Megacross Season Opener

April 26, 2008

By Nikki Dixon

Without a doubt, the Megacross Shootout Series had a great season in 2007.  A great race program, solid turnouts in each class, and safe track are just a few key ingredients to the success.  There were a handful of changes for the 2008 season opener, including some track changes with new passing opportunities, an expanded starting gate, and small changes to the classes and race order.  But one thing is for sure, you can count on the same Megacross feel.  Over 350 entrants packed the Tri-County fairgrounds for the first round under the lights.  Races flowed all night, with several full classes and excellent race action, and lots of position changes in the redesigned sections.  Only three double class winners emerged, with Chase Sexton, Greg Braet, and Daniel Sanders taking the top honors.

 Quad A had a solid turnout, with 11 riders.  Jason Wehrli won the heat race, with Charlie Snow and Jacob Conroy rounding out the podium.  But as the gate dropped for the first Megacross main event of the year, Jory Dalsanto led around the first turn, while Snow and Conroy crashed down the start straight.  Wehrli and Nicholas Davis went to work early, moving past Dalsanto on the first lap.  Richard Olson also moved into the top three, and the front runners had a tight race.  Wehrli kept out front to become the first main event winner of the year, with Davis, Olson, Jeremy Beetz, and Dalsanto completing the top five.             (Super mini)

The Quad C action was intense, with three different leaders in the main event.  James Rumple picked up the holeshot, trailed by Jeremy Jandura and Morgan Carter.  Mid-race, Carter became the new leader, with Jandura all over him, as the two raced side-by-side through several sections.  Jandura finally made a pass stick by taking the inside through the bowl turn before the rhythm section.  Jandura carded the win, over Carter, Daren Dewitt, Patrick Hirschman, and Rumple. 

Local speedster Chase Sexton (486) was on fire, dominating both 50 Senior and 65 Junior.  In 50 Senior, Sexton grabbed the holeshot over the 16-rider field, followed by Jackson Jeffery and Anthony Wallace.  Sexton sprinted ahead, while Jeffery and Wallace raced bar-to-bar for several laps, with Wallace eventually securing second.  Sexton carded a big win, over Wallace and Jeffery.  Jarred Berggren edged out Robert Copenharve to complete the top five. 

In 65 Junior, Wallace led around the first turn, with Sexton and Ryan Lumsden in tow.  Sexton quickly moved into the lead on the first lap, as he caught up to the 65 Senior class from the first gate drop.  When the checkers waved, Sexton carded the win in 65 Junior, and caught all but the top two riders in 65 Senior.  Wallace finished second, and Jeffery held off Colton Krska to finish third.

Megacross draws a great turnout in the expert classes for several reasons, including the competition, contingency, purses, and atmosphere.  For the season opener, 250A had 17 riders and Open A had 18.  In the 250A main, heat-race winner Kevin Markwardt nailed the start, followed by Cody Stum and Justin Kelly, while usual front runners Ryan Poulter and Derek Whitney crashed out in the start.  On the opening lap, Jonathan Six moved past Stum and Kelly, and into the second position.  Two-stroke mounted Kelly (the only two-stroke in the class) worked into third early in the race.  Markwardt put in seven solid laps for the win, as Six, Kelly, Scott Zont, and Stum wrapped up the top five.  Although Whitney called it a night after the crash, he regrouped to win three of four motos at the Byron Nuclear Series opener the next day. 

Poulter shook off the 250A soil sample to grab the Open A holeshot, trailed by Greg Hochmuth.  After a lap, the running order was Poulter, Hochmuth, Kelly, Anthony Westergaard, and Zont as they raced wide-open around the stadium track.  Ripped pants wouldn’t slow down Markwardt as he made up several positions in the opening laps, moving from outside the top ten and into fourth by mid-race.  As they started lap six, Poulter still led the way, followed by Hochmuch, Kelly, Markwardt, and Zont.  But then Markwardt railed the inside line through the new left handed sweeper to pass Kelly, and Hochmuth bobbled and dropped a couple of positions.  On the final lap, Poulter locked in the win, while Markwardt whipped it over the triples, despite the ripped pants, showing a little skin to the crowd.  Kelly, Hochmuth, and Zont completed the top five in the lightening fast Open A class.

 Greg Braet was the top rider in the 25+ A and 30+ A classes, leading both from wire-to-wire.  In the 13-rider 25+ A class, Hochmuth followed Braet around the first turn, and secured a solid second place finish.  Jason Kloptowsky edged out Andy Thyberg and Burton Lavens for third. 

 In 30+ A, Braet had the Megacross track dialed as he carded another win.  Kloptowsky and Lavens rounded out the podium, while David Hayes held off Everett Dahlberg as they finished fourth and fifth. 

