermediate class is becoming a hot bed for ultra-competitive battles. Dave Light, Joey Spayd II, and Anthony Lowery did their best to live up to that expectation with multiple lead changes. The young guns Lowery (Yamaha) and Spayd (Suzuki) would push their way to the front to finish one-two with the elder-statesman Light rounding out the top-three on his KTM. Under the tutelage of his mentor, and Women’s Vintage Intermediate victor, Jenn Smith, Mason Swan ripped the holeshot on his Yamaha RT180 and led lap one before ultimately finishing a strong third behind winner Brandon Rowe and runner-up Al Linville in Pre-Modern 200 Novice action.

A big thanks to all the participants that continue to support and grow regional AHRMA cross-country racing, and congratulations to all for an enjoyable regional collaboration and safe inaugural Anthracite Run. Feedback following the event has been overwhelmingly positive, so fingers-crossed for a return in the future. As always thanks to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region’s ever-willing team of volunteers, Dan Horengic and his trail crew, and eternal thanks to the sponsors that make these events possible; Potomac Vintage Riders, Preston Petty Products, Stainless Cycle, Vee Rubber, Grove Printing, KMI Printing, Horizon Homes, Hatch’s Hodaka, Jennings ATV & Cycle, Northeast Vintage Riders Club, Northeast Cycle Service, and Works Enduro Riders. The 2021 schedule and complete results from this event can be found at https://www.ahrma.org/ahrma-mid-atlantic-region and https://www.ahrma.org/ahrma-northeast-region . Follow the series’ Facebook page @ AHRMA Mid Atlantic Cross Country and @ AHRMA Northeast for updates and news throughout the year. Special thanks to Famous Reading Outdoors (readingoutdoors.com) for the land access and continuing to facilitate and champion the world of off-road adventures.

Pa is becoming the "Destination State" to ride your ATV / UTV

 Just seven short years ago a small ATV club from the North Central Mountains of PA had a dream to get a trail system open that would connect four major riding areas in the central part of the state. 

Many had thought that it could never happen, but fast forward to today and their original idea of having 800 legal miles of riding in the state has turned into almost 1200 and the thought of connecting those trail systems is looking more like a reality than a dream. 

Click Here to learn more about the ATV Alliance that operates in Pennsylvania

Its taken years of hard work and determination from many including the original club, the help of the  DCNR, local legislators and tourism bureaus and many more individuals and business sponsors.. On top of that the sport started to grow and areas that were opening their towns and township roads from other areas of the state saw the economic impact it was having and said hey, how do we get in on all this. 

The town of Germania has benefited greatly from ATV/UTV riders passing through their town.

The North Central PA ATV Initiative as it is currently called continues to grow. Just within the original group alone they have proposed 1800 miles of legal riding in Clinton, Potter and Tioga counties alone.

Other clubs like the Allegheny Ridge Recreation Association, the PA Ridge Runners and the newly formed Potter County ATV/UTV Club are all breaking ground on new trail systems and boro and town openings in their respective parts of the state. 

From an Elk Ride Tour with the Central Mountains ATV Association. 

At a current initiative meeting talks were sounding like in the near future we may be able to ride from West Virginia to the NY state line and a current trail system is being proposed to ride from the Flight 93 Memorial to lots of historic destinations and play pen riding areas in the western parts of the state.

There is also a Pilot Program getting ready to start upstate using short sections of Penn Dot road and state forest roads to connect an even larger area and some of those DCNR trail systems we spoke about earlier. 

Above see a recently updated Route 6 corridor map of legal riding. 

Click Here  to see more detailed riding maps from Pennsylvania.

From a recent club ride with the Central Mountains ATV Association.

Rides like the one above covered over 120 miles in three PA counties with a stop for a trailside cookout. Most of these clubs are very affordable to join and offer "Destination Riding: once or twice each month.

On top of that, they are the ones leading the charge to get even more legal riding open for you and I and are doing it by benefiting the local communities and by promoting safe and responsible riding.

What can you do you ask? 

1. Please consider joining a club - there are many and they are easy to find.

2. Once you join, please consider volunteering to help with club rides or joining a club committee.

3. Please ride safely and responsibly.

4. Tell a friend or better yet, bring them along on a ride.

5. Connect anybody you know who is fighting for riding rights etc. to the alliance above.

6. Have fun and get outdoors.

Some Club Contacts:

Click Here for info of the ARRA 

Click Here  for info on the CMATVA

Click Here  for info on the PC ATV/UTV Club

Thanks for reading and please share this link around - we hope to see you on the trails...

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Click Here  to find your own spot to ride from in the PA Wilds and Gods Country

  

 

Loretta Lynn Area Qualifier - Budds Creek

Photos by: Tony C 

Mid March saw the first of eight opportunities for racers to qualify at the area level for the 2021 Monster Energy AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships, known as Loretta Lynns. 

