D14 news sep15

Michigan’s Motorsports

September 2015

INSIDE:

2015 Season Schedule of Events Michigan Mafia on the Move Moto Musings The Locals Trek the Mighty Mac Volunteers Needed!

In the Pits – Flat Track Style The Beane Report Division Highlights and Updates

SKOVER SCORES GRATTAN MX (Belding, MI) | August 29 #465 Logan Skover takes the black and white on the peewee track

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2 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

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September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 3

SEPTEMBER 2015 Michigan’s Motorsports

OCTOBER 2015

MATERIAL DEADLINES:

Materials need to be submitted by the following date. Sorry, but late submissions are subject to prevailing space and time restrictions and may, if necessary, be left out of the deadlined publication until the following edition.

Advertising & Editorial: Due SEPTEMBER 25 SPACE

Space is reserved in every issue for every division in the District. Please, promote your sport by contributing stories and photos about your events, past and/or upcoming. This is FREE advertising for your division. Take advantage of it!

When submitting a story or photo please ensure to include event dates and locations, and photos MUST include captions. Event results are always nice to include as well.

For detailed information on submission policies for editorial content and advertising, please go to www.D14News.net.

Starting Lines a few words

Holy Smokes! It is clear to see what a fun-filled summer it has been so far. This month's issue is crammed with action from all over our great state, New York, Pennsylvania and Hurricane Mills, Tennessee! But fall is upon us and the schedule is dwindling. Soon the temperatures will drop to indulge a new season for Ice Racing diehards... and banquets. Can't forget the banquets! You going???

RIDERS, please remember to bring your D14 and AMA membership cards (or proof of purchase) to EVERY race you go to... NO MORE EXCUSES! This is YOUR responsibility as a rider/racer to have this documentation on you when you sign up at an event. NO ifs, ands or buts!

To this month's contributors a very big THANK YOU! Your efforts in helping to portray on paper District 14's passion for motorcycling is most appreciated! Thank you for taking the time to promote your division! XOXO ‘Til next time ... take care, be cool, and safe. And as always, enjoy the ride... it all goes by in a blink.

For more info: linda@D14News.net | 810.496.0069

D14News.net PLEASE RECYCLE.

This publication is printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks.

To this Month’s AWESOME CONTRIBUTORS

– In order of appearance – SpeedPunksImages.com, Thomas Dunn, Heather Soenksen, Bar� Newman, Jessica Tan Hagen, Adam Alexander, Steve Baginski, Steve Beane, Jeremiah Sher�an, Jaily� Nor�is, Brooke Gentz, Golaszewsski Family, Team Freelin, Mike Maurer, Capt�reMe-Photog�aphy.com, Talon Soenksen, Dave Bowman, Heather Powers, and last, but not least ... Car�ie Leddy

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

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Attention D14 Members: Your copy of this application may be used to sign-up in AMA/District 14 Events for 60 Days. If you have not received your District 14 Membership card in 30 days, contact District 14 Membership Administration with information as to where you purchased your membership.

DISTRICT 14 MEMBERSHIP ADMINISTRATION INFO to find the current contact info, visit us on the web at www.ama-d14.org For Club/Promoter use only - must have club and event date name for credit - ALL sold applications must be turned into Membership Administration within 14 days of purchase.

Club / Promoter Name & Charter Number D14 Membership App10.26.2013

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DELIVERY

The delivery goal of District 14 News is normally around the middle of the month. However, due to varying factors of submissions, printing, and mailing, there is no guarantee the newspaper will reach readers by a specific date in the month. It is recommended and good practice to think at least 1 or 2 months ahead when promoting special events or other time sensitive dates.

For example, if your special event is in August, you should consider promoting that event no later than the July edition.

from the editor

Rev. 10/2013

SEPTEMBER 2015 - D14 NEWS Bring your copy of this completed form with you to EVERY race until you receive your card!

SAVE TIME AT SIGN UP!

Complete this form & send in your membership dues today!

Important!

Keep a Copy Before Mailing mail to: HEATHER SOENKSEN 3155 Prescott Dr, Howell MI 48843 Don’t have your card in 30 days?

Call 517-775-5897 to find out where it is.

4 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

2015 District 14 Board of Directors & Division Chairs PRESIDENT Thomas Dunn tdunn976@yahoo.com (517) 896-9757

HILL CLIMB CHAIRPERSON Tom Ruid truid@boumacorp.com (616) 813-7322

VICE PRESIDENT Neal Soenksen ktm125s@yahoo.com (313) 244-6827

VICE CHAIR Roger Bibbler (616) 813-0646

SECRETARY Heather Soenksen d14secretary@gmail.com (517) 775-5897 TREASURER Steve Beane motoxgiant@yahoo.com (313) 918-8944 LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR Thomas Dunn tdunn976@yahoo.com (517) 896-9757 AMA CONGRESS – OFF ROAD Dick Bigelow dickbarbbigs@aol.com (586) 677-0456 AMA CONGRESS – ROAD Kaye Johnson amakaye165@gmail.com (248) 459-1777 RIDER REPS – OFF ROAD Tim Beougher TBeougher212@aol.com (989) 751-8073 Brian Kidner (231) 670-7418 RIDER REP – ROAD Lanny Johnson (248) 225-5651

ATV CHAIRPERSON Robert Miller srxmiller@gmail.com (517) 282-4373 VICE CHAIR – ATV MX Larry Seeley (269) 986-2197

VISIT US AT WWW.AMA-D14.ORG POINTS KEEPER Terri Sweet windancerb@gmail.com (517) 719-6264

VICE CHAIR Andy Nichols D14DirtTrackweb@gmail.com

RIDER REPS - XC Jacob Hill (517) 505-4530

POINTS KEEPER Andy Nichols D14DirtTrackweb@gmail.com

ENDURO CHAIRPERSON Bill Smith bill@d14enduro.org (248) 891-1400 VICE CHAIR Mark Beltinck mark@d14enduro.org (517) 304-0726 POINTS KEEPER Tom Zettel tom@d14enduro.org (989) 245-6812 RIDER REPS A/AA CLASS Scott Allen scott@d14enduro.org (248) 925-6468 B CLASS Fred Kramer fred@d14enduro.org (586) 246-3156 C, 60+ & WOMEN'S CLASSES Tina Flegel tina@d14enduro.org (989) 875-8186 FLAT TRACK/TT CHAIRPERSON Robbin Pangborn d14dirttrackweb@gmail.com (989) 859-7285

HARE SCRAMBLE CHAIRPERSON Steve Beane d14_hs_chair@yahoo.com (313) 989-8944

POINTS KEEPER Brix McFee brix@chartermi.net (616) 847-6265

ICE RACE CHAIRPERSON Jeremiah Sherman jer.sherman@gmail.com (989) 621-8701 VICE CHAIR Joe Barns No email provided No phone provided

VICE CHAIR Neal Soenksen ktm125s@yahoo.com (313) 244-6827

MX CHAIRPERSON Kreg Bigelow kregbigelow@yahoo.com (810) 965-8764

VICE CHAIR – ATV-XC Dan Brendel brendelelectric46@yahoo.com (810) 217-7404

VICE CHAIR - VINTAGE MX Steve Baginski bagsmx194@comcast.net (586) 321-5680

POINTS KEEPER Mark Becker sarge184@aol.com (248) 672-1224 RIDER REPS Brent Bergeron (ATV-XS) No email provided No phone provided Mark Becker (HS) sarge184@aol.com (248) 672-1224 Kevin Fleszar (HS) wtracng@hotmail.com (734) 735-3717

POINTS KEEPER Jenny Johnson bajajenny@gmail.com (989) 871-3356 ROAD CHAIRPERSON Terri Sweet d14roadchair@gmail.com (517) 719-6264 VICE CHAIR Jim Charlebois phone & email – not provided POINTS KEEPER Don Sepanski rollout@twmi.rr.com 313-303-1103

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 5

2015 DIRECTORY

CHARTER CLUBS & PROMOTERS IF YOUR CHARTER IS NOT LISTED, YOU NEED TO SUBMIT A CHARTER APPLICATION AND $25 CHARTER FEE.

If your application is currently pending, your listing will appear once your status has cleared. If you believe this information to be incorrect, please verify your status with the D14 Secretary, Heather Soenksen at 517-775-5897 or via email D14Secretary@ama-d14.org.

Thank You!

Baja MX ......................................989-871-3356 Battle Creek MC.................... 517-993-7960 Bent Wheels CC ....................248-345-4944 BigAir Motocross ..................231-578-3828 Boulis Racing......................... 810-686-7083 Bulldog Riders MC .............. 810-241-7740 Cadillac MC ............................ 231-884-0996 Flint MC .................................... 810-422-3832 Freelin MX................................ 989-761-1301 Goshen IronHorsemen ... 574-825-3399 Grand Kankakee TR ............765-490-1644 Grattan Raceway .................. 616-691-7221 Hill & Gully Riders ................708-261-3433 I-96 Speedway...................... 616-642-0555 KnuckleBusters Rider’s Club ...... 989-287-0120 Lansing MC ............................. 517-763-9406 Lucky Thumb MC................ 810-404-2895 MI Off Road Events ............ 517-896-9757

Muddobbers MC...................765-998-2236 Muskegon MC ....................... 231-773-2940 Owosso Kart Spdway .........810-691-5781 Plymouth Blackhawks .......574-904-3006 Polka Dots MC...................... 989-205-8807 Port Huron MC...................... 810-327-1062 Portland Trail Riders........... 517-243-8404 Riders MC..................................574-248-2544 S.O.R.E. ....................................... 989-619-7713 Treaty City MC ......................... 937-459-0508 Tri-City Motor Speedway..... 989-316-6804 Tri-City Travelers ................. 989-501-0911 Twin Bay Trail Riders ......... 231-645-7905 UP Sandstormers ................ 906-228-7010 Valley Motocross ..................517-896-7185 Valley Trail Riders................ 989-890-1411 White Lake Racing ...............989-621-9701 White Trash Racing............. 989-274-7243

All D14 membership and charter registrations/renewals, address changes, card replacements, missed newspapers and other membership related issues should be directed to the MEMBERSHIP ADMINISTRATOR: HEATHER SOENKSEN

D14Membership@gmail.com 3155 Prescott Dr, Howell MI 48843 • 517-775-5897

Visions

by Thomas Dunn, District 14 President

BLESSINGS!

Sitting in my motor home up at the Lansing Motorcycle Club’s Jack Pine Lodge, relaxing in the stillness of the early morning, after a long day of working on the 90th Annual Jack Pine National Enduro course, gives me plenty of time to think and reflect.

I sit here patiently waiting for the “newest” Dunn to come into this world.

Ryan Lee Dunn, has decided to join us and his brothers James and Sean, although after starting the process, he has decided to wait just a little longer before meeting us all. Ryan Lee Dunn will be our 4th Grand Child with 2 more already on their way.

This allows me to marvel at all that has transpired over he years , the joy of a beautiful wife and 4 wonderful, although trying at times, children, family , friends and what I try to do to keep allow them the opportunities to ride and race motorcycles if they so desire.

I do not disillusion myself that all my children or Grand children will share the passion for riding motorcycles that I do. However, I am willing to do all I can to make sure that this sport and riding opportunities are open to them now and in the future.

Think about it a moment, there is approximately 4000 miles of off road trail system here in Michigan, 100’s of clubs and tracks, both District 14 and non-District 14.

Road and off road, Motorcycle and ATV’s of all makes and sizes, organizations and clubs all willing to provide riding opportunities to ride.

Looking to the future!

There are no guarantees in this world.

What the future holds, you and I will not know or be able to control.

What we can do is work toward and strive to allow what we do as riders and racer’s be available to our next generation and their children. To pass on a trail system

and riding opportunities our grand fathers and fathers provided for us.

We can never just sit back and assume that it will always be there. Time and societies change. What is considered normal, or acceptable today, can disappear quickly if we do not stay ever watchful and vigilant Everyday there are groups and organizations that seek to remove from us that which we love to do. They attack us with sound, dust, environmental damage, or wildlife habitat concerns. They seek to close public lands to motorized vehicles.

They work to turn public opinion and policy against us, using distorted or nonscientific facts.

Standing united, we can do what no one person can!

What can you do to help keep our riding opportunities open for the future?

Become active. Join the District, a club or ORV organization, the AMA. Be willing to stand up for our future.

Be willing to write a short letter or email to your Federal, State, or local representative.

Be willing to go to a meeting and voice your concerns.

They are listening and the more voices we have the better off we stand.

We at District 14, the American Motorcyclist Association and Cycle Conservation Club, do a lot of this for you, but we cannot do it alone. We need all of you, we need your voice, your family’s voice, your children’s voice.

The Future is ours!

See ya at the Races!

THOMAS DUNN

6 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! submitted by Heather Soenksen

CALLING ALL ATV, SXS & MX RIDERS! – Trek the Mighty Mac Ride will give the opportunity for MX, ATV & SXS riders to cross the biggest landmark in Michigan for the first time in history. Come be apart of this historic event!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!! – We are looking for volunteers to help with Trek the Might Mac on October 3rd. We will be assisting in "tech" inspection, and maybe other duties as needed.

We are in need of people to run 2 hour shifts on Friday, October 2nd from 9a 9p and on Saturday from 7am - 12pm. All volunteers will have the opportunity to cross the bridge.

District 14 will reimburse hotel rooms for Friday night for up to $70 per double occupancy room for volunteers. Specifics will be determined when you sign-up to volunteer. To sign-up, please email Heather d14secretary@gmail. com or by calling 517-775-5897.

SEPTEMBER 20

For more information on the event, go to: www.trekthemightymac.com/ contact.html

Co m e t C h ec k O u ou r New k!