Hayes started out front in 40+, chased by Larry Bank.  Keith Hicks worked past Scott Seibert and took advantage of a mistake by Bank to move into second mid-race.  Hayes opened up a solid lead on the way to the victory, with Hicks securing second.  Bank went inside in the new left handed sweeper get around Seibert for third, and Michael Goodin completed the top five. 

 Troy Quest picked up the holeshot in the 20-rider 30+ B class, followed by Jeffery Evensen and Hicks.  Evensen moved into the lead early and opened up a small gap, while there was a four-way battle for second place between Quest, Hicks, Scott Holmes, and Scott Dixon.  But at the end of lap three, Evensen bobbled in the s-turns by the finish, advancing Hicks, Holmes, Quest, and Dixon into the top four.  Hicks was first to the checkered flag, over Holmes, Dixon, Evensen, and Quest.

 Thomas Garrett started out front in the 16-rider Super Mini class, followed by heat-race winner Brady Neys and Rick Nichol.  Neys and Nichol diced for second, with Nichol sticking a pass in the tight and rutted left handed turn by the horse track.  Nichol then reeled in leader Garrett, and applied steady pressure on the last lap.  Garrett rode flawless and captured the win, over Nichol and Neys.  Cory Catalani got the nod over Tyler Simpkins in a great race for fourth.

 The 85 Senior class was the second largest class of the night, with 21 riders filling the gate.  The race was basically a rematch of Super Mini, but this time Nichol grabbed the holeshot, and led start-to-finish for the victory.  Neys had a second place start, and held off Garrett the whole race for second.  Several riders battled for a top five position, including Collin Yenerich, Kyle Nelson, and Catalani(304), but at the finish, Jordan Mackiewicz and Simpkins wrapped up the top five.

 Corey Eilers had the early lead in the 12-rider 50 Junior class, with Shawn Thompson and Riley Gaul in tow.  Thompson charged out front early, then sprinted to the checkered flag.  Eilers, Riley Gaul, CJ Kuhter, Jacob Gaul, and Thor Rick mixed it up the whole moto in a close race for second.  At the finish, Thompson took the victory, followed by Eilers, Riley Gaul, Jacob Gaul, and Thor Rick

Megacross has had a strong Women’s class turnout for the past few years, and logged 19 riders for the season opener.  The Miller sisters from Mendota almost swept the podium, except for first-time Megacross racer Elisa Lunde, who charged up to a third place finish after a mid-pack start.  Whitney Miller collected the win, followed by Kendal Miller, Lunde, heat-race winner Shelby Miller, and Bri Stiles.

 New for 2008 is an AMA and District 17 Girls class, for ages 8-15 and 79cc-105cc bikes.  Kayla Miller grabbed the holeshot in the new class, followed by Kelly Christman and Ashley Wilkinson.  Miller led through the rhythm section on the first lap, while Wilkinson and Kendall Grigioletti moved into the top three.  Miller opened up her lead, while Grigioletti closed the gap on Wilkinson.  On the final lap, Grigioletti passed into second through the new left handed sweeper, but Wilkinson closed the door over the final step-up and step-down section.  Miller captured the win, over Wilkinson, Grigioletti, Christman, and Alexandria Kassal.

 The biggest class of the night was 250B, with 26 riders jamming the newly expanded gate.  Daniel Sanders got the jump, and led around the first turn, trailed by Gordon Kaskin and Neil Johnson.  Sanders and Kaskin pulled away while you could throw a blanket over the six riders fighting for third.  Sanders was first across the checkers, with Kaskin finishing a solid second.  Joshua Philbrick got the nod for third, followed by Reese Miller, Matt Hahn, Johnson, Jakub Baker, and Joseph Kopecky.

 Sanders grabbed another holeshot in Open B, followed by Denny Morsch.  Sanders opened up a solid lead as he charged to the finish, while Morsch held off Kyle Lindahl for second.  Philbrick reeled in Kopecky for the fourth position.

 Nick Neys captured the holeshot in the 20-rider 250C class, followed by heat-race winner Jody Walker.  On the first lap, Walker moved out front, but Neys took regained the lead on second lap.  The two sprinted to the checkers, battling through traffic at the end.  Neys kept on the gas to secure the win, despite Walker’s pressure.  Cody Gehant reeled in Cole Johns to finish third, with Zach Hochstatter and Johns completing the top five. 

So, if you haven’t been out to Megacross yet, what are you waiting for?  As a racer or fan, you can count on an outstanding stadium-style atmosphere, with action-packed racing action.  And the track is designed to be fun and safe for all riders of all levels.  Here’s a message board quote from a season opener spectator: “Heck it even looked safe enough for an enduro guy, may bring my bike next time.”  But for you faster racers, don‘t worry, the track can be as challenging as you make it, depending on how you use the passing lanes and approach the obstacles.  Hope to see you at the races!