Hofmaster

Hofmaster, Six, Jackson, Malitia rock Megacross....

Megacross Shootout Series May 24^th, 2008 Mendota, IL

Story & Photos by: Ashley Wilkinson

Memorial Day weekend at Megacross had a high turnout like normal, with a total of 306 racers. Pro-rider Tom Hofmaster(#110) made yet another appearance at “The Place To Race!!!” The track was very muddy during practice some might even say that it rained only on the track and not in the pits. At least that is what one of the racers girlfriends thought. So I was standing by the fence by the new corner that got put in at the end of the straightaway, when I over heard a racer and his girlfriend talking while watching the A practice going on. When she looks over at him and says (stone serious) “Isn’t that weird that it only rained on the track and not in the pits, I am surprised that we didn’t notice it raining, aren’t we lucky that it didn’t rain in the pits and get everything wet?” So a guess that you would say that the track was really wet for practice, like it rained on the track. But of course like always everyone said that it was amazing for the heat and the main. So all in all practice was a little muddy, from a little to much water on the track, although everything else was good. But were NOT here to practice were here to race.

As usual we had 4-Wheel A Starting out the night with Jason Wehrli (#37) Leading the head of the pack, with the Holeshot. Also managing to keep out of the way of the battle between second, third and forth place with Justin Medine (#129), Charlie Snow (#822), and Jory Dalsento (#263). All of which were keeping it interesting for the crowd!! Jeremy Beetz ( #255) and Zach Sondgeroth (#38) having some difficulty in their main!! Derick Skaggs (#127) bought it up a notch from his heat to his main and placed in the top five.

Next, we had a double gate drop for 4-Wheel B & C. 4-Wheel B with the leading drop with Seth Fligge (#51) with the Holeshot! Followed by 4-Wheel C with the second drop, Jeremy Jandura (#90) with the Holeshot coming up close on 4-Wheel B. 4-Wheel B racer Seth Fligge racing down the straightaway fallowed by Kelby Hartman(#39) and Marty Frieling(#45) battling it out!! Marty getting closer and closer to second place Kelby Hartman as they go through the back straightaway!! 4-Wheel C defiantly mixed it up a bit out their from their heat to their main!!! Not one person placed in the some place as they did in their heat!!! Some for the better of course and others for the worst!!

What a shocker for our 85 Sr class in the heat we had last years champion Madd Maxx Malitia(#999) not getting the Holeshot like normal but coming around the first corner in the top ten not the top three like normally. But catching up and getting to the straightaway in third place and pushing to second place by the end of his first place but, Rick Nichol(#994) held a strong lead against Maxx for the first three laps when Maxx finally got around Rick going over a jump and taking the inside line!! Maxx took a close first place in his heat!! Now the mains came around and Maxx was ready, the gate dropped and he was gone taking the Holeshot and ending with a strong first place and Rick Nichol coming in a strong second place. Also while the top two racers were battling it out their was a good battle between Kyle Nelson(#35), Joey Fortune(#95) and Jordan Makiewicz (#19) all close together in one pack, one wrong move and the person behind them would take their spot!!! Also in 85Sr there is one girl racer Kayla Miller(#356) in her heat she beat two guys Jeremy Pogliano(#88) and Travis Ward(#131), but that all changed in the main and Kayla came in last place but with a good eye on Travis Ward(#131).

85 Jr Holeshot by Logan Skaggs fallowed by Zachary Masch(#725) and Chad Saultz(#416) all with a good lead from the pack!! All of the racers pushing it trying to get ahead of the person in front of them, some pushing their limits to get just one place higher!! 85 Jr was also a really good race to watch all the kids pushing must of them battling it out switching places like crazy!! Some not doing as well as they did in their heat, in the main, but not one racer gave up, they all pushed to the finish!

Next on the line the women’s class. All fifteen women gassing it off the line and speeding it around the first corner with Shelby Miller(#136) leading the pack. Followed by sister Whitney Miller(#36), and Elisa Lunde(#193). All three women banging elbows around the first few tight corners. Lauren Hicks(#222) really stepping it up and pulling off a fifth place in the end, with a good battle, between her and Kendal Miller(#236). Speeding down the straightaway after Lauren Hicks was Stephanie Hinze(#17), followed by Kimberly Chandler(#20). All of the ladies pulled off a good race, everyone of which was battling with another, keeping a very close and intense race!

Junior Jackson returns after a 10 year layoff to take over where he left off, dominating the age classes. Of course these age classes were a tad bit longer in the tooth! Junior won the 30+ A, and the 35+ classes. The last time Junior left Megacross back in the day was in a meat wagon, tonight's racing he left with a smile and some well earn cash. Engines revving, for the two drops, first drop thirty plus A and second drop thirty plus B. But thirty plus B was really an entertaining one to watch all fifteen guys and one old lady out there (Danielle Wilkinson #74). So thirty plus A is supposed to go with the first drop, but we had a thirty plus B rider a little to ready to go out of race order, that would have been Brian Goodin(#266), but that wasn’t all the happened for Mr.Goodin. Brian and his brother Michael Goodin(#700) both race thirty plus B together and about the beginning of the race Brian is starting to come up around the off camber, and he sees his brother Michael, so he gasses it to get around him, but unlike most people who try to get AROUND the person. Brian Jumps right over the jump and lands right ON TOP of his brother Michael. That’s some real brotherly love right there! The both of them got right back up and finished the race, Brian ended up beating his brother, Michael will wait til later for Brian's "beating" :)

After the old guys we had the 250B guys go out there and show us what they got! They all stepped it up, there was a big class for the B riders a total of sixteen racer, with the Holeshot by Daniel Sanders (#887), setting the bar high for the rest of the guys! Making all the racers have to push it just a little more, to stay with the pack! It really showed that the racers were all pushing it to the limit, because in the grass corner after the straightaway there was a pile up with Josh Ellingson (#22), Ryan George(#240), and Alex Zimmerman(#91). Pushing them to last place and taking about fifteen seconds to get going again, which caused them to push it even more to make up time, but they caught up, making some really good time, with Alex coming in thirteenth, Josh coming in fourteenth, and Ryan coming in fifteenth.

Towards the end of the night we had Open A all fifteen of them zipping around the first corner, with Ross Martin(#837) with the Holeshot, but not for long after whipping over the jumps and going down the straightaway pro rider Tom Hofmaster(#110) power boost right pass Ross Martin. Ross was not going to give up, keeping a close eye on Hofmaster and trying to get around him. Also racer Roy Horton Jr(#560), right behind Ross Martin trying to push up towards the top two but remaining to stay in third. Needless to say this was a very intense race. All of the racers were pushing it trying to pass the next it was a wheel rubbing, throttle screaming race.

Finally, we have Open C class. With a total of seven racers, but two of which are women, the Hicks sisters, Lauren (#222) and Mallory (#22) Hicks. The gate drops and they are ready to go, all of them come up fast on the first corner with Kyler Hyde(#20) with the Holeshot. Ryan Heaslip right behind him trying to jump past him and sneak past him in the corners, but Kyler kept a good strong lead. Kyle Somner(#111) and Glen Poppen(#437) coming up on the two second place rider gaining closer each lap. Followed by Randy Harper(#749). All five of the guys staying on the gas making sure that they don’t let the two women beat them. The two Hicks Sisters bring up the tail and with Lauren Hicks(#222) in sixth place, and Mallory Hicks in seventh.