Mini-Trac

MONEY MOTO

Portland Trail Riders

• $35 Sign Up • No C Riders & you must run one other class • 1st Race of Afternoon Program

HOLESHOT CONTEST • 6pm Saturday night after Open Practice • Bikes, Quads & Mini Bikes • $20 to get in Double Elimination Find us on

$$ MOTO PAYOUTS 1st .... $450 2nd.... $300 3rd .... $210 4th .... $135 5th .... $105 6th .... $ 90 7th .... $ 75 8th .... $ 60 9th .... $ 45 10th .... $ 35

$300 HOLESHOT AWARD $100 TOP KTM IN TOP 10

~ sponsored by Full Throttle Motorsports $100 OLD MAN AWARD (oldest in Top 10) ~ sponsored by JP Speed Also, thanks to MICHIGAN CAT and SUNBELT RENTALS in Dewitt for sponsoring our event!

11999 Sandborn Rd. • Portland MI • (517)647-7045 be sure to check out the website for updates

Portland Trail Riders

www.PortlandTrailRiders.com GPS use Latitude 42 degrees, 48’, 53.1”N and Longitude 84 degrees, 53’,3.0”W

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 7

2:15 AMA D14

E V E N TS atv MX

CHAIRPERSON ....................Bob Miller VICE CHAIR – MX............. Larry Seeley  = Michigan State Championship Race

SEPTEMBER

12 13 13 19 20 

Valley MX ...................... Stanton Valley MX ...................... Stanton Cadillac MC ...................Cadillac Open Practice................ Portland Portland Trail Riders ....... Portland

OCTOBER

17 Valley MX ...................... Stanton 18  Valley MX ...................... Stanton

enduro

CHAIRPERSON .................... Bill Smith VICE CHAIR.................... Mark Beltinck FAMILY ENDURO (FES)......Mike Maurer ( DATES INCLUDE FES )

SEPTEMBER

19

Fall Classic FES .........Traverse City

11

MUDDOBER NATIONAL ENDURO Muddobbers MC.........Matthews, IN Turkey Gobbler FES ...New Paris, IN

OCTOBER 31

NOVEMBER

01

08

Turkey Creek ......... New Paris, IN Riders MC Peace Pipe .......... Greenville, OH Treaty City MC

flat track

CHAIRPERSON .......... Robbin Pangborn VICE CHAIR.....................Andy Nichols

SEPTEMBER

05 06 12 13 19 20 26 27

ST .......... Owosso Kart Speedway TT .......... Owosso Kart Speedway ST ..................... I-96 Speedway TT ..................... I-96 Speedway STATE CHAMPIONSHIP ST ................. Tri-City Speedway STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TT ................. Tri-City Speedway ST RAIN DATE ................ Tri-City TT RAIN DATE ................ Tri-City

hare scrambles CHAIRPERSON ................ Steve Beane VICE CHAIR..................Neal Soenksen VICE CHAIR (ATV) ............ Dan Brendel

SEPTEMBER

13 20

Evergreen Creek .............. Vassar Valley Trail Riders ........... Bentley

OCTOBER 11

Portland Trail Riders ....... Portland

hill climb

CHAIRPERSON .................... Tom Ruid VICE CHAIR....................Roger Bibbler

SEPTEMBER 12 13

Muskegon MC ............ Bridgeton* STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Muskegon MC ..............Bridgeton

* 3 points paying climbs (day & night climbs)

motocross

CHAIRPERSON ............... Kreg Bigelow  = Vet Series - Max Points Vet Classes  = State Championship - Max Points

SEPTEMBER

05 Baja Acres ...................Millington 06 Baja Acres ...................Millington 07 Baja Acres ...................Millington 12 Valley MX ...................... Stanton 13 Valley MX ...................... Stanton 13 Cadillac MC ...................Cadillac 19 Portland Trail Riders ....... Portland 20  Portland Trail Riders ....... Portland 26 Big Air MX .................... Newago 26 Freelin MX .................Brown City 27  Big Air MX .................... Newago 27 Freelin MX .................Brown City

OCTOBER 04  Polka Dots MC ...............Midland 11  Bulldog Riders ..............Millington

17 18  24 25  31

Valley MX ...................... Stanton Valley MX ...................... Stanton Freelin MX .................Brown City Freelin MX .................Brown City Baja Acres ................. Millington\

NOVEMBER 01  Baja Acres ...................Millington

vintage mx

CHAIRPERSON ............. Steve Baginski

SEPTEMBER 13

Cadillac M/C ..................Cadillac

03 10 26

Polka Dots MC ...............Midland Bulldog Riders ..............Millington Baja MX ......................Millington

OCTOBER

road

CHAIRPERSON .................. Terri Sweet VICE CHAIR ................. Jim Charlebois

SEPTEMBER

27 27

Turkey Run ..................... Crump Tri City Travelers Fall Tour & Steak Fry Para Dice ..............Grand Rapids

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8 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

Michigan Mafia on the Move

The College Boy Holeshot goes to podium boys #15 Jacob Williamson with #57 Austin Dodd in tow as the two put on a display of speed claiming 2nd and 3rd overall respectively.

LORETTA LYNN’S (Hurricane Mills, TN) | July 26 - August 01 Story by Bart Newman | Photos Courtesy of Jessica Tan Hagen and Adam Alexander America’s greatest motocross vacation has to be the AMA Amateur Motocross National at Loretta Lynn’s and the mitten state was well represented as the Michigan Mafia was at full strength at the ranch in 2015. Vet phenom and now four time AMA Amateur National Motocross Champion John Grewe (1-1-1) was unbeatable in the 45+ class and was also a big player in the star studded 35+ class in spite of spotting this group a solid 12 years, Grewe left no doubt that he was the man. Joey Crown took the top step of the podium in 2 out of 3 motos of the 250B class to take the 250B Limited National title back home to the MCR Suspension Headquarters. Crown now owns three AMA Amateur National Motocross Championships and is well on his way to the next level of stardom. However Joey (in fact all the Crown kids) is still the humble, thankful, and polite young person that Matt and Karen raised expertly. Last but not least was Mitchell Harrison who

now calls Cairo, Georgia his home base but is a Michigan man in this writer's eyes took the 250A class Championship and also finished on the podium in the 450 Pro-Am class in spite of running his 250 in the big bore class.

A huge shout out needs to go to Jessica Tan Hagen and Adam Alexander for the great photos shot of this paper. Both worked tireless for you covering for me while I raced and acted as pit dad to my two boys, Kirk and Trampas that raced.

For a full gambit on all there photos check out both shooters on Facebook.

Ladies first, Sidney Wagner was a solid into the top 10 all week long in the Girls 9-13 class placing a strong 6th in moto 2 end the week with a #7N for her efforts.

Ellie Spielmaker can run the 23N next year with three finishes inside the top 25 of the young ladies class. In the Women’s 16+ AllStar class Bryce Martinez battled a super sore back all week and gutted out a 12th overall. Martinez had her starts on point all week and barely missed the top 10 finish in all three motos in her 8th trip to the ranch a record she should be proud of.

• Girls 9-13: 7N) Sidney Wagner (6-9-8)

23N) Ellie Spielmaker (22-25-23) • Women 16+ All-Star: 12N) Bryce Martinez (11-14-12) The little guys in the 50cc class are always fun to follow, they are the riders that feed our sport so there are always a lot of eyes on these classes. The 50 Sr. class is still full of Michigan’s own Cobra bikes which is good for the state and the company. Cole Kish lined up one of the snake bikes and didn’t disappoint as two motos inside the top 10 lock in #8N for the cool kid from Newport, Michigan.

In the 50 (4-6) Special Limited class Trucker Harkins was fast and fun to watch as he did a great job all week long breaking in to the top 10 in the third and final moto of the week securing a National #8N. For a young lad that has to be a cool deal for a great racing family.

The 50 Jr. class was one I had to follow as a local guy Tyson Glenn started out as a new kid on the peewee track a couple years ago pitting out of a minivan was now at the biggest Amateur National race in the land. Glenn just missed the top 20 in moto one and had some tough luck in the other two but still was a top 30 rider nationally in his first attempt. Jesse Buono

and Chris Ramirez both made their way to the ranch with strong seasons in Michigan but things didn’t go their way at Loretta’s but when you are one of 5% of the riders in the country to make the show, in my book you're winning.

The Yamaha class has been around for a long time and most of the riders in the 32 other classes got their start on PW’s.

Preston Payne was one of the fastest guys in the quietest class at Loretta’s and ended the week on the podium earning #3N on his Yamaha getting to talk with Rodney and Wes up on the main stage after two rides up front. However his best ride of the week came in moto 2 when Payne came from last to 8th in a crazy drama filled moto that showed the true speed this youngster possess. Dakota Baker had bad luck in two of three motos and the earned 16N that doesn’t match the speed this energetic kid has. Chase Leadingham looked solid all week on a very big stage and is able to run the 25N for his efforts.

• 51cc 7-8 Limited: 8N) Cole Kish (8-9-11) 51cc 4-6 special Limited: 8N) Trucker Harkins (11-12-9) • 51cc 4-6 Limited: 29N) Tyson Glenn (21-27-31) 32N) Jesse Buono

(32-29-33) 34N) Christopher Ramirez (2531-40) • 51cc 4-6 Shaft Drive Limited: 3N) Preston Payne (2-8-3) 16N) Dakota Baker (13-7-DNF) 25N) Chase Leadingham (25-2322) The 7-9 year old kids on these new 65cc machines are just plain fast and when all was said and done in the 65 7-9 class Leland Golaszewski left it all on the track and gathered up National #6N along the way. This speedy young man from Almont, Michigan was on the verge of a top five finish but a mishap in moto two slowed his charge. Not wanting to end the week on a downer, Golaszewski put his head down in the third and final moto to find himself under the tent in fifth. Kish backed up his 50cc rides by getting his feet wet in the 65 class as well not an easy feat at this age bring home #17N while Bryce Carlyle ended the week as #37N a very respectable showing. In 65 7-11 class Golaszewski was #27N with the older guys while Cayden

Switzer did two classes as well in the 65 classes ending his week in both in the 30's with a solid #31N in the 7-11 Mod class and#35N in the 65 10-11 Limited class.

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 9

have not seen the last of these four and they will all be back to make amends with the ranch for years to come.

• 65cc 7-9 Limited: 6N) Leland Golaszewski (6-16-5) 17N) Cole Kish (21-20-16) 37N) Bryce Carlyle (36-34-34) • 65 7-11: 27N) Leland Golaszewski (19-36-24) 31N) Cayden Switzer (33-30-28) • 65cc 10-11 Limited: 35N) Cayden Switzer (32-35-31)

• Mini Sr. 2 12-14: 12) Jace Kessler (2013-14) 29) Chris Blackmer (23-27-34) 42) Noah Willbrandt (29-36-DNS) • 85 9-11: 39) Kaden Parmley (DNF-28-DNF) • 85 9-11 Limited: 33) Kaden Parmley (8-DNF-38) • Mini Sr. 12-13: 24) Jace Kessler (24-20-24) 30) Chris Blackmer (38-25-22)

In the 85cc 9-11 classes Kaden Parmley had a tough week that is for sure and it is a super bummer because this kid has skills, an 8th in moto 1 was the highlight of the week for young Parmley. Jace Kessler and Chris Blackmer both competed in the Mini Sr. class and rode with heart as did Noah Willbrandt and while all should be pumped for competing on such a large stage you have to know that all four riders were looking for bigger and better things by week's end. I have little doubt that we

The Schoolboy classes had the potential to be some of the strongest for the Mafia crew but bad luck and mishaps slowed the gang as they motored towards the podium. Joey Crown added a 7th overall to his resume in the Schoolboy 2 13-16 B/C class after his first moto 17th his focus was on the 250B class that’s for sure.

Chase Sexton was way faster than his 12th overall would indicate a second moto win and a third moto runner up finish proved that here is a reason why the Geico MX

 BCMC Track man #35 Josh Lobretto competed in the 25+ class battling to a solid 16th in moto two in spite of being off the bike with an injury for way to long.

team has this kid on retainer for 2016 and beyond. DJ Christie got through all three motos with an average finish inside the top twenty which was good for 19th overall, Matt Gross and Hunter Braun both suffered a DNF during the week or their overall numbers would have been way better at weeks end.

• Schoolboy 1: 12-16 B/C 19) Anthony Wallace (18-25-21) 31) Matt Gross (DNF-24-26) • Schoolboy 2: 13-16 B/C 7) Joey Crown (17-6-8) 12) Chase Sexton (DNF-1-2) 19) DJ Christie (16-26-17) 32) Hunter Braun (2323-DNF) There was some great racing in the College Boy 14-24 class this year and two of the front runners were east side stallions Jacob Williamson and Austin Dodd.

These two lads ran close enough in two of the three motos that you could have thrown a blanket over both of them. Dodd beat out Williamson in moto one laying down some great laps on his way to a runner up finish. Williamson was also on the podium in moto one with a solid third. In moto two Williamson was strong all moto long in the runner up spot giving him just five points with two races in the books.

Dodd was fast early but late in the moto dropped off the pace but still held on to a top 10 finish crossing the line in ninth.

Both riders were mathematically in the race for the title but would need some help. When the gate dropped it was Dodd pulling the pack across the strip to nab the Bell Helmet Holeshot with Williamson a spot or two back. As the race went on the two Michigan riders went to war Dodd need a third to end the week in the top three and was not to be denied as he and Williamson fought over the last spot on the podium for race three. Dodd got the nod in the moto by a slim margin while Williamson’s fourth locked up 2N for the Lasco Ford Babbit’s back KX rider. Hunter Braun showed speed in all three motos crossing the line in moto 3 just outside the top ten in eleventh. Ryan Tolsma pushed his two stroke hard to finish inside the top thirty in five out of six motos in both College Boy and Two Stroke classes ending the week 33N and 19N respectfully. Trampas Newman came back in the College Boy class finishing 35N to better last year’s results running with the A & B guys this time around in spite of qualifying directly in to both 450B classes.