Local Dominic Stallings wins three divisions on the weekend.

After a modified schedule in 2020 racers are eager to get their fair shot at an opportunity to compete with the best in the business. 

The legendary Budds Creek MX would be host to this first round in 2021. If riders can make the cut here they'll advance on to the regional qualifiers to be held in June of this year before the final transfer to the big show August 2-7 in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. .  

Gas Gas rider Timmy Scott races to the win in 65cc (10-11) Limited.

Virginia native Karie Wilson comes out on top in the womens Division.

Click Here to check out the 2021 Capitol Cup Series at Budds Creek

Tyler Connor races to a second place finish in 250 Pro Sport

Gage Stine was on the gas winning both the 250 and 450 B divisions.

Remaining NE Area Qualifier Schedule

3/27 - Birch Creek Motorsports Park

4/10-11 Doublin Gap MX

4/17-18 The Wick 338

4/24-25 Englishtown

5/1-2 Walden Motocross

5/8-9 High Point Raceway

5/22-23 Pagoda MX

All Images by Tony C

Click Here to view all images from the weekend.

On Instagram @tonyc693 

Click Here for weekend race results.

Deadline approaching for May 2021 Print Issue

Contact Jim Bull for details

717.951.5620 or brappmag@gmail.com 

www.brappmag.com

Rd 8 - SRT AMA East Hare Scramble Championship Series by Beta

10-18-2020 - Greenvile, MA - Rd 8 AMA East Hare Scramble Championship Series

Story by Keny Held and Photos by Melissa Stanwood

.  This being the final round for 2020, there were many class championships still not settled.  Including the #1 Grand Champion.  What made this round even more intense is that both top racers were both flying the same Beta Flag. 

Last years #1 plate holder, Kyle McDonal needed to win the event and this years challenger, Thorn Devlin needed to simply finish.  I interviewed both racers prior to the race and both said they were going for the win this day and for year end.  There was no parley expressed or implied.  Friends since their 65cc battles in South Jersey, the 2 racers have a great respect and admiration for each other.  20 NETRA, JDay, P27 and AMA East AA/Pro regulars would show up at this "Months in the making" event.  This would also be Knox Trail Riders 1st AMA sanctioned HS in over 10 years.  Welcome Back!  

A 7.2 mile extremely technical trail was laid out for the average 200 rider turn out however 375 would be unloading their bikes this day.  A welcomed surprise for the club.  2" of rain were delivered for dust remediation on Friday. This was great for the track but not too good for parking.  The club ordered 4 truck loads of gravel and put 3 skid steers to work insuring no rigs would stay stuck. On race day however the conditions were a "10".  So lets get to the race!  

The 2020 final "10 Seconds" was announced and the flag dropped.  It was KTM's Jonathan McDougal with the hole shot.  Immediately after the 1st turn there was a step down into a session of lefts and rights old school moto track.  Following the AA/Pro lines, the rest of the A and B lines would all get off without a glitch.  Following the old school moto track, the racers were sent into some up and down 6' wide virgin trails.  The club did a phenomenal job with the arrows and ribbon. 

After the 1st woods section, the racers would be put through an Enduro-X and then 4 miles of Single Track.  After 17 minutes I 4 stroke could be heard emerging from the last uphill just below the scoring area.  It was none other then New England favorite, Ben Kelley aboard his KTM.  Back about 10 seconds was PA native and AMA East regular Thorn Devlin aboard his Beta.  Less then a minute back was Beta mounted Kyle McDonal. Well they meant what they said when they were "Going for the win".  Sherco's Gavin Simon and KTM's Mike Bloom would round out the top 5.  On lap 2 there were not many changes.  Kelley was cutting faster lap times while Devlin and McDonal would keep up the pressure.  Lap 3, 4 and 5 would deliver the same with the exception of Kelley putting more and more real estate between 2nd and 3rd.  On lap 6, Devlin would hit a tree and re-injure his shoulder and collarbone from a previous race which would not allow him to hold on any further.  He was forced to retire early but not before securing enough laps to hold onto the championship.  Also falling victim to lap 6 was McDonal who would suffer a mechanical.  His hopes for a 3 year sweep would come to an end.  Meanwhile the hole shot kid, McDougal would start to make a final lap push securing a spot in 2nd.  The surprise of the day to everyone was the low profile, no fanfare, multi time Enduro champion Mike Lafferty aboard his KTM who was launched from the A Open line. 

Unless you were glued to the scoring monitor you did not even know he was there. Lafferty would settle into 3rd position on the white flag lap.  In the end it was Kelley, McDougal and Lafferty. 

