Megacross Packs the Fairgrounds for Round Two

Mendota, IL – May 10

By Nikki Dixon 

The Megacross Shootout Series logged a huge turnout for round two, with nearly 400 entrants. No quad classes at this round, due to the ATV Nationals at nearby Sunset Ridge. There were lots of big classes and exciting racing through the entire race order. The expert classes were loaded, with Ross Martin and Tommy Hofmaster (110) splitting the wins.

 Martin led the 22-rider 250A class through the first turns, followed by Justin Kelly and Scott Zont. Hofmaster went down in the second turn, and remounted well outside of the top ten. Jonathan Six was on the move, advancing into the top three on lap two, and pressuring Kelly for the second spot. Martin opened up a gap, while Kelly, Six, Zont, and Derek Whitney diced for second. Hofmaster caught up to the second place battle, but went down again on the back step-down triple, and dropped out of the race. Martin cruised ahead for a big win in the seven lap race, with Six sticking a pass on Kelly for second. Whitney and Zont rounded out the top five. 

Kevin Markwardt grabbed the holeshot in the 20-rider Open A class, trailed by Martin, Hofmaster, and Whitney. The top four raced bar-to-bar for the opening laps. Markwardt held onto the lead until the start of lap four, when he slid out in a left-handed turn, moving Martin, Whitney, and Hofmaster into the top three. Hofmaster moved past Whitney for second through the new left-handed sweeper section. Then leader Martin went down unassisted in a right-handed turn, with Hofmaster becoming the new leader. Hofmaster checked out for the win, followed by Six who charged up to second. Martin, James Garrett, and Anthony Westergaard completed the top five. 

Hofmaster dominated in 25+ A, leading the 14-rider class from start-to-finish. Hofmaster and Adam Marten (33) started out front, while Greg Braet went down in the second turn. Hofmaster charged ahead, as Marten held off Jason Kloptowsky for second. Keith Degrand and John Conley completed the top five. 

Marten led Braet around the first turn in 30+ A, with Kloptowsky and Everett Dahlberg in tow. Marten held off Braet until lap four, when Braet snuck inside in the new left-handed sweeper to move out front. Braet sprinted to the finish, as Kloptowsky closed the door on Marten through traffic on the final lap, with the two riders bumping through some of the tight turns. Marten got the nod for second, followed by Kloptowsky, David Hayes, and Dahlberg.

 In the 10-rider 40+ class, Hayes led around the first turn, followed by Anthony Bartemio, Jason Dollas, and Donny McCauley. Dollas moved into second behind Hayes on the first lap, followed by Bartemio and Scott Seibert. Hayes stayed out front to the checkers, and Dollas held off Bartemio for second. Keith Hicks worked up to fourth, and Seibert completed the top five.

 Hayes also won the 35+ class, where he had to reel in Steve Perkins for the win, after a first lap mistake. Perkins led for most of the race, but had to settle for second. Dollas edged out Todd Schmollinger in a tight race for third, with Hicks fifth.

 Maxx Malatia led the 19-rider Super Mini class around the first turn, followed by Rick Nichol and Cory Catalani. Malatia pushed ahead, while Nichol bobbled and dropped back to fourth mid-race, behind Catalani and Joey Fortune. Malatia easily captured the win, while Nichol charged back to finish second, over Calatali and Fortune. Brady Neys reeled in Tyler Simpkins to wrap up the top five.

 Malatia also led from wire-to-wire in the 20-rider 85 Senior class. Nichol avoided a big pileup in the start to finish a solid second, over Fortune, Kyle Nelson, and Kevin Piskie.

 CJ Kuhter (72) was the early leader in 50 Junior, followed by Shawn Thompson and Jacob Gaul. But Thompson took over the lead on the first lap after the rhythm section and long straightaway. Thompson opened up a gap as he cruised to the checkered flag. Kuhter and Gaul battled the whole moto, with Kuhter getting the nod for second, over Jacob Gaul, Riley Gaul, and Corey Eilers.