• College Boy 14-24: 2) Jacob Williamson (3-2-4) 3) Austin Dodd (2-9-3) 21) Hunter Braun (16-DNF-11) 33) Ryan Tolsma (36-

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10 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

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23-28) 35) Trampas Newman (29-29-31) • Two-Stroke: 19) Ryan Tolsma (20-19-27)

Mandingo Pickle/Answer backed Kawi. Kirk Newman made his first

The Mafia guys were heavy in the trip to the ranch as a Vet classes at the ranch with four in the rider and suffered from 25+, five in the 30+. four in the 35+ ,seven get-offs that slowed his in the 40+, and four each in the 45+ and charge but gutted out 50+ respectfully. In the 25+ (the pup class) (pun intended) a final Brett Wagner lead the way with a solid moto in the twenties to 15th. A rough moto one with no shifter put end the week a 32N. him behind eight ball going in or things Grewe who is just might have been better. Ryan White, Matt short of 48 years old Schneider and Josh Lobretto all ended the as the gate of the 35+ weeks in the 20’s which in this crowd is class dropped but in his nothing to scoff at. eyes age is just a num In the 30+ White just missed the top ber. However at this ten with an 11N and was able to put his level a five year gap is KTM under the tent in moto one to start huge, dropping down to the week off right. Don Leddy finished race guys 10 to 12 years with a hard earned 12N but it wasn’t all younger is unheard sunshine and rainbows as Leddy had to be of. Grewe crossed the an ironman running the 30+ and 35+ which finish line third in all  #69 Tucker Harkins put his family back 100% US 27 Motorsports back KTM in to the top 10 were only a couple motos apart. Nine lap three motos losing out with some great rides in the 50cc 4-6 Special Limited class. motos an hour apart in the high heat and to Reynard and Tortelli. against the best in national this dude was This dude is one bad mother is all I can ty when the week came to a close earning back is my guess to try and better this on the gas suffering from less than stellar say. Don Leddy was 14N at week's end in 16N while Abraham Porter came home as score. Craig Pickett spotted the guys in this class 15 or 16 years but he didn’t care starts and still put it under the tent on the the 35+ class, he should be very proud of the 24th best 35+ guy in the country.

Jay Wagner was battling a broken and showed over half the field the rear last moto of the week with a great ride to the way he rode. I am sure the “intents thumb but that didn’t stop the lanky dude fender of his Honda to earn 20N three tenth. Brandon Reed was 14N with three lady” in the mechanics area had a hand in from finishing on the podium of the 40+ spots in front of follow 40+ pilot Robert motos inside the top twenty aboard his it as well. Judging by little Levi’s love for class when the week came to a close putLloyd (23N) who was consistent and solid College Bike Shop backed Honda. Eric (Big the track the Leddy’s will be in “Pit Mom ting the School of Brapp lead teacher on all week long.

Nasty) Gould wanted more but road well and Dad” mode before they know it. Ryan the box two out of three motos.

Ryan

Grewe made Loretta’s look easy winto a solid 24N but looked strong on his Weatherby was a also inside the top twenW e a t h e r b y ning all three 45+ motos in convincing put in a ton of fashion, it might be that Grewe rides and work leading trains more than anyone I can think of up to Loretta’s plus that dude has got some mad skills on and it paid off a bike that is for sure. Congrats on yet anwith a Nation- other fine week at Loretta’s Champ. Todd al #6 for the Dehoop has been working for Loretta’s tough as nails for a long time and it showed a rough and Yamaha guy. tumble moto one didn’t slow Dehoop’s Don Baker was desire at all as he closed out the week the last local with a pair of thirds. Dehoop enjoyed the guy in the top week and it was great to see Jim Dehoop 10 in spite of back at the ranch. Rumor was Dehoop a hard get off was going to enter the talent show and in moto two break dance like the last time he was at s a n d w i c h e d the ranch but no one could come up with between a pair some vinyls to spin. Baker was 7N in the of fourths that 45+ plus while Lloyd got faster with each were scored moto just missing the top ten in the final in motos one moto of the week to tie down 17N for his and three. Bob efforts.

Smutz is way Picket fittingly led the Mafia effort in faster than the 50+ class driving home with a 5N to his 19N would add to his already impressive resume with indicate but three great rides inside the top ten with the flyin col- a super strong fourth in moto one. I (Bart ors poster-boy Newman) was 6N at the end of the week kept pushing finally getting my s%@* together in the and will be  #80 Brandon Reed was in the hunt for a top 10 finish in the 30+ class all week at Loretta's aboard his College Bike Shop Reed family and Professional Metal Works backed Honda.

MAFIA continued on page 12

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 11

The entire Crown crew help the #35 Joey Crown celebrate another National as the likable lad to the top spot in the 250B Limited aboard his MCR, Kawasaki Team Green Thor Dunlop backed scooter  North Branch's #67 Cody MCCulloch put his Rock River Blue Crew machine in the top 10 in the Open Pro Sport class and a solid 12th in the 450A class.

 #25 Leland Golaszewski got a lot of play form the announcers as "Leland G" over the PA in route to a National #6 in the 65 7-9 Limited class #53 Chris Blackmer launches his YZ85 off one of the leaps at Loretta's representing the Mafia in the 85 Sr classes

12 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

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last moto of the week crossing the line in fourth. Victor Edgar was on mission in the final moto and pulled off a great ride to end up under the tent at the finish earning himself a 10N beating out 11N Terry Bidlack by one spot once the scores were figured.

• Junior 25+: 15) Brett Wagner (28-13-16) 20) Ryan White (24-22-20) 23) Matt Schneider (34-15-22) 25) Josh Lobretto (31-1627) • 30+: 11) Ryan White (10-13-12) 12) Don Leddy (14-17-10) 14) Brandon Reed (18-1915) 24) Eric Gould (27-21-21) 32) Kirk Newman (33-35-26) • Vet 35+: 3) John Grewe (3-3-3) 14) Don Leddy (15-11-14) 16) Ryan Weatherby (17-19-17) 24) Abraham Porter (27-27-26) • 40+: 3) Jay Wagner (9-3-3) 6) Ryan Weatherby (8-8-6) 10) Don Baker (432-4) 19) Bob Smutz (25-17-17) 20) Craig Picket (12-29-20) 23) Robert Lloyd (2421-21) • Vet 45+: 1) John Grewe (1-1-1) 5) Todd Dehoop (9-3-3) 7) Don Baker (5-7-8) 17) Robert Lloyd (20-17-13) • 50+: 5) Craig Picket (4-5-7) 6) Bart Newman (6-11-4) 10) Victor Edgar (10-15-8) 11) Terry Bidlack (117-15)

big leagues and some of Michigan’s finest were in the mix all week long.

Marshall Welton is a fast guy that doesn’t get near the hype or support he deserves was on a mission all week to change that.

A second overall in the Open–Pro Sport with a moto win and all three motos on the box had the teams talking no doubt.

He backed that up with a 6N in the 250A class suffering from a bad moto 2 but this kid has some skills The whole #69 Tucker Harkins crew proudly displaying the MX Sports A+ sticker down at the ranch. and will be on a team next year in this writer’s opinion. top 10 at number nine and got faster with Espar was 6N and 10N at the week's end Harrison was third in the Open Pro-Sport each moto finishing a strong fifth in the with four of six motos inside the top 10. third and final moto. Dodd was 38th but a DNS in moto two was the reason behind that score as he was focused on the College Boy class.

In 250 A action Harrison took the win by riding fast and smart all week long. This kid has got smarts and speed which will be an asset when he enters the Pro ranks full time. As I touched above a 6N for Welton was a back up to his Pro-Sport runner up finish. Josh Osby was 13th overall a DNF in moto one hide the fact that he was on the podium in the other two motos. Baja Acers poster boy Jacob Grzebinski ended the week as 22N laying down three solid motos. Osby was 5N in the 450A class after winning the final moto of the week in gangster style putting an exclamation point on this run at Loretta’s. McCulloch was just outside of the top ten. Jacob Williamson was 23rd as he concentrated on the College Boy class while Grzebinski suffered to DNF and finished in 35th.

 #31 brought his own cheering section as the Muskegon moto kid was on the run in the 65cc 7-9 Limited class

The Pro-Sport and “A” classes are full of the next batch of pros headed for the

class riding his 250 no small feat in the big bore class. Cody McCulloch was inside the

• Open Pro-Sport: 2) Marshall Welton (13-2) 3) Mitchell Harrison (4-4-3) 9) Cody McCulloch (17-10-5) 38) Austin Dodd (24DNS-35) • 250A: 1) Mitchell Harrison (2-14) 6) Marshal Welton (3-14-6) 13) Josh Osby (DNF -3-2) 22) Jacob Grzebinski (21-20-20) • 450A: 5) Josh Osby (8-10-1) 12) Cody McCulloch (14-22-8) 23) Jacob Williamson (1735-24) 35) Jacob Grzebinski (DNF-17-DNF)

Transplanted Michigan rider Bradley

Moto 1 in both 450B classes could have been better for the lad but Brad put his head down and worked his tail off to better his results. Blake Rivard worked hard and broken into the top thirty in both 450B classes just missing the top twenty in a couple motos which is no joke at this level, while Trampas Newman closed out the week in as National number 32. Nick Wickerham looked great in moto one of the 450B Limited coming from way back to fourteenth. Then disaster struck as a get off in the finish line area resulted in a broken ankle and a trip to the hospital ending his week way too soon.

• 450B: 10) Bradley Esper (14-5-9) 29) Blake Rivard (32-25-32) 32) Trampas Newman (30-DNF-30) 42) Nick Wickerham (DNF-DNS-DNS) • 450B Limited: 6) Brad Esper (16-5-3) 30) Blake Rivard (21-35-31) 41) Nick Wickerham (14-DNS-DNS)

Joey Crown won the National Championship in the 250B Limited class a third in moto one and two wins in the following motos had proud dad Matt sprinting for the podium from the mechanics area to celebrate with the whole Crown family.

Joey was on rails and rode great all week long. I have watched Joey race since an early age and he really reminds me of kids like Jeremy and Alex Martin who are doing pretty well in the pro ranks and I can see this same path for Crown. I would bet

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 13 my bottom dollar that we will be watching Joey on Saturdays in the coming years.

Jamison Duclos and Antony Wallace both finished in the 20’s with some good and bad motos along the way but the 250B classes are always some of the toughest of the week. Chase Sexton ended the week in second place overall of the 250B class and was on the box in each moto laying down in some great rides along the way.

Richard Rieckel, DJ Christie and Tate Gilman were all in the show in the 250B class and while the week might have not netted the results they were hoping for you have to take in account just over 5% of the riders tried to make it to the Loretta’s gate earned one.

keep it inside the top twenty overall with Dodson a solid 12N for his efforts. 450C racers Evan Faucett and Richard Reickel both road well to keep their machine in the front 15 with Faucett 11N and Reickel 15N to close out the week strong.

• 250C Limited: 3) Trevor Pavlik (4-5-3) 37) Dillon Yaw (DNF-27-34) 40) Trevor Tomkinson (37-36-DNF) • 250C 12-16 Limited: 12) Trevor Pavlik (16-5-23) • 250C: 12) Caine Dodson (9-24-12) 18) Arron Burmania (20-19-17) 37) Case Cain (35-28-DNF) 40) Trevor Tomkinson (21-37-DNS) • 450C 11) Evan Faucett (14-21-10) 15) Richard Reickel (12-20-20)

• 250B Limited: 1) Joey Crown (3-1-1) 21) Jamison Duclos (24-17-28) 24) Antony Wallace (25-29-23) • 250B: 2) Chase Sexton (2-23) 28) Richard Rieckel (25-36-20) 31) DJ Christie (32-29-28) 38) Tate Gillman (36-37-37)

Off the track activities were also a part of the Mafia trip this year as Talon Weatherby was great on stage at the Friday Night talent show. Not only did Talon do a solo, he also accompanied a couple other acts for the show this kid is legit.

Trevor Pavlik is good at something besides fishing and that is racing a motorcycle with three finishes inside the top five in the 250C Limited class netting Pavlik a third overall for the week. Not a bad haul.

In the 250 C (12-16 class) Pavlik had some troubles in motos one and three but still finished just outside of the top ten as 12N now on to the “B” class for Pavlik. In the 250C Limited class both Dillon Taw and Trevor Tomkinson suffered a DNF that hurt them in the final outcome but they both made the show and can always say “I made it to Loretta’s.”.In the 250C class Caine Doson and Aaron Burmania both

Honor Roll Students

MX Sports recognizes that it is not just important to excel on the track, but also in education, and we are pleased to announce the inducted riders with a "B" or better grade point average in school.

The 266 installed racers proudly display "A+" stickers on all three number plates during the National race week to showcase their accomplishments. Listed below are the Mafia riders that made this impressive list, well done ladies and gentlemen. Leland Golaszewski 65cc (7-11) and 65cc (7-9), Preston Payne 51cc (4-6) Shaft Drive Ltd, Sidney Wagner Girls Jr (9-13),

 #57 Austin Dodd picked a poker chip in the high thirties which put him way outside but it didn't deter the Babbitts, Craig Picket, FMF backed Moose race for putting his Team Green machine on the podium in the College Boy class

 #54 Noah Willbrandt didnt have the week he wanted at the ranch but as this photo show he has got some speed Noah Willbrandt Mini Sr. 2 (12-14), Tucker Harkins 51cc (4-6) Special Limited, Cole Kish 51cc (7-9) Limited and 65cc (7-9) Limited and Tate Gilman 250B.