 Top 10

Mike Lafferty - KTM

Gavin Simon - Sherco

Matt Roberge - KTM

Brayden Nolette - KTM

Mike Bloom - KTM

Graham Medas - HUS

Payton Preve - KTM

Cole Bain - KTM

Click Here  for Full Results 

 

In the Morning C event Schoolboy 2 racer Andrew Veit aboard his KTM would take the early lead in his class and hold off all challengers from the 7 rows behind for the Overall.  2nd place would not be settled that easily.  Schoolboy 1 racer Patrick Callahan aboard his KTM would start an adjust time battle between Schoolboy 2 Olin Daniels.  This would not be settled til the final lap giving the 2nd step to Daniels. 

 

In the Youth Main, South Jersey's and AMA East regular Robert "ACME Rocket" Weiss would take the early lead from the 12-13 Super mini (2nd row) aboard his Weiss prepped HUS.  He would hold this lead for the entire 1.5 hour race.  This would also secure his 12-13 AMA East #1 plate.  2nd place was also AMA East regular Harvey "Raging" Bull from the 14-16 Super Mini Class.  The surprise third position would come from New Englander Jiggs Fustini also aboard a KTM but Fustini would launch from the 4th 9-11 85cc row.  Kudos to that fine young lad as there was no shortage of talent in the 3 rows ahead of him. 

 

In the Pee Wees the pace was set early on by Overall finisher Jack Ford - KTM with his KTM Co Horts AJ Verdile in 2nd and 3rd place Nick Ignachuck.  Notable mention goes to 4-8 50cc girl Sadie Weiss for her win and 2020 Championship in her 1st year racing.  

 

 

Round 8 of the Mid-Atlantic XC Series - Potomac Vintage Riders

SPER Vintage XC - Frackville, Pa

Oct. 11, 2020

Story: Steve Bowman - Photos: Jean Fordyce and Eric Bowman

Round 8 of the Mid-Atlantic XC Series was held on October 11 on private property near Frackville Pennsylvania. The  area is still active in the coal mining industry but this day it was going to be used for some 2-wheeled vintage XC fun!

South Penn Enduro Riders (SPER) had the honors of hosting the event and laying out the 4.5 mile course which consisted of  fresh cut loamy single track woods, very little elevation change and short bursts on the powerline and back into the woods with just a “few rocks.” When you are from Pennsylvania a “few rocks“ means about 1000!

The “stick farm“ (aka New Jersey) consisting of saplings was the tightest section of the course. The sandy/pebble type dirt in this section added to the variety.

It was a great fall weekend with the leaves changing colors and the temperatures in the 60s made for great racing conditions. Although there hasn’t been very much rain in this area lately the dust was at a minimum.

With the season winding down and championship points standings coming to a close, this event could be the deciding factor for a few classes and for the overall for the year in both the vintage and post vintage categories.

Now for some race action…

For the start of both the vintage and the post vintage races, each row would be a dead engine start every 30 seconds with the usual “tennnnn seconds” til launch time announcement by the starter. About 45 riders lined up in their respective classes for the 10:30am start of the vintage race.

The start of row one saw Christian Brumbaugh (74X) with the holeshot. Main rival  Brian Grove 119 X got jammed up a little bit in the first turn but soon caught up to Brumbaugh and gave the spectators a fabulous show of good clean racing throughout the 4 lap race.

For three laps the two riders were within one second of each other until lap 4 when Brumbaugh increased the gap. It was great to see Joe Zito back in action aboard a Yamaha after several years on an old Triumph to round out the top three overall.

While most of the top 10 riders were from the expert classes, a shout out goes to sixth place overall Blade Schmidt 199 from the vintage open intermediate class and Top 10 overall goes to Yamaha mounted rider 700 Brett Reichart.

Can’t forget about the women’s classes… Intermediate riders Kelly Pierce 402 Emily Reichart 733 Jenn Smith 3R finished in that order for the intermediate class and Laci Horvath 996 from the expert women’s class had an unfortunate chain issue with her Husky resulting in a DNF. Hopefully she was having fun up to that point.

So after four laps the 74X Yamaha pilot Christian Brumbaugh becomes the Vintage overall winner for the day, Vintage Open Expert class and overall Vintage champion for the 2020 season. Brian Grove on his 119X Husky earned a very hard fought second place.

Those two put on an amazing show of good clean racing and great battles throughout the season. Congratulations to you both!

 

Now after all that excitement it’s time for some PV race action.

Multi-time ISDE Gold medalist Fred Hoess heard there was going to be an awesome vintage race in Pennsylvania that he may be interested in. (yeah I told him)

He wasn’t sure if he would be able to arrange his work schedule in Colorado but it worked out and he showed up and entered in the event.

 About 78 riders lined up for the 1:30pm start of the PV race and after the 10 second  warning the green flag  waved for the start of the first row.

 Fred Hoess took the holeshot into the tight right hand first turn and into the woods.

Following close behind was 119X Brian Grove and 74X Christian Brumbaugh who once again battled for year end overall championship. This time in the PV division.