 In 50 Senior, Anthony Wallace grabbed the holeshot, while heat-race winner Chase Sexton (486) went down in the first turn. But Sexton remounted quickly, and after a lap, the top three were Wallace, Sexton, and Jackson Jeffery. Sexton kept charging, and moved out front on the second lap, and raced away to the finish. Wallace, Jeffery, Robert Copenharve, and Zachary Blasing wrapped up the top five.

 Sexton kept it on two wheels in 65 Junior, to lead from wire-to-wire. Wallace finished a solid second, while Colton Krska held off Austin Kukla for third. Jeremy Martin reeled in Jeffery to complete the top five.

 Gordin Kaskin picked up the holeshot in the 14-24 class, followed by Kyle Lindahl. Halfway through the first lap, Lindhal moved out front, trailed by Kaskin, Matt Hahn, and Kyle Entwistle. Mid-race, a mechanical problem sent the leader Lindhal pushing his bike back to the pits, while Kaskin regained the lead. Kaskin went on to win it, over Hahn, Entwistle, Nick Neys, and Brandon Mennie.

 Daniel Sanders led the 25-rider 250 B class around the first turn, trailed by Joshua Philbrick. Chris Lazzaretto quickly moved into the second spot, and Sanders and Lazzaretto sprinted away from the pack. Kaskin moved into third, followed by Denny Morsch, Entwistle, Hahn, and Reese Miller, who were all fighting for a top five finish. Sanders held off Lazzaretto for the win, followed by Kaskin, Hahn, and Morsch.

Jesse Keith grabbed the holeshot over the 12-rider 25+ B class, followed by Joe Kopecky(131) and Zeno Molteni. Keith led the way, as Molteni reeled in Kopecky mid-race. Molteni narrowed the gap on Keith on the final lap, but it was too late as Keith took the win, over Molteni, Kopecky, Brian Kopp, and Alan Freedrich. 

The Women’s class had a huge turnout with 20 riders.  Kendal Miller carded the win, with older sister Whitney Miller finishing second.  Elisa Lunde had a good start, but crashed early in the race, dropping outside of the top ten.  Lauren Hicks put in a solid ride for third, with two-stroke mounted Jamie Nagy and Stephanie Hinze wrapping up the top five.

 In Open C, Jake Linden led the way through the first turns, followed by Ryan Heaslip and Alex Furgusen. Linden opened up a small lead over Heaslip, and third place Furgeson slid out in a turn, dropping outside of the top ten. Kyler Hyde was on the move after a bad start, and making up several positions. At the checkered flag waved, Linden collected the win, followed by Hyde, who passed Heaslip on the last lap. Heaslip, Nathan Tornow, and Geoff Carreiro completed the top five.

250C was split into two classes, due to a turnout of 36 riders. In the first 250C race, Zachary Mennie grabbed the holeshot, but Jody Walker quickly took over the lead. On lap two, Brandon Mennie moved past Zachary Mennie for second, and started closing the gap on Walker. The two raced bar-to-bar in the final laps, going side-by-side over the step-down triple just before the checkered flag. But Walker held his lines and carded the win, followed by Brandon Mennie, Zachary Mennie, Jake Linden, and Seth Kuss.

 Nick Neys (492) led the second 250C race from start-to-finish. Matthew Zimmerman and Bradley Brock followed Neys around the first turn, but Kyler Hyde passed Brock for third on lap two. Neys opened up a gap as he charged to the finish, with Zimmerman securing a solid second. Hyde, Ryan Heaslip, and Patrick Doughty rounded out the top five.

 Select rounds of the Megacross Shootout Series feature the Thumper and Pit Bike classes. At the Thumper opener, Jeremy Petoskey led the 14-rider field around the first turn, trailed by Dean Holmstrom (102) and Dylan Broll. Petoskey moved out for the win, with Holmstrom securing second. Nick Cadena charged through the pack to finish third, followed by Broll and Skee Hartmann.

 In the 10-rider Pit Bike class, Erik Utech had the early lead, but ran into problems on the first lap, as Eric Foltynewicz became the new leader. Foltynewicz carded the win, with Utech catching back up to finish second, and Derek Richey third. Bradon Boggio and Nick Britt completed the top five.