Loretta Lynn’s has been around for 34 years and over the years hundreds of Michigan racers have came together as one and cheered on the Mafia riders from the first gate drop to the awards ceremony. Michigan Motocross is the best plain and simple. I, for one, am sick of the us and them mentality currently in the mix of Michigan MX. One of the greatest things about our sport and this race is the lifestyle and friendships that it grows. I speak for many, motocross is a passion that you can’t find in other sports and it is one I am not willing to give up. I hope to see you next year at the Loretta Lynn’s for yet another year as a part of the Michigan Mafia.

 #32 Christopher Ramirez was in the 50cc 4-6 Limited class aboard his Family backed Lasco Ford supported Cobra

14 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

VINTAGE MX

VISGER MAKES RETURN AND TOPS TRANSITION

 Mark Havalda quickly adapted to his to found horsepower and his 250cc BATTLE CREEK MOTORCYCLE CLUB (Battle Creek, MI) | August 09 Story and photos by Steve Baginski We headed to Battle Creek for round eight and were blessed with a great Vintage friendly track and great weather.

There were quite a few track changes from last year and every racer was very happy with the new layout. Again we had some great battles in all of the classes. Everyone had a great time and we are getting used to the cookouts after each of the races. There aren’t too many groups that you will see staying after the racing to enjoy some good food and do a little bench racing. I am glad to be a part of this and hope to be for many years to come.

When the gate fell on the first drop of our usual Innovation, Evolution and Iron Man classes, it was Chad Morehouse coming around turn one with the lead.

Mike Poirier had a slight edge over Michael Sutherland, Tom Lee, Steve Adema and Big Mike Poirier. Tom was out just to have fun as his bike didn’t make it past practice and he was on Ian’s Transition bike. When the second drop took off, it was Mike Laczko with a great holeshot. Ray Brooks was second followed by Cory Sutherland, Richard Stone and Mark Havalda. Michael McCauley made his return next just ahead of Tommy Lee, Tom Claerhout and Randy Stone. Casey Visger was making his Vintage/racing debut in the Iron Man class as he was tired of the kids having all the fun, now we just need to get “mom” out there!? As they came around to start lap two, Chad was going to be hard to catch and Michael was trying his best and up to second. Mike was back to third as Tom was holding down fourth with Steve a very close fifth. Laczko was next as he battled with Ray as they were

both leading their classes. Tommy was a close second to Ray as Cory was trying to keep tabs on Laczko. Claerhout was moving through the pack after a slow start as he had just gotten around Rick. McCauley and Big Mike were next as Mark was still adapting to the 250 and doing battle of his own with Randy. Casey was a little ways back and seemed to be having some bike issues. To start lap three it was more of the same with Chad opening up his lead with Michael still holding down second with Mike in third. Tom was riding in fourth but will be dropped in the points when the race is done. Steve was still running fifth as Laczko and Ray were side by side as Claerhout made up a bunch of ground in second Iron. Tommy was riding strong in second as well with the same gap back to Cory. Rick was a solid fourth with McCauley breaking away from Mark with a little ground back to Randy.

Big Mike came by next as Chad was coming through and on the gas. Michael was loosing ground in second but had a nice gap over Mike in third. Ray was next as he still led Evo but it was Claerhout taking over the Iron lead and gaining on Ray. Tom was slowing down as Laczko, Steve and Tommy were all battling. Cory had a good view of it all as he had a slight gap over Rick and McCauley. Mark was next as he had the edge over his rival Randy with two laps to go. So as Chad came through to take the white flag, it was a large lead back to Michael as Mike was slowly closing the gap in third. Claerhout made the pass on Ray just before the finish jump as they were still both leading their own classes. Tommy was making up a lot of ground and looking for that first win. Cory was hanging on to the riders ahead of him as he took over second Iron from Laczko.

He was having a few issues and one be-

ing a broken pipe mount. Steve was next getting around Tom with Rick and Mark getting over the finish just before Chad did taking the checkered flag and the Inno win. McCauley was next locking him into fifth Iron as Randy came by next in sixth.

Michael came by taking second with Mike rounding out the podium. Claerhout had a great battle with Ray and crossed a bike length ahead at the finish. Tommy was a close second with Big Mike slipping by in what would become fifth. Cory rode well taking second as Tom, Laczko and Steve all crossed wheel to wheel. Rick came by next in fourth Iron as Mark came across in third Evo. Casey was sitting at the finish waiting for the checkered flag to come out then I was able to give him a tow back to the pits. Chad picked up where he left of moto win with another holeshot. Mike was second with Tom, Steve and Michael next. Big Mike came through next and as they all came through the third corner, Chad was stalled on the inside of the track. He got on the brakes too hard and made a minor mistake. Luckily his bike refired easy and was off chasing the leaders.

As the riders from the second drop came through turn one, it was Ray and Laczko side by side with Ray taking the edge into turn two. Cory was next followed by Rick, Tommy and Claerhout. McCauley had a wheel on Mark and the same gap back to Randy. Casey was unable to get his Iron bike going and didn’t make the moto two start. Part way through lap two, Chad had retaken the lead and was opening up

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 15

 Austin Visger made his Vintage return taking the second moto Transition win and the overall a nice lead. Mike was into second with Steve up to third. Tom was back to fourth while Michael was struggling with throttle issues back in fifth. Ray was leading the

 Rick Stone was back to form taking third in Iron Man

second wave as Claerhout and Cory were side by side. Laczko was just back in third with Tommy jumping passed. Rick was a few seconds behind in fourth with Mark a few more behind. McCauley and Randy were doing more battling as they were just ahead of Big Mike. Chad came by on lap three with a little larger gap back to Mike still in second.

Steve was still top three as Ray was closing and bringing Claerhout with him. Tom was next with son Tommy closing fast as he made it by Cory. Laczko was still a close third with another broken pipe mount. Michael was still making an effort as he was just ahead of Rick and then Mark. McCauley and Randy were still close and looked like the 125 was hurting Randy’s chances for a pass. Lap four was more of the same with Ray and Tom catching Mike. Tommy was still trying for that chance at victory with Steve holding onto third. Michael had slowed and was playing it safe back in fifth. As Chad came around on his white flag lap, I noticed Laczko was pulling his bike from the

pond. I’m not sure how far in he went but most of bike looked pretty wet. He would get it out and going again but finished in sixth. Chad had a nice lead and would go on to take another 1-1 and the overall. Mike rode great taking second and second overall. Tom actually made it up to third in moto two but since he was on too new of a bike, that dropped him back to sixth and sixth overall. So that means Steve took over third and fourth overall.

Michael pushed it just hard enough to be able to finish taking fourth and rounding out the overall podium. Big Mike would take over fifth and fifth overall. Ray battled with the other classes but would hold on for his own 1-1 and another overall as Tommy would close the gap but end up second. Mark had the edge over his rival in the other class and ended up third Evo. Claerhout rode smart after getting into the lead and taking a 1-1 as well for the overall. Cory had a good ride in second for second overall as Rick took advantage of Mike’s pond excursion taking third and the last step on the podium. McCauley rode a very wide bike the last two laps taking fourth with a somewhat upset Randy in fifth. Seems there were some questionable line choices during those laps?

BATTLE CREEK continued on page 24

16 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

September 2015 – by Steve Beane tory Ducati riders Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso.

• The Grape Vine family enduro had been moved from June to the end of August because much of the course was impassible due to extreme rainfall. The skies were open again Saturday but that didn’t prevent Rev. Ron and the Hard Core Jesus Freaks from pulling off an incredible event. Riders were challenged by trails worthy of a “full enduro”, and with time-keeping and race day rain that stopped just before key-time, it’s an event few participants will forget.

This young buddy class rider certainly won’t …

• The new Betas have started to arrive and early word from recreational riders is that the oil injection system on the RRs is a hit.

The standard Sachs forks are indeed a  Little man, big trophy bright gold color, although they look • Valentino Rossi climbed back atop the better in the flesh (metal?) than in phoMotoGP standings by winning his 86th tos. The Racing Edition bikes will arrive premier class race in front of 75,000 fans early in November and will forego the oil at the British GP. The Doctor topped an injection system but be equipped with a all Italian podium, being joined by fac- new closed-chamber Sachs fork.

• The siren song of a big payout attracted GNCC regulars Jason Thomas and Michael Witkowski to Battle Creek for the East Coast National Hare Scrambles race Sunday Aug 30, where they topped National Enduro regular (and former race winner) Nick Fahringer on the podium at day’s end.

• The top ten in qualifying for the Charlotte ½ mile dirt track included 4 Kawasakis, 3 Harley-Davidons, a Ducati, a KTM 990, and a Triumph!

• Have you just gone for a fun ride on your bike this summer? Before the leaves turn color make it a goal to go ride your bike simply for the pure pleasure of it.

• The enduro motorcycle manufacturing business suffered a casualty when GasGas stopped producing bikes in January. It looks now like the trials business is what most potential investors are interested, although rumors indicate that KTM is looking at the Spanish facility as a place to produce mid-priced bikes.

• By the time you read this Paul Bucher and his cadre of enduro competitors will have put the wraps on the 90th running of the ISDE, a race many consider the truest test of off-road prowess.

• Ryan Dungey and Jeremy Martin took home the biggest prizes that US motocross has to offer, capturing the 2015 450 and 250MX titles respectively. Dungey will returnunder the KTM/RedBull tent for 2016, while Martin will defend his title for the factory Yamaha fielded by Star Racing.

• Dungey’s impressive 2015 season saw him win the 450 Supercross title and wrap up the outdoor championship almost 4 motos early. His seven outdoor victories further solidify Dungey as one of the all-time greats, as his total of 37 premier class wins put him ten ahead of Bob Hannah. Ricky Carmichael tops the charts at an eye-popping 76 wins.

• Rumor has it that Kawasaki is planning another push into the US off-road scene.

Since GNCC is where the money and the press are concentrated, expect to see the green bikes first there.

It may be September but there is still lots of great riding left in the year. Contact us through the link at afterhourscycle.com if you want to finish out the season astride a new Beta, if you need help with suspension on any off-road bike or if you just want to talk dirt bikes and racing.

ICE RACE UPDATE

by Jeremiah Sherman Ice Chairman

As I ride shotgun in my brother's truck, on our way to Croswell for the Half Mile State Championships, we talk about the up coming ice racing season. We're excited, particularly since the dirt track has been rough on us, and the speed of Jon, Jake and John in the Quad Class has lead to awesome racing this season and made podiums few and far between for the rest of the field. My hats off to all the clubs and racers for a great dirt track season thus far.

Looking to this winter, I have some unfinished projects in the works. Our fundraiser is still in the works awaiting some final approvals to get started, hopefully before then end of dirt track season. The idea is a fundraising raffle of a Harley Davidson Motorcycle, the funds raised will go to the Ice Racing Riders Fund. If It doesn't go through we will have to find another way to increase the riders fund.

As far as I know right now the schedule will be similar to last year. I have been asked about adding 100cc studded solo classEs so far too. I will not be the points keeper this winter, we need a volunteer to step up if you want to see points, hopefully on a new website.

If you would like to submit rule changes, new classes, prospective sponsors, now is the time to do so.

Can't wait for this winters season, hope everyone had a fun safe summer.

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 17

IN THE PITS FLAT TRACK STYLE Story and photos submitted by Jailyn Norris

JOEY HOWARD #43

Age 14 • Class 450 B and 250 Open You know they love the sport when they are at the races and can’t even go out on the track due to an injury. Well, thats exactly what Joey is doing. With a banged up arm he's at the track cheering on his friends and spending his weekends at the place he loves to be.

Q: Favorite track?

Joey: Lucky Thumb or Owosso Q: How did you get into Flat Track?

Joey: Mainly my Dad. Q: Favorite thing about spending your weekends at the track?

Joey: Just hanging out with all my friends.

Q: Favorite racer of all time?

Joey: Henry Wiles or Jared Mees.

Q: Best memory from the races?

Joey: Gage [with a smile and very fast response].

Q: How long have you been racing?

Joey: Since I was four, so I’m not sure how long that is, I'm not good at math, like ten years [ as all the girls laughed at him].

Q: Other than racing what other hobbies do you have?

Joey: Fishing.

Q: Future plans/dream job?

Joey: Think I’m just going to play it by ear.

Q: Any sponsors you'd like to thank?

Joey: My mom and dad and Jack Overfield.

ALAYNNAH SCHERER #829 Age 6 • Class PW 50

This little girl was all smiles and giggles as I asked her all the questions. With that long braid always hanging out of her helmet the boys know they have one fast girl in front of them.

Q: Favorite track?

Alaynnah: Owosso TT Q: How did you get into Flat Track?

Alaynnah: My dad, well my whole family.

Q: Favorite thing about spending your weekends at the track?

Alaynnah: It’s just fun racing.

Q: Favorite racer of all time?

Alaynnah: Morgan Nottingham Q: How long have you been racing?

Alaynnah: The last two years on the dirt and last three years on the ice.

Q: Other than racing what other hobbies do you have?

Alaynnah: I like to ride bicycles. and go tubing and gymnastics.

Q: Best memory from the races?

Alaynnah: My first win at Polka Dots last year.

Q: Favorite Movie?

Alaynnah: Inside Out!!!

Q: Any sponsors you'd like to thank?

Alaynnah: My mom and dad.

