Miller

Miller, Hammond, Hofmaster Hot at Megacross

Mendota, IL – September 6

By Nikki Dixon

After a good soaking rain earlier in the week, the track conditions were awesome for round nine of the Megacross Shootout Series. The track stayed tacky, with ruts developing in some of the turns, adding more passing opportunities. Rain fell during the last few main events, but the track crew clicked through the races and wrapped up just in time. The racing was excellent with a solid turnout and lots of action under the lights.

No Limit Racing's Reese Miller (446) was on the gas, topping 125cc two-stroke and 250B. In 125cc two-stroke, Cody Siler and Miller were side-by-side through the first turn, with Siler sliding out in turn two, while Miller took the lead. Miller sprinted to the checkers for the win. Matt Mellott held the second spot, while Cody Siler reeled in Tyler Knowleton (616) for third.

In 250B, heat-race winner Matt Hammond grabbed the holeshot over the 16-rider field, followed by Miller and Collin Licastro. Hammond and Miller mixed it up, with Miller taking the lead after two laps. Miller stayed out front to the checkered flag, followed by Hammond and Licastro. Denny Morsch held off Kyle Entwistle and Gordin Kaskin in the battle for fourth.

250B runner up Hammond grabbed a couple of wins in Open B and 14-24. Rain started to fall during the Open B main event, with Erik Utech leading around the first turn, trailed by Hammond and Zeno Molteni. Hammond quickly went to work on Utech, and moved out front on the first lap. Hammond opened up a small gap, while Morsch reeled in Utech for second with a lap to go. In the last turn, Knowleton tried to stick a pass on Utech for third but bobbled, while Jesse Keith and Jim Cherry completed the top five. Hammond also topped the 13-rider 14-24 class, over Licastro, Kaskin, Siler, and Entwistle.

Tommy Hofmaster (110) continued his Megacross dominance with three wins in 250A, Open A, and +25A. In 250A, Kevin Markwardt started out front, with Hofmaster and Anthony Westergaard in tow. Hofmaster passed into the lead through a rutted turn on the first lap, and never looked back. Markwardt held the second spot to the finish. Justin Kelly passed Westergaard for third, but Westergaard answered back and regained the position, giving Kelly a look back over a jump in the rhythm section. But Kelly stuffed Westergaard a few turns later, and made it stick to round out the podium behind Hofmaster and Markwardt.

Hofmaster picked up the holeshot in Open A, trailed by Kelly and Markwardt. On the opening laps, Kelly and Markwardt raced bar-to-bar, with Markwardt pulling ahead. The top four of Hofmaster, Markwardt, Kelly, and Kyle White raced closely in the seven lap race, with White making a late race pass on Kelly for third. Westergaard and Brian White diced for a top five finish all race, with Westergaard getting the nod.

In +25A, Burton Lavens (763) and Hofmaster were side-by-side through he first turn, with Hofmaster taking the lead. Lavens kept Hofmaster in sights for the whole race, as Hofmaster and Lavens ran away from the rest of the 10-rider field. David Hayes held of Everett Dahlberg for third, and Paul Gerke wrapped up the top five.

Lavens carded a pair of wins in +30A and +35. In +30A, Dahlberg (520) and Skee Hartmann rounded out the podium behind Lavens. And in the nine rider +35 class, Lavens, Hayes, and Steve Perkins finished top three.

Keith started out front in +25B, and led for most of the race with Molteni in the hunt. With a lap to go, Molteni took over the lead, and pushed ahead to the checkers. Keith secured second, and Scott Holmes edged out Jim Cherry to complete the podium.

Kyler Hyde carded wins in 250C and Open C. In the rainy 250C main event, Chris West led the 19-rider field around the first turn, but Hyde quickly moved out front, avoiding a first lap pileup in a rutted left-handed turn. Hyde and West ran one-two all the way to the checkers, with Seth Kuss, Alex St John, and Cole Johns wrapping up the top five. Hyde was also victorious in Open C, over West, Kuss, Ryan Heaslip, and Dylan Broll.

Maxx Malatia has been unstoppable in Super Mini and 85 Senior this season, winning all 14 Megacross main events he has entered. Win number 13 came in Super Mini, when Malatia grabbed the holeshot and checked out for the win. Cory Catalani and Tyler Simpkins followed Malatia around the first turn, and held their positions to the finish. Jake Siebert and Adam Petmuch diced for fourth, with Petmuch getting the nod, and Jordan Mackiewicz charged up to finish fifth after crashing in the second turn in the start. Malatia carded win number 14 in 85 Senior, trailed by Catalani, Simpkins, Mackiewicz, and Siebert.

The 65 Senior and 65 Junior classes dropped together, with 13-riders total. 65 Senior riders Logan Skaggs and Chris West led the way on the first lap, chased by 65 Junior rider Chase Sexton (486). On the second lap, leader Skaggs stopped to check out a bike problem, while West and Sexton moved out front. Sexton slowly reeled in West, and passed into the overall lead over the step-down triple right before the white flag. Sexton stayed out front to the finish, followed by West, Skaggs, and 65 Junior riders RJ Mackenzie, Austin Kukla, and Colton Krska.

Brianna Mahon made her first ever Megacross debut in the Women’s class, and cruised to heat race and main event wins over the 15-rider field. Miller sisters Shelby, Kendal, and Whitney trailed Mahon across the finish line, and Brittany Curelo charged through the pack after a bad start to finish fifth.

In Quad A, Cory Tinn had a great jump out of the gate, but didn’t get on the brakes to make the first turn, allowing heat-race winner Jason Wehrli to lead the way. Jeremy Beetz and Neil Hambly followed Wehrli through the rhythm section on the first lap, and they held that running order until Wehrli had mid-race problems, and dropped out of the main event. Beetz took over the lead, and stretched it out as he sprinted to the checkers. Hambly finished second, just in front of Derick Skaggs and Justin Medine who diced the whole race, and Tinn wrapped up the top five.

Pete Kapellas picked up the Quad B holeshot, chased by John Biddle and Seth Fligge. On lap three, Biddle cut inside in a big bowl turn before the rhythm section to move into the lead, followed by Kapellas, and a battle between Fligge and Kelby Hartman who raced side-by-side. Biddle opened up a small lead, while Fligge used the same inside move on the next lap to pass Kapellas for second. Hartman then reeled in Kapellas for third on the final lap, as Biddle carded the win.

Bryce Jacobs led the Thumper class around the first turn, followed by Jeremy Petoskey and Dylan Broll. Petoskey chased down Jacobs for several laps, and took over the lead after three laps. But Jacobs answered back, and the two traded positions back and forth, with Petoskey in front as they passed the white flag. Jacobs thought it was checkers and pulled off the track, while Petoskey sped away for the win. Jacobs quickly realized the mistake and still finished second, and Broll completed the top three.

Mark your calendars for the Megacross Season Finale on October 4^th. Double Megacross points, and once last chance to catch the high flying bar banging Megacross action before the long winter break. Don’t miss out!