Row two holeshot goes to 51 Ethan Waddell showing 34 Wyatt Stoup and “The Schwein Dog” 31 Brian Schwein the quickest way to the woods.

Next to launch off the line was the 50+ and 60+ Experts.Wow! What a crowded first turn that ended up being.

The three “Sea of Blue” Yamahas of Mid-Atlantic XC organizer 11C Dave Kutskel, 945 Craig Shenigo and 104 (me) Steve Bowman led the pack thru the first turn. This was a great race between us three with Shenigo taking the 50+ Expert win and Kutskel and myself just seconds behind.

Mid-Atlantic XC’s race Flyer designer 71T Glenn Hershey gets the jump on his Can-Am followed by 37 Wes Brownawell  711 Jim Stanley and taking the wide route 57 Dave McIntyre.

So well into the first lap “Fast Fred” was on cruise control leading the overall and enjoying the nice flow of the course. He should have felt right at home in the “New Jersey” section of tight trees and single track and after five laps of a super fun course and excellent racing, Fred Hoess takes the overall win.

Second overall goes to ECEA Enduro rider Steve Mason who we believe is getting addicted to vintage racing with ice racer and CR500 pilot Bruce Peifer takes third overall.

Fourth overall was Wyatt Stoup and fifth overall went to Christian Brumbaugh followed by Brian Grove in sixth overall. These two battled back-and-forth throughout the day. Seventh goes to SPER member Mark Hummel who was a huge help in helping to design and set up the course with Ethan Waddell, Brett Reichart and Craig Shenigo rounding out the top ten.

The real down to the wire battle  was between Christian Brumbaugh and Brian Grove for the PV overall championship for 2020. Brumbaugh came out on top and those men deserve a huge round of applause for their accomplishments.

SPER would like to thank all of it’s volunteers that helped make this event a success:

Steve Bowman, Mark Hummel, Sandy Quickel, Pat Bowman, Stacey Clark, Chris Walmer, Doug Bradley, Bob Shughart, Mike Long, Curtis Weir, Eric Bowman, George Bressler, Rob Kramer, George Easterly and Andy Schaeffer 

 Also thanks to WRMC’s Rick Albert for helping clear trail.

Potomac Vintage Riders and volunteers from the Mid-Atlantic XC group that take care of sign up, scoring and awards. 

You all do a great job and we look forward to working with you again in the future

Final round for 2020 - get the details by clicking the flyer above.

WV State Motocross Championships - Mama at Tomahawk MX

 What a great weekend for racing in the beautiful mountains of wild and wonderful West Virginia. The Mid Atlantic Motocross Association returned here for round 6 of  8 in their 2020 race season. I believe we witnessed some of the closest racing of the year to date as riders chased those valuable year end championship points. 

JWTF riders had a good showing at this years WV States. 

Check out a short race recap video below, then scroll down to see more State Champs and to link to results and images from all classes on the weekend.

Click Here  to view video race report

Keep scrolling to see more images and link to results from the weekend.

More Details below....

Joel Whitten races to the 25 plus win on Saturday.

You couldn't have asked for better motocross weather than we found this weekend at Tomahawk. The temps were cool but the racing was RED HOT...

Braydon Gladfelter (22) races to the win in the 85 (9-11) C division.

Michael Cuadra races to three wins this weekend including both Jr. Mini divisions.

Laina Randolph was back on the bike winning both Womens classes at Tomahawk.

Riley Greiner (183) wins both Supermini divisions on the weekend.

The Supermini racing was just off the hook - I kept saying all weekend, whos the #183, the kid was on the gas...Brapp.

Exclusive promotion starts now - we want you to join the 

Brapp Mag Army. 

Join between now and Nov. 1 and get your very own exclusive ARMY t shirt, along with a Brapp Mag sticker set and your choice of any 10 Hi Res images emailed to you from our extensive library of race photos - pick any images in our library.

* Have a second racer - get two shirts, 20 images and the stickers for only $150. Must be a family member.

Hurry - this offer won't last forever - Keep the Brapp Captain 

at the track - JOIN NOW!!!

Rich Fredenburgh (505) shows the C classes how its done.

Jake Runkles wins both A divisions at the WV States.

Phil Harris (28) wins Super Senior Novice.

Gochenouer and Bowlin battle in Super Senior Open with Bowlin grabbing the win.

Happy Birthday Grayson Shelton, 5 years old today.

Saturday night the Nigrin Boys win $340 in the cornhole tournament

runners up below.

Click Here  to see images from all classes from Brapp Mag.

SEE MORE IMAGES FROM TOMAHAWK at the links below.

Click Here  for Jackson Road Photography

Click Here  for Lloyd Stone Photography

Click Here  to see race results from the weekend.

Call or text today for details: 717.951.5620