JAYSON BLOSS #21

Age 15 • Class 450 Open and 450 A One of the top up and comers of District 14, Jayson is one fast rider and he has his head in the game. Moving up to the bigger classes doesn't seem like much of a challenge for him so far!

Q: Favorite track?

Jayson: Croswell Q: How did you get into Flat Track?

Jayson: my Uncle and Grandpa were pro, so it has been a family thing.

Q: Favorite thing about spending your weekends at the track?

Jayson: Hanging out with the AMA track family.

Q: Favorite racer of all time?

Jayson: Jayson Sentell Q: How long have you been racing?

Jayson: Since I was four.

Q: Other than racing what other hobbies do you have?

Jayson: Mostly just conditioning or playing football.

Q: Future plans/dream job?

Jayson: Small engine mechanic.

Q: Any sponsors you'd like to thank?

Jayson: Buddy Racing, Grandma and Grandpa and my Uncle.

18 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

THE LOCALS

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 19 Story by Brooke Gentz Photos as noted

Little Ripper – Leland Golaszewski

 Leland at the Walton TransCan in Ontario, Canada.

Showing off his silly self at the ranch! ~ photo courtesy Golaszewski family

~ photo courtesy Jessica Ten Hagen

T

en-year-old Leland Golaszewski has had several successful years in his most recent journey through the amateur ranks. The Almont, Michigan native has made it to the ranch at the Loretta Lynn's Amateur National two years in a row with some pretty impressive finishes and just recently won a championship at the Walton TransCan in Canada. I spoke with Leland and his parents, Jeff and Kim, about how his year is going, his plans for the future, and a little about his family.

I know Leland did well at the ranch last year, tell me a little bit about how Loretta Lynn’s went for 2015?

This year at Loretta Lynn's Leland's goal was to take top ten in the 65cc 7-9 class and top twenty in the 65cc 7-11 class. Leland trained along with other D14 riders heading to Loretta Lynn’s with Matt Crown/MCR for 3 consecutive weeks leading up to Loretta’s. All this training prepared him to feel confident to do well. In the 65cc 7-9 class he finished 6th overall. In the 65cc 7-11 class, he

took top twenty in the first moto, but the second Moto his spark plug cap fell off causing him to breakdown and push his bike over the finish line taking 36th that moto. Overall, he took 27th place. On the down time at Loretta’s he enjoyed cooling off in the river and swing on the rope swing doing flips into the river. He also enjoyed watching his fellow Michigan riders race.

Following The Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National, Leland attended the Walton TransCan in Ontario, Canada. I asked his dad about how that experience was.

Leland wasn't sure how he'd do at Walton because it was his first time ever being there. After taking 1st (65cc 7-9) on the first Moto he felt confident he could win the championship. He went 1-1-2 giving him a

 Leland and his family cooling off in the river ~ photo courtesy Golaszewski family

1st overall and ultimately winning the Canadian championship. He also took top 10 in the 85cc 7-11 class. He proudly showcases his 6 foot tall trophy and gold riding bibs in his bedroom. (The gold bibs are to signify the riders who took 1st place the prior moto.)

What are Leland’s plans for the rest of the 2015 season?

Leland's plans for the rest of the season is to race as many D14 races and practice at Happy Acres with his friends.

Now everyone has a plan for the off season, does Leland?

During fall and winter Leland looks forward to hunting with his dad and brother. As well as occasionally going to Ram Jam in Ohio or a short trip with the family to Florida, Georgia or Alabama to ride local tracks in warmer weather.

Leland said his favorite moment so far this year was the Loretta Lynn experience and finishing 6th overall.

With many riders his age and his riding ability choosing homeschooling, what does Leland do for school? Is he homeschooled or still in school?

Leland is entering the fourth grade at Orchard Primary in Almont, MI. This past March while racing at Daytona Leland's teacher and classmates live streamed the race so they could watch him on the projector screen in class.

LELAND continued on page 35

What are his goals for the 2016 season?

Leland will try and qualify for Loretta Lynn’s again next year. He'll try qualifying both 65cc 7-11 class and the 65cc 10-11 class. He will race 85cc 7-11 for District 14 as much as possible.  Leland during the awards ceremony at the Loretta Lynn's Amateur National ~ photo courtesy Golaszewski family

What would Leland say his favorite moment of 2015 so far is?

 Leland and his dad at Loretta Lynn's. ~ photo courtesy Jessica Ten Hagen

20 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

The Beane Report Story and photos by Steve Beane

Arcadia Barkbusters 24hr Northeast Challenge or what else to do the weekend of the Jackpine

One of the very best parts about being a Beta dealer - even better than riding fresh bikes on a regular basis – is getting to know guys who share a passion for dirtbikes and off-road riding from all around the country. So when my buddy Glenn from New Jersey texted last winter about racing a 24 hour endurance race in New York I told him I was all-in.

Off-road endurance racing differs from the more popular (for fans and viewers at the very least) extreme enduros in that the challenge comes from racing FOR ONE SOLID DAY, from 10am to 10am, rather than from insane terrain that mercilessly beats bike and body.

Class structure isn’t too hard to understand. In the premiere division each team of up to six riders is tasked with getting a single bike over the finish line in two revolutions of the clock’s little hand.

Other teams form in age or ability sorted classes, and there are solo and duo classes for those who just have to exorcise their demons with up to 24 hours in the saddle.

We had originally planned to run in the 40+ class, but with only three guys committed a couple weeks before the event Glenn recruited his brother and nephew and Team PlusOnePerformance was restaged in Expert/Am/A/B class.

Most teams rolled into the Andover, New York venue late Friday afternoon and on into the night, missing the incredible elevation and mountain topography of the area. Since twenty-four hours of racing means an early start and at least one late night, campers and tents popped up in several fields adjacent to the pit and race control area. Those that chose to camp in the pit area were restricted from moving during the race period, and that of course meant they were treated to the sounds of excited riders and revving bikes all through Saturday night, and whatever the teams needed had better have been brought in, in quantity, before the riders meeting Saturday morning.

“Go in blind and take lots of chances” may not have made the top of the list for Boy Scouts’ mottos, but it pretty accurately described the situation our team found itself in just prior to the start Saturday morning. For one thing, no one on our team had ever done a 24 hour motorcycle race. Secondly, not a lot of thought had gone into race strategy – we decided the riding order and made a guess that each rider could sustain a decent pace for 2 hours at a time just moments prior to the riders’ meeting. Finally, no matter what happened we knew we’d be short on night

 On your marks, get set, GO!!

lights. Glenn had made and tested a handlebarmounted light system months prior to the race, but since I hadn’t decided whether to race the Beta 350 four-stroke (I did and happily so) or a 300RR 2T, there had been no time and less thought into how I was going to light my way through the darkness. A friend and Beta customer from Minnesota shipped me a light bar that looked more than up to the job of melting the dark, but its’ hunger for current would prove to be a big issue around 3:30am Sunday morning. The other three guys were relying on less-than optimal battery/light combos to make it through the night …

The start was an amalgam of many forms of racing, with a Le Mans style running start to dead-engined bikes lined up according to class. The Premiere class led off, with 1 minute intervals  A better set-up … lights on the handguards between the others that and the numberplate followed.

The racing was hot off the start and Having never ridden at night I was uncontinued to be throughout the mid-day sure of what to expect, but when I took the and early afternoon. The eleven-plus mile saddle at 2 in the morning one thing was course started slick from the heavy dew perfectly clear – in the dark, you can go as but burned in nicely as the laps ticked by. fast as you can see. 72 watts of LED light on Some of the hotter shoes were turning the handlebar and a hardworking helmet laps in the 25 minute area – times for the light worked to melt the darkness away, PlusOnePerformance team were in the and each and every contour in the terrain 37-38 minute mark, with our young gun was easily seen, even if the sides of the trail throwing down 32 minute heaters. were not. My night time lap times looked

By taking a game day decision to to comparable to the laps run hours before limit each rider to three laps in the initial in the daylight, but then disaster struck. phase, we were able to ride in two hour The power draw of the big light bar overchunks and avoid gas stops for the active whelmed the charging system of the bike, rider. That also meant every rider would and after 10/11ths of my second lap the 350 get a chance to lay down some laps before stalled in the woods and I had to push the dark. Ten hours in, at 8:00pm, our team bike out of the woods and hike a quarter leader went out with a full light array to mile or so to the pits. begin the night ride.

ARCADIA continued on page 33

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 21

VROOM VROOM VROOM FreelinMX M&M Weekend ReCap

FREELIN MX (Brown City, MI) | August 15/16 Story by Team Freelin Photos by SpeedpunksImages.com

The annual M&M Weekend, at FreelinMX, has something for everyone. Both days are filled with raging motocross action, hot temps on and off the track, sun and fun.

Saturday night is filled with the sounds of 600+ cubic inch motors, nitrous, 2-speed transmissions, sick power-to-weight ratio trucks with custom cut 44” rubber on the ground. Well, not really on the ground, as some of you witnessed, first hand. A wheelie is a wheelie is a wheelie. Well, maybe not when you’re talkin about a 3,500 pound vehicle compared to a 250 pound bike.

A site to see, smell and feel as the mud flies through the air as these trucks fly down a 200’ track going over 100 mph wheel speed. Next year plan to be there, you won’t regret it!

The track got some rain Friday which set it up for some outstanding racing on Saturday. The track appreciates some moisture, just enough, not too much. The track crew had it ready in tip-top shape for the morning program. Freelin runs a split program

allowing for some track grooming during intermission.

SUNDAY, August 16, 2015 TrackSide Live, brought to you by Jeremie Sparrer. Thanks for all who made it out, motocross racers, truck racers, families, friends and spectators. We enjoy putting on a great show for you and this year did not disappoint.

Here with the winner of race #2, the 85 Junior class, riding #553, out of Burton, MI. On a KTM it’s Travis Mabilangan. That was quite a race out there. Lots of carnage, you came out of the gates good, you settled

into about 3rd place. Then we had Scalf (Ryder Scalf, #989, Clarkston, MI) go off the track, he got wadded up a bit. And, Ware (Jacob Ware, #929, Cass City, MI) made a little mistake and Smiley (Mabilangan out here) smooth as ever. Consistency wins the race. Congratulations, way to keep your composure, stay on the bike, and take home the win. I know you got some sponsors you want to thank. I thank Jesus, MCR, Mabilangan Property, Nathan Gulley, FCA, Spectro, TwinAir, 100%, ProTaper and Rockys. Right on buddy for a hard fought win.

Next up we’ve got Keegan Jaros, #282 out of Imlay City, in the 85 Beginner class. Hey buddy, you’ve been killin it out there this weekend. You had a good holeshot but you weren’t in the lead. Tank (Tristen Tank, #337, Sandusky MI) got around you in the first lap there. You made the pass, and you held the position and got the win. Put the blue Yamaha out front today, Good job!

Who do you want to thank. I would like to thank my mom, my dad, my brother and Outdoor Motorsports. Right on Keegan.

Enjoy the rest of your day, go get cooled off. Can’t wait to see you next time here at FreelinMX. All right folks, here with the winner of race #6, running the 65 7-11 class. Running on a KTM, out of Erie, MI it’s #792, Matt Taylor. You had a good race out there today.

You and Travis Mabilangan have been go-

ing at it out there on the track all weekend long. Today you’ve been getting some good holeshots, its been a battle out there.

Looked like Mabilangan had it there for the first couple laps but you went around him and took it back for 1st position. You never looked back. You helped get you out here today. I want to thank the Lord Jesus Christ who kept me safe out there today, and for blessing the weather for motocross today, and I want to thank all my sponsors for being there when I need them, and the moto family when my bikes broke and I thank Travis for always being there and pushing me, not mentally but physically, because we battle with each other, and all my friends, and I wouldn’t be here without my dad, and all my friends, ya. Well, good job Matt Taylor, Congratulations .

Next up, running 65 7-9, #318, riding KTM, out of Clarkston, MI it’s Ryder Scalf. Ryder, you’ve been running a couple of classes out here, good win out here on the 65. You’re also out here on the 85 looking good. You had a little get up out there in that back straight-away. Tell us a little bit about what happened out there. How are you feeling after that? I think I was going down the back straight-away, and I hit a hole, and it like kicked me all over the place and I like high-sided it over the berm. You feeling alright? Obviously you’re doing good because you just went out there and kicked some butt here in this class. Well you sure

FREELIN continued on page 23

22 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

FESNews FAMILY ENDURO SERIES

story by Mike Maurer, Family Enduro Series Chairman Photos by CaptureMe-Photography.com

39th Pine Cone Enduro

LANSING MOTORCYCLE CLUB (Morristown, MI) | August 22

PINE CONE!!! This chant may not have the same impact as RED BUD!!! However, to an enduro rider (especially the young ones) this event is the highlight of their Summer. I remember riding the first Pine Cone 39 years ago and having the opportunity to ride competitively and win a trophy. Good memories.

This year 297 riders signed up for the event. We had riders from the Great Lakes region - Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, but since the Jack Pine was a national enduro, we also had riders from many other states riding the Pine Cone.

The riders ranged in age from 4 years old to 70+. The riders under 9 years old rode a 17 mile loop. Easton Wright from the Grand Rapids area had the best score of these younger riders. The older riders continued on a separate 17 mile loop that was more technical and provided more challenges. At the end of the day, Jordan Smith from Kalkaska had the best score and was awarded the Grand Champion trophy.

Congratulations to all riders of the Pine Cone Enduro. There were a lot of smiles on faces after the event.

The Lansing Motorcycle Club provided a couple of special recognition awards to Kim Barclay and Phil Hanford for all of their efforts to make Pine Cone a successful. Thank you!!

 #416 Jordan Smith – 1st F Class (14-15) The class winners include:

 #113 Easton Wright – Buddy Class

• • • • • •

Buddy class - Easton Wright 4-6 years old - Dozer Morgan 7-8 years old - Chasen Orme 9-11 years old - Elyot Dings 12-13 years old - Justin Kurncz 14-15 years old - Jordan Smith

• • • • •

Women's 11-15 - Bella Brookshire Women's 16+ - Ashley Mills 16-39 years old - Nicholas Myers 40-54 years old - Jeff Thresher 55+ years old - Stephen Bacon

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 23 FREELIN continued from page 21 showed a lot of heart out there today.

Very consistent on the 65. It’s been a good weekend for all the Scalf boys. Who do you want to thank for getting you out here today? I want to thank Jesus, my mom and dad, Full Throttle Motorsports, Sir Pizza and Magnum. You are looking very strong out here today. I wish Roman could have been out there with you to battle but it happens. You deserve the win, Congratulations!

Riding 65 7-11, it’s #418 on a Kawasaki, out of Ortonville, MI, Isiah Sell. Good job buddy, looks like you’re out there having a good time. A big ole crowd of people out here cheering for you, every time you went by. When you’re out there, can you hear them clapping and cheering for ya? Ya! Right on. Well keep it up, all your fans out there for you. It’s working for you, you’re looking good man. Congratulations! Did you have a good time, on the Kawasaki, riding at FreelinMX? Ya!! What’s the best part of the track? You like the corners?

You like the jumps? What’s your favorite part? The corners and jumps. They say, you jump for show, you corner for dough but I say you jump for show and corner and

turn around and jump again, right? Great job, everyone is very proud of you. Anybody you want to thank? Ya, my dad, my mom, and my whole entire family. Great job, you represent real well for them.

Looking forward to seeing you out here again.

Running 85 9-13, it’s #531, out of North Branch, MI, hometown Garrett Simpson.

Garrett, you’ve had a tough weekend, had some bike problems holding you off, a little off pace yesterday. Today, you’ve got a loner bike out there been workin for you, and you’re showing your true speed and what you’ve got to do out there. Congratulations on a great ride. You didn’t get the holeshot, you had to work for it. Seth (Seth Hughes, #32, Kitchener Ontarior) has been a tough competitor out there. You found your way around him, you kept your focus, you rode smooth. Who helps you get out there? I would like to thank my dad, my mom and the Lord for keeping me safe. And all the people who have gotten me to where I am

today. And thanks to Stevie Hooker for letting me ride his bike this weekend. Well, Garrett you did the Hookers proud out there, putting their bike in the Winners Circle. Sorry you couldn’t get your bike out there yesterday but you showed your style today. Congratulations!

Congratulations to all our racers. It shows true spirit and sportsmanship to be out

there, friends off the track, true competitors on. We’re proud to host events for such great MOTO racers and families. We look forward to our Freelin Fall Classic race September 26/27. Until that time we have Open Practice/Rides available every Sunday (11am-5pm). For full race results, Practice/Race Schedule and additional information visit FreelinMX.com, or call 989.761.1301.

Michigan’s Largest Offroad Dealer just added 2015



Just 20 minutes north of Lansing, on US127, we are on your way to the tracks and trails of Michigan.

24 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News Mike Poirier was steady all day earning second overall in Innovation

BATTLE CREEK continued from page 15 Transition and our lone Schoolboy were again out with another class but they were the second drop. Gene Huntoon came around taking the holeshot with Austin Visger a close second. Konnor Visger was right next to George Mekjian and Ian Lee. Derek and Ray Brooks were next as they were just ahead of Tom Claerhout and Jeff Mansfield. Mid way through lap two, Austin was out front with Ian a few seconds back in second. Tom was on the gas and up to third as Konnor was holding down fourth overall as he led Schoolboy.

Gene slipped back to fourth Trans as Ray had gotten around his son Derek for fifth.

Jeff was into seventh as George had a bobble and was back in eighth after a good start. With lap three under way it was still Austin out front but Tom had moved into second. Ian was back to third with Ray up to fourth. Gene was also back a spot in fifth with Derek running sixth. Konnor was missing from the racing as he had taken a hard crash and took some time getting back up. He would end up just pulling off the track and heading back to the pits.

Jeff was still ahead of George but the gap

was shrinking. The battles continued on lap four with Austin still leading the way.

Tom was closing in second with Ian a few seconds behind. Ray and Gene were very close as Derek was a close sixth. I headed

to the finish and as the white flag came out, Austin’s lead over Tom was down to nothing. Ian had lost a little ground but was still holding onto third. Ray, Gene and Derek were all within a few seconds and

FIND THEM

ONLINE

AMA – AmericanMotorcyclist.com D14 – AMA-D14.org D14 News – D14News.net ENDURO – D14Enduro.org MX – D14MX.com ICE – ICE.s3webcenter.com 33MotosportsPark.com BajaMX.com BattleCreekMotorcycleClub.com BentWheels.com BigAirMotocross.com

BullDogMX.com BundyHillOffRoad.com CadillacMC.com FlintMotorcycleClub.com FreelinMX.com GKTrailRiders.com GrattanRaceway.com I96Speedway.com LansingMotorcycleClub.org

LuckyThumbMotorcycleClub.com MidwestEnduros.com (Hill & Gully)

looked to be a fight to the finish. As they came down the woods jumps, it was Tom out front with Austin a very close second.

They also had just put Jeff and George a lap down with George slightly ahead. As they crossed the line, it was Tom taking the win by a bike length. Next was Jeff taking seventh back from George in the last few turns. Ian was next taking third as Gene closed the gap and took fourth only by a few seconds. Ray came across in a close fifth as Derek tried to make a last turn pass and tipped over. He got back up and exhausted taking sixth. When the riders came through turn one, they had to navigate around some downed riders from the first drop. It was a little confusing to why they went but everyone made it through safe. Austin was first through with the holeshot followed closely by George, Gene and Ian. Derek was next with Ray a little slow getting around the downed riders. Jeff and Tom then came through as Tom was reaching down and making adjustments to his carb. At the start of lap two, Austin was out front and trying to pull away from the pack. Ian was into second with Gene holding third.

Derek was under pressure from Ray for fourth as Tom was getting around George for sixth. Austin still had the lead as he started lap three as the fight for second was tight between Ian, Gene and Tom. Ray was around Derek and was quickly becoming a five way battle for second.

Be sure to visit these websites often during the season and offseason to make sure you’re up to date on the latest and greatest!

MichiganVintageMotocross.com MuddobbersMC.org MuskegonMotorcycleClub.com NAActionSports.com PHMC-USA.com PolkaDotsMC.net PortlandTrailRiders.com RidersMC.org TheValleyTrailRiders.org ValleyMotocross.com UPSandStormers.com

George was a few seconds behind in seventh with Jeff back to eighth. Austin had a comfortable lead to start lap four with Tom creeping up in second. Gene was still in third as Ray and Derek both got around Ian dropping him to sixth. George and Jeff were still holding spots as well. With the white flag out, Austin was going to be hard to catch this time with a good 20sec lead.

Tom was still charging in second though with Gene and Ray still fighting for third.

Derek was next but Ian was back on the charge and closing ground. Unfortunately for George, the leaders from the first drop caught him just before the finish locking him in seventh. Austin came through next and was able to hold on to the lead and the win taking the overall. Jeff came by next in eighth with Tom a few seconds back taking second and dropping a spot to second overall. Ray and Gene were battling to the end and with two turns to go, Ray made the pass and took third and the final step on the podium. Gene ended up a close fourth as Ian also made a last lap pass on Derek for fifth dropping him to fifth overall. Derek would drop back to sixth for sixth overall.

We are now done with rounds eight and nine and will be headed to our Sandbox race very soon. Then we are off until our only race in September at Cadillac on the 13th. After that we have our two D-14 Vintage only Saturday races at Polka Dots on October 3rd and Bulldogs on October 10th. Then we finish up our season at Baja on November 1st. I have both the overall and throwaway points updated and please don’t hesitate to contact me if you see any mistakes. I also want to say thank you once again to everyone who has helped me in my recovery. Unfortunately I am going back in for another surgery later this year. With that being said, I am still not back to work and no outlook on returning.

So I have an 800watt generator that I will be raffling off to be given away at our last race of the year at Baja on November first.

You can see me at the races if you would like to purchase a ticket. And please don’t forget to check out www.michiganvintagemotocross.com. Thanks for checking in and I hope to see you at the races.

Results: Battle Creek 8/9/15 – Iron Man: 1. T. Claerhout (Yam); 2. C. Sutherland (Hon); 3. Ri. Stone (Hsk); 4. M. McCauley (Hon); 5. M. Laczko (Hon); 6. Ra. Stone (Kaw); 7. Ca. Visger (Yam) Evolution: 1. R. Brooks (Suz); 2. T. Lee II (Suz); 3.

M. Havalda (Suz) Innovation: 1. C. Morehouse (Hon); 2. M. Poirier (Hon); 3. M. Sutherland (Hon); 4. S. Adema (Hon); 5. M. Poirier Sr. (Yam); 6. T. Lee (Ktm) Transition: 1. A. Visger (Yam); 2. T. Claerhout (Hsk); 3. R. Brooks (Suz); 4. G. Huntoon (Kaw); 5. I. Lee (Ktm); 6. D. Brooks (Suz); 7.

G. Mekjian (Hon); 8. J. Mansfield (Hon)

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 25

national enduro news

NATIONAL ENDURO – ROUND 7 (Cross Fork, PA) | July 27 Story and photo by Talon Soenksen The 7th round of the National Enduro series was held in the small town of Cross Fork Pennsylvania. After spending a week in New York with cousins we headed down on Saturday to the race. The Rattlesnake course is unique and is one of the only races to have a grass track and this years grass track was fairly large and was the first test of the race as usual. I am prett y sure there was more rock in this race than there was dirt. Starting on row 35 gave me some ruts and berms to hit instead of just riding the slippery grass. I started 3rd on the grass track but quickly moved in behind Nick and tried to keep him in sight as he peppered me with dirt and rock, not fun! It was prett y dusty but the track was still visible. After some grass track we headed into some woods that were prett y fun then out onto more grass track. I came through the first test with an alright time but had some extreme arm pump but still kept it on two wheels.

The second test turned out to be my best of the day and I had lots of fun in it because my arm pump was finally gone. I had one small tip over but I kept the bike running and continued on. After a quick

pit stop with fresh goggles and food I got ready for the third test. This test was prett y technical and tighter than the previous ones. I had no crashes but a small injury when my knee got stuck in some tree roots and twisted until it popped but I kept pushing until the end and still had an alright time through the test. The fourth test was a fast flowing one and was really fun with not as many rocks.

This was probably my favorite test but was the total opposite of the next one.

The fifth test was Pro/A only and was very rocky and hard to go fast in with any confidence Getting just a bit out of shape could shoot you off the rocky hillside. I didn't do too well in this test but still had a mid pack score. I was still sitting 2nd in 200A at this point. The last test of the day had everyone riding it and this test also was very rocky. I had a rough time in this test with finding the speed I had before the Pro/A test and was stuck in a slow pace until about halfway through when I realized how much faster I could've been going. I started to push really hard towards about the middle and it cost me when I hit a slippery log and smashed my head and rest of my body into the rocks.

I got up quickly but couldn't make up for the time I lost while riding like a goon at the beginning so I came out with a slow time that dropped me back to 3rd by 20 seconds. Overall it was a great day with only two crashes and lots of fun riding in the rocks. I managed a 3rd in A200 but had less than desired result in the overall A with 31st. Those local guys sure are fast in the rocks! I want to thank all my sponsors and family for their support. Hopefully I can have a great result at the next round here in Michigan at the Jack Pine.

Thanks again to the following: DAVID ALLEN RACING MOTORSPORTS, MSR , GALFER, MOTOREX, ACERBIS, SKORBORZ, ENDURO ENGINEERING, TWIN AIR, GAERNE, FACTORY CONNECTION, LEATT, RENTHAL, EVS, FMF, POWERSPORT GRAPHICS, 100% GOGGLES.

  • • • •

••  • 

26 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

Track Side with Dave Bowman

 Another day of racing for #118 Chris Williams

Super Mudbog trucks taking to the course!

FREELIN MX (Brown City, MI) | August 15/16 Fun motorsports weekend at Freelins MX, motocross racing and mudbogs with some of the most eccentric trucks from around the country. Weeknd started out with a little rain , track owner Mike an crew rolled the track to keep the rain from saturating the rich topsoiled track. Early next morning they were up disking the soil into excellent compound for moto. Track developed many different lines. Some of the newer sections developing so much traction it felt like I was glued to the track and could do no wrong! As the day went on the track became even better. Afternoon racer Chris Williams agreed.

Said he thought he has never had faster lap times and was ready to take home the fastest lap time of the day!

As the evening came the SUPER TRUCKS TO THE TRACK! This was on their own track, of course which track ower Mike had prepared to perfection! The grandsstands filled up Saturday night with motocross fans an country boys and girls wanting to have fun !!

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 27

What's Old is New Again Story and photo by Heather Powers

“I forgot how great this track is!”

Well, Friends, it’s true. Portland is a GREAT track, and has been since 1968. Centrally located in the state, we’re very accessible from all over, and worth the drive to ride the track. We’ve been around for decades and one of the main reasons for this is our hard-working, moto-loving, dedicated members. We all have one goal: creating a family-friendly place for motocross and ATV aficionados to gather and enjoy their love of the sport in a safe and welcoming place.

We love our tracks!

Our Hare Scramble course is one of the top tracks in Michigan. It’s technical, challenging, and ever-changing to keep the competitors on their toes. The winners really earn their bragging rights. If you’re ready to take on the challenge, the next hare scramble is OCTOBER 11th, with bikes racing in the morning and ATVs in the afternoon.

Mark your calendars! The best of the best will be here.

Our main track is well-groomed and maintained for both motocross lovers and ATV enthusiasts. It has a great flow! The track challenges A/B riders to perform at their best technically, yet has space for them to show-off their personal riding style and flare. If you’ve never been a spectator here, I promise it’s worth the trip. Those guys put on quite a show out there: battling, passing, and whipping like the pros! But C riders love it, too! With safe tabletops to try and deep bowl turns to rail, you can’t help but improve your riding skills at Portland. Our next open practice is September 19th, 10:00-4:00, with a Holeshot Contest for bikes and quads right after the practice. The last race is the following day, Sunday the 20th, with practice beginning at 9:00a.m. We run a split program for bikes and quads. This is a Bike State Championship race and there will be a Money Moto as well.

Come check it out!

Wait until you see our new and improved Mini Track!

It was good before, but now it’s amazing! It’s been extended by a sizable amount and is more technical for our young riders. Both the motocross and the ATV families will love new and improved layout. The track is much wider so there are more passing opportunities available to your little racers. The berms are built up so they can work on their corners. And last but not least, there are some real, live jumps for them to conquer! No, specta-

tors, we didn’t forget about you. There is a new set of bleachers trackside for you to cheer on your favorite kids.

They’ll be having their time of their lives out there, and you won’t miss a second of it.

Something else to watch for in the future is a new, stateof-the-art speaker system. We’re saving our pennies to make this much needed improvement come to fruition.

Nick Fisher is going to have a blast calling all the races on this new equipment! It will be so nice to easily know when it’s your turn to get to your gate.

Join Us!

Have you been thinking about finding a track for you and your family to join? Portland Trail Rider’s membership is open to any rider or parent of a rider, or anyone interested in racing motorcycles or quads. First year memberships are $200. The second-10th years are only $100 per year, and after that you’re a lifetime member. It’s totally worth it to be able to have a place to ride at your convenience. We also ask that you volunteer 65 hours over the course of the year to help maintain the track.

Yes! Family and friends are welcome to work with you to contribute to those hours. My family and I live 1 ½ hours from the track and by flagging some races and practices (which we’re there to watch anyway,) and participating in work days we easily get our hours in each year. You can join anytime of the year, and your hours will be prorated.

Riders, parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, and grandparents can all work together to make it happen. Having the ability to ride when you want to is so very worth your time and energy!

Thumbs up from Savannah and Kayla, pictured here atop a jump on the new and improved mini track.

Looking good, girls!

Another benefit to being a member is our annual Dog Run, which is a special time that the track is open to members only. The track supplies an amazing spread of food for the families to enjoy. This year’s Dog Run was well attended and everyone got their fill of great barbecue and memories. Thanks to Heather Hansen and all the other wonderful volunteers who took such good care of us!

If you haven’t done it yet, check us out portlandtrailriders.com and don’t forget to like us on Facebook and Twitter. We’ve got some new people committed to making our communication more streamlined and efficient.

We look forward to seeing you at the starting line!

 Eric Miller putting in hours, designing and building Portland’s new Mini Track. Thank you, Eric!

28 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

HOT ACTION ON THE RANCH

LORETTA LYNN’S (Hurricane Mills, TN) | | July 26 - August 01 Story and photos by Carrie Leddy, except where noted I want to start by saying congratulations to all of the Michigan riders who qualified and raced Loretta Lynn’s.

If you have never been to Loretta Lynn’s and have the chance to go, I highly recommend experiencing it, even if you are a spectator. For ten years it has been on my bucket list and I absolutely loved it and didn’t want to come home! The racing is phenomenal to watch. I literally sat on the bleachers almost every day because I could not get enough of such great racing. It is fun to watch the little kids just trying to make it around the track and through the ruts, to the teenagers chasing their dream, and to the vets reliving their dreams.

We arrived Friday morning so Donald could get some practice time in the heat before he started racing. It was unbelievably hot and humid there. The heat index reached 105 degrees. Thank goodness for the creek to cool off in! The first thing we did was check out the track. I wished I would’ve taken pictures. It was not at all what I thought. The track was in one small flat area, and looked like a one line trail through the grass with a few small bumps. I was already nervous…how were people going to pass! The start was solid grass…would it be like a grass race? The track was nothing like I imagined and I wondered what the big hype was and why people would come all this way to race. Well, as the weekend went by and the track workers made progress, I started to see the track develop. They started bring in white sugar sand and tilling it in. The bumps soon became doubles and triples. By Monday morning of practice day it looked like a pro track minus the elevation. I could not believe the difference between my Day 1 and Day 4.

The Younger Ones I started out by watching Leland Golaszewski in the 65cc 7-9 class during his first moto. The kid was tearing it up! He was on a mission and ended up finishing a 5th the first moto. During his second moto in this class the announcers had me laughing

 #33 Donald Leddy ~ photo courtesy Snap That PIC because they had met Leland and were describing him to a tee. “Leland G Golaszewski is up there.

I met this kid and man is it hard to shake him. He sticks right to you.” They gave Leland some great press time for several minutes and it reminded me of the first time I met this kid. He stole my gumballs and ran away on the golf cart. From that day on Donald and I made a point to watch him race and have now became moto family with his family. This kid has talent, so check him out if you haven’t yet. He ended up with a 6th overall in this class to receive an award the last night.

Another young racer that I watched pour his heart out on this difficult

 #24 Robert Lloyd

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 29 #53 Ryan Weatherby self. He must have gone down early in the moto.

Well, toward the end of the moto the leader caught him and Joey kept trying to race him. Donald explained to me that he must be trying to unlap himself, so that he could try to pass a few other riders.

The last lap he came around side by side with the leader and let me tell track was Christopher Ramirez in the 51cc 4-6 limited class. Here are his words from his first experience, “I had a great time at Loretta’s. It was a good experience. It definitely taught me a lot of things. I really thought it was cool that Malcom Stewart dropped my gate. The track in some places was pretty rough. My first moto the corner before the finish line was a bit muddy, but I kept my head up and sailed through it! I had a problem with my tire going flat on me, have no clue what lap that happened on, but that didn’t slow me down. I did my best this year and that’s all that matters. I’m really looking forward to making it back next year!” I love to hear what these little kids have to say about their races. You know what I hear mostly… they had fun and can’t wait to do it again!

That is what this sport has brought to so many!

I also got to see the talented Mini Sr. racers Noah Willbrandt and Christopher Blackmer. These two racers seem to stick together. If you weren’t at the Polka Dots Mini Challenge you missed a great battle between these two, with Noah taking the win. I noticed Willbrandt was a having bike trouble, so I was able to get a few words from him on what happened at Loretta’s. “Loretta Lynn’s is amazing.

The ranch is so cool and the track is sick.

I wish I would have had better results for all my sponsors and people who helped me get there. I had bike issues the second and third motos, which landed me

42nd out of the 42 riders in my Mini Sr 2 class.

My plan is to continue to train even harder for next year’s LL, with hope of a much better finish now that we know what to expect and what to prepare for,” says Noah Willbrandt.

Another Mini Sr. rider that I caught up with a week after Loretta’s at a local race was Jack Kessler.

He also rode the Mini Sr classes and pulled off a 12th place in the Mini Sr. He is another polite, kind kid that hopes for a better finish next year, since he also had some bike problems. He also told me the top 5 guys are very fast and it was there last year for this class. So, with Kessler’s age he will be one of the oldest and hopefully will place in the top 5 next year.

B Riders

One impressive top notch B rider to watch was Joey Crown.

My favorite race was in the Schoolboy 2 class where I believe he tried to unlap him-

this takes good thinking! This kid is going to make it, so glad that he makes D-14 proud! This kid has the drive, motivation, and attitude of “never give up.”

Another B racer who started out with some top 15 motos was Nick Wickerham.

Unfortunately, he hit a double, swapped up and ended up breaking his ankle. He is one tough kid! The first time I noticed him was last year and I started watching his results during Loretta Lynn qualifiers and the national. He is a top notch B rider out there having fun! Another guy I got to meet was Blake Rivard who raced in the 450B and 450B Limited class. He seemed like a nice guy down their chasing dreams.

His words to me were, “I defefinitely had fun! Just getting there is awesome, even though I didn’t ride good. But, I enjoyed the experience!” This is what it is a all about…you train, you stay motivated, you push, you make it to be one of the top riders in the country…and most of all, you have fun!

C Riders I didn’t get a chance to watch the C classes, but I did hear Trevor Pavlik’s name being announced for the Bell Helmet hole shot award. Once I looked up the results, I also saw that he found his way to the podium by finishing 3rd overall in the 250C Limited. I met Trevor and his dad in Florida this year.

They were down there training hard. All of his hard work sure did pay off.

 #15 Jacob Williamson you…that boy did not give up! It was hard to tell who came across the transponder line first, so Joey just kept going and did an extra lap in case they counted it. To me,

A Riders

I also got to watch some great riding in the A class with Jacob Williamson, Austin Dodd, Jacob Grzebinski, and Cody Mcculloch. It was rather interesting that Dodd and Williamson seemed to end up side by side during their races considering they are both MI riders. These two had an awesome battle in the last College 16-24 class where they came over the double and finish line side by side fighting for the last podium spot in that moto. Dodd ended up 3rd overall and Williamson 2nd overall. All of their training and hard work paid off. McCulloch showed the

LORETTA'S continued on page 34

30 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

VINTAGE MX

CLASSES GROW AT VALLEY MX

VALLEY MX (Stanton, MI) | August 16 Story and photos by Steve Baginski Round nine was our second trip to Valley MX on August sixteenth. We were once again treated to a perfect track and even better weather. We also had our

largest turnout to date with continued battles in every class. The overall points are very close and it makes each round very exciting. There were even some new faces to go along with the veterans.

The first group out on the track this time was the Transition class with George

Mekjian taking the holeshot. He was followed very closely by Austin Visger, Ross Kershner and Derek Brooks. Brad Bolzman returned and was next on the outside of Gene Huntoon and just ahead of Tom Claerhout. Ian Lee and Ray Brooks were side by side down the second straight

Lance Shelton doesn't race much but is always fast and smooth

just ahead of Jeff Mansfield.

Ken Green was making his racing debut and a few bike lengths behind. To start lap two, Austin had a slight gap over Ross and then Gene in third. Tom was up to fourth with George slipping back to fifth. Ian was moving forward making the pass on Derek and Ray. Brad was next followed by Jeff then a few seconds back to Ken. Ross would slide out after the woods straight and lose a lot of positions.

His 500 was a little hard to start but was back going right behind Brad. With lap three under way, Austin was holding onto a small lead over Tom with Gene still in third. Ian was gaining fast with George still in fifth. Derek had put a little distance on Ray as Ross was making the pass on Brad to take eighth. Jeff came by next losing a few seconds to Brad but gaining a little on Ken. With the white flag waving, Austin’s lead was minimal as Tom was gaining fast. Gene still held down third as Ian was also still gaining. Derek was next as he put some time on the now sixth place George.

Ray was back a spot with Ross closing the gap as those four were no more than five seconds apart. I headed to the finish just in time to see Austin take the win with Tom trying to go around the outside but ending up second. Gene was able to hold onto third as Ian was also trying to make a pass of his own but would end up fourth.

Derek rode mistake free all the way to the finish to hold off Ross for fifth. George was also forced to protect the inside of the final turn as Ray was trying to take over seventh. Brad came by in ninth only a few seconds behind the battle between George and Ray. Jeff

was put a lap down in tenth as well as Ken in eleventh. For moto two it was Austin edging out George for the holeshot as George ran wide and found himself out in the powder. For once Tom was able to get a good start and move into second with Gene and Ross fighting for fourth. Ian was next and Ray was able to get by Derek as he almost went down. Brad went around the outside as Jeff and Ken were wheel to wheel. Tom was all over Austin at the end of lap one and looking for a way around.

Ian was up to third with Gene back to fourth while George was fighting to stay in fifth over Ross. Derek took over seventh as he and Brad both made the pass on Ray who was back to ninth. Austin and Tom were still battling as they started lap three with Ian a close third. Gene was holding onto fourth as Ross was up to fifth and closing in. George was back to sixth with Derek, Ray and Brad all on the same straight. As they came around to take the whit flag it was Tom out front with Austin a close second. Ian was still in a comfortable third as Gene was still holding off Ross. George was under attack from Ray as Derek was washing the front end giving the spot to Brad. He would get restarted just as Jeff was coming through.

As they came to the finish it was Tom with moto win and the overall. Austin was a very close second and they swapped moto scores dropping him to second overall. Ian rode a solid race giving him

third overall with his 4-3. Ross was able to make a last lap pass on Gene for fourth but Gene’s finishes of 3-5 were better than his 6-4 giving fourth overall to Gene. Ray was also on the move taking sixth and sixth overall as George was consistent with 7-7 for seventh. Brad tried to pass George at the finish but came up short ending up eighth. Derek came across disappointed in ninth after his earlier fall. He would end up falling to eighth overall and Brad in ninth.

The other three classes were out together again with the Innovation racers in the first drop. Mike Poirier tried his best to grab the holeshot but it was once again Chad Morehouse leading the way.

Lance Shelton made the trip

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 31

 Derek Brooks is enjoying his new ride and class but minor falls have cost him

 Ian Lee airs out his KTM on his way to third overall in Transition

and started third with Dave Fink and Tom Lee next. Steve Adema was on the gas and just ahead of Jeff Doneth and Big Mike Poirier. When the second gate dropped it was Kevin Stone making his return to racing and out front. Cory Sutherland and Tommy Lee were next followed by Rick Stone and Ray Brooks. Mark Havalda had another good start just ahead of newcomer Brad Barnes. Mike Laczko dried his bike off after his run in with the pond at Battle Creek and was bar to bar with Tom Claerhout. Randy Stone, Dale Darling and both Brian and Nolan Briggs all came by wheel to wheel. Chad started lap two with a little lead as Lance was now in second. Dave was up a spot as he made the pass on Mike. Steve and Tom were battling next as they put a little distance on Jeff. Cory was next leading Iron as Ray was eating his roost as he led Evo. Tommy was keeping him close as Laczko, Claerhout and Kevin were changing spots in Iron. Big Mike gave them plenty of room to battle as well. Rick was in a battle with Evo rider Barnes as they tried to pull away from Brad, Mark and Randy. Lap three had the top two of Chad and Lance

putting some time on the rest of the pack.

Dave was in a great battle with Mike as Steve was holding off Tom. Ray was also pulling away with the Evo lead as Cory was being caught by Claerhout. Tommy was next followed by Laczko then Kevin as Barnes was catching Jeff. Brad was able to make the pass on Rick as Mark had a bike length lead over his rival Randy. Big Mike was next just ahead of Dale as Chad was coming up to get the white flag. Lance was still on the gas in second and not that far from Chad. Brian came through next with Dave and Mike still battling for third followed by Nolan. Clarehout was the first Iron bike to come through and he put Tom and between him and Cory. Steve and Tommy were still close with Mike breaking away from Kevin. Barnes and Brad were close as were rick, Kevin and Mark. Randy was still hounding Mark but had time to throw me a quick peace sign as he has done at almost every race this season. Jeff came by next and was able to get through just as Chad was coming to take the checkers and another moto

VALLEY MX continued on page 32

32 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News VALLEY MX continued from page 31 win. Lance rode strong all the way to the finish but still ended up second. Big Mike was next as he finished eighth with Dave and Mike battling all the way to the line.

Dave would once again get the edge in a clean and exciting race. Claerhout held onto another Iron win as Ray took the win in Evo. Cory finished right behind Ray for second Iron as Tom was next and in fifth Inno. Steve lost a little ground to Tom but pulled away a little from Tommy. Laczko came through next taking third Iron as Barnes also took third but in Evo. Brad was a close fourth Iron with Rick an even closer fifth. Kevin slipped back to sixth after a good start and a last lap crash that took out Mark and Randy. They all ran into each other and stalled but all would be able to finish. Randy was quicker than his rival Mark and would take seventh Iron. Nolan was next getting a slight edge over his dad earning ninth. Jeff was next taking seventh Inno as Mark came across after restarting taking fourth. For moto two, once again Mike did his best, but came up just short of the holeshot as it went to Chad. Lance and Dave were side by side as were Tom and Steve while Jeff had the edge over his rival Big Mike.

For the second drop it was Mark with his first holeshot and even gave me thumbs up! The pack was tight with Cory, Kevin, Laczko, Ray and Tommy all close. Rick was just ahead of Brad and Randy as Claerhout was off to another slow start. Dale, Barnes and Brian were close with Nolan a second behind. Lap two seemed to be a repeat of moto on as Chad was out front with Lance giving chase. Dave was also back ahead of Mike as Steve was holding off Tom. Jeff came through next just ahead of Ray and Cory. Laczko was running second with Claerhout closing fast. Tommy was trying to go with Claerhout as Mark was on Tommy’s rear wheel. Big Mike was between him and Rick with Brad looking to pass Rick. Barnes was making a quick goggle adjustment as Randy was trying to stay ahead of Kevin after he slipped back after a good start. Dale was keeping up with the group as Nolan was just ahead of dad Brian. At the end of lap two, Chad still had a comfortable lead over Lance as Dave had a very small lead over Mike.

Steve was looking ahead as he had Tom closing the gap. Ray was the first Evo bike as Claerhout was in to the Iron lead. Cory was a close second with Tommy being pushed by Laczko. Mark was riding great as he was just ahead of Jeff as Brad was next making the pass on Rick. Barnes and Randy were next with Dale getting around Kevin. Chad got by Big Mike just

Jeff Mansfield is enjoying the Transition class

before taking the white flag as Lance was slowly gaining in second. Dave still held onto third with Mike looking for a passing spot. Steve was still in fourth but Tom was catching him. Claerhout came through next as he had Ray between himself and Cory. Tommy was still fighting and still looking for his first win with Laczko pushing him. Mark was holding onto third as Brad was still ahead of Rick, Barnes then Randy. Dale came by in seventh Iron with a broken rear brake cable. I can imagine it would b tough to ride an Iron bike on that track with now rear brakes!

Kevin came by next and looked to be struggling in his first race back after a hard crash earlier in the year. Chad came through on his final lap and would go on to take the Inno win and overall. Lance was close in second and second overall on his 125cc. Dave and Mike were still

battling and it would come down to the last turn once again with Dave taking the spot and third overall. Mike had a great time but would have to settle for fourth.

Claerhout had a nice lead in the Iron class taking another 1-1 and overall as Ray was next and first Evo with his 1-1 as well.

Steve and Tom were also still battling and Tom would make the pass in the last few turns to take fifth and fifth overall. Steve would end up Sixth for sixth overall. Cory could not keep up with Claerhout today but settled for second knowing he still held on to the Championship points lead.

Tommy has been riding great and getting closer to his first win as he took another 2-2 today. Brian was back ahead of Nolan as they would switch positions and also overall finishes with Brian in ninth. Brad made the pass on Laczko just before the tunnel jump and would hold on to finish

third and third overall with his 4-3. Laczko would drop a spot with his 3-4. Mark was starting to slow near the end but his bigger motor helped on the last few hills and straights to stay ahead of Barnes for third and third overall. Rick was next as Randy was closing the gap but would hold on for fifth and fifth overall. Randy would improve from moto one putting him in sixth. Jeff cam by in seventh as Big Mike was lapped and not able to push him to the finish. Dale ended up in seventh but his first moto eighth dropped him back to eighth.

We are now done with rounds eight and nine and will be headed to our Sandbox race very soon. Then we are off until our only race in September at Cadillac on the 13th. After that we have our two D-14 Vintage only Saturday races at Polka Dots on October 3rd and Bulldogs on October 10th. Then we finish up our season at Baja on November 1st. I have both the overall and throwaway points updated and please don’t hesitate to contact me if you see any mistakes. I also want to say thank you once again to everyone who has helped me in my recovery. Unfortunately I am going back in for another surgery later this year. With that being said, I am still not back to work and no outlook on returning. So I have an 800watt generator that I will be raffling off to be given away at our last race of the year at Baja on November first. You can see me at the races if you would like to purchase a ticket. And please don’t forget to check out www.vintagemotocross.com.

Thanks for checking in and I hope to see you at the races.

RESULTS: VALLEY MX 8/16/15 – Iron Man: 1. T. Claerhout (Yam); 2. C. Sutherland (Hon); 3. B. Bolzman (Yam); 4. M. Laczko (Hon); 5. Ri. Stone (Hsk); 6. Ra. Stone (Kaw); 7. K. Stone (Suz); 8. D. Darling (Kaw); 9. B. Briggs (Hod); 10. N. Briggs (Hod) Evolution: 1. R. Brooks (Suz); 2. T. Lee II (Suz); 3. M. Havalda (Suz); 4. B. Barnes (Can) Innovation: 1. C. Morehouse (Hon); 2. L. Shelton (Yam); 3. D. Fink (Hon); 4. M. Poirier (Hon); 5. T. Lee (Ktm); 6. S. Adema (Hon); 7. J. Doneth (Hon); 8. M. Poirier Sr. (Yam) Transition: 1. T. Claerhout (Hsk); 2. A. Visger (Yam); 3. I. Lee (Ktm); 4. G. Huntoon (Kaw); 5. R. Kershner (Hon); 6.

R. Brooks (Suz); 7. G. Mekjian (Hon); 8. D. Brooks (Suz); 9. B. Bolzman (Kaw); 10. J. Mansfield (Hon); 11. K. Green (Yam)

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 33 ARCADIA continued from page 20

The next part of the night is a blur, as I scrambled to find a replacement lighting system (thanks Task!) and get back in the rider rotation and back on the trail. We cycled through two or three riders in the dark of night, with lap times swinging wildly as helmet lights got tagged by trees and crashes claimed light bars on another bike. For certain there were two or three hours spent shivering in wet riding gear, slumped in a chair in the pits.

Finally, at about 5:40am a strange glow began to appear on the eastern horizon. It wasn’t daylight yet, but the dawn was unmistakably approaching. When I saddled up for my final two laps at 6:20 in the morning, some could argue that it was light out. Deep in the woods that was simply not the case, as the helmet light and lightbar were absolutely essential to see. A new issue arose … quite literally. The rising sun was washing out the trail details and blinding at the same time, making line selection even more difficult. At 7:45am I pulled into the pits for the last time, passing the proverbial baton to Kyle and Craig to finish out the race.

The Arcadia Barkbuster 24hr Northeast Challenge ended at 10am Sunday morning, with the six man Southern Starts Premiere team (six riders, one bike) triumphing over the Trail Pros team (six riders, six bikes in the A/B class). Both completed 47 laps or roughly 520 miles, with the margin of victory almost 15 minutes. The only other team on the lead lap was the Junkyard Dawgs, about 3 minutes behind the Trail Pros.

Team PlusOnePerformance soldiered on to complete the event with 32 laps. Entry for the 2016 Arcadia Barkbuster 24hr Northeast Challenge is expected to open later in the fall.

 Ray Brooks has won all but one Evolution overall he has entered

 Austin Visger has been fast and smooth in his return to racing

 Even in the pits you can only go as fast as you can see. A highway construction lamp pierced the darkness unlike any other.

34 September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News LORETTA'S continued from page 29 “never give up” attitude. I watched his last moto on Saturday in the 450A moto and he pushed himself to the end. You could see it in his body language. I love seeing that attitude out there! He ended up 12th overall.

Grzebinski put in some great laps and then had some difficulty with the heat.

But, watch out when he is on, he is on fire!

I must tell you a quote from Rosanna Grzebinski that sums up Loretta Lynn’s…”As a mom there are no words to describe the pride I have for my son…I’m certain all of my mom and dad friends can relate. The sheer magnitude of watching my son line up with 42 of the fastest amateur racers in the country and knowing my boy was one of them gives me chills just talking about it. To Jacob…do NOT let one bad week of racing define who you are as an athlete!

Your commitment, dedication and passion are indescribable and admired by many!

Congratulations to all the MI riders who were there! Whether it was a great week or a bad week…just being there is a major accomplishment and know there are many people who respect you regardless if they tell you or not!”

I don’t know about you, but Rosanna’s words gave me the chills and made me tear up! Her words describe racing to a tee. If you think about what she said, this is true no matter what track you are at.

#76 Craig Pickett

We all have good and bad motos, that is just part of life. What motocross does is gives riders the drive, motivation, strength, and thrill!

was another vet rider that pushed to the end of each moto to show what Michigan Mafia can do.

My husband, Donald Leddy raced the 30 and 35 plus with only a two moto break. I was really nervous about the heat and how he would do in this situation.

He surprised me with his endurance and aggressive attitude to keep pushing himself. He has not ridden there since 2000 and he was back to redeem himself and to set new goals.

He was hoping for a top ten, but settled with a 12th overall in the 30 plus and 14th overall in the 35 plus.

He definitely needs to work on hole shots, those help tremendously.

As Craig Pickett said, “Don should get an award for passing the most people on the track all week!”

All in all I am ready to go back again. This was truly an amazing experience for me!

Vets Our top two D14 finishers were Ryan Weatherby and Craig Pickett. Weatherby ended up 6th overall in the 40 plus. His first two motos were consistent and his third moto was amazing. He was battling with two Kawis that moto to end up taking a 6th place to help his overall score.

Pickett was pushing hard in the 50 plus against the well known Earl May. Pickett is one tough cookie! He has the drive to be the best.

We were at a practice track and he was not leaving until he did all of the jumps! His hard work showed off when he took 5th overall in the 50 plus. Bob Lloyd got to experience Loretta’s for his first time. He was surprised at what the track was like. He

2015 FLAT TRACK BANQUET Saturday, October 24, 2015 Great Hall Banquet & Convention Center 5121 Bay City Rd - Midland, MI  Future Loretta Champion Levi Leddy

DINNER at 6:00 pm - AWARDS at 7:00 pm

September 2015 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 35 LELAND continued from page 19

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What are some of Leland’s long term goal in regards to his racing?

Leland's long term goals is to continue racing and one day become pro. Once his mom asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he replied, "A pro rider and if I don't do that I'll cut grass.” He has life figured out.

With family being a huge part of the survival of a lot of riders careers, who in the family plays the biggest role in Leland’s racing career?

His dad, Jeff, is at every race. He's the chauffeur, coach and mechanic. Mom, brother and sisters come to as many races as they can to cheer him on.

Lastly, who would Leland like to thank for his continued success?

Leland would like to thank MCR Suspension, Labarons Powersports, Outdoor Motorsports Warehouse, Extreme Mini Moto, SSI, Legue Graphics, and all the District 14 kids he has raced with over the years. A big shout out to Matt Crown and Mark Kessler, they have really gone out of their way to help Leland. Also, a big shout out to the Happy Acres crew for all the training they do together as a team.

Keep a look out for the #25 machine of Leland Golaszewski as he makes his way through the amateur ranks on his journey to the pros. Thank you for your time Jeff, Kim and Leland.

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 Champ on the podium

~ photo courtesy Galaszewski family

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