Great Racing @ Motosports Park Nuclear Sunset Power Series!

by Kenzie Aters

Results

6-30-2024

It was a beautiful day for a Motocross race at Byron Motosports Park. This round of the Nuclear Sunset Power series had some weather issues on Friday but the weather turned out excellent for the Saturday practice and this Sunday's event! Over 50 years Motosports Park has offered riding and racing many riders have grown up racing and riding here it's clear that they have a nice facility and works great!

The 85cc Sr class definitely put on some good racing today, as soon as that gate dropped for that first moto, the battling started. Austin Gehrt (127), Tucker Macneil (21) and Emmett Baker (309) came out of those first couple corners in a close pack in the lead. Baker doesn’t stay behind these two very long, he makes passes on both of them to grab the lead! Once Baker grabs that lead he puts just a small gap on Gehrt while Gehrt is trying to stay with Baker he starts putting gap on rest of class. Out behind these guys, Brackyn Massie (735) has Levi Gower (232) hanging right on him. Macneil must have gone down as he is now behind Massie and Gower. As we look back at the leaders, Baker has kicked up his speed to really pull away from Gehrt to try and really lock in that first place. Third lap in and Macneil is inching towards Gower to see if he can get back up to his spot before this race ends. Once he catches these two he makes the pass around both and pulls away to try and have a chance to get closer to Gehrt who is still in second, but it was their last lap so time was running out. As Baker is making his way to the checkered flag, top of the track before coming down to checkered flag he takes a fall. As Baker is trying to get back up and moving as quickly as possible, Gehrt is getting close to him. The intensity is at an all-time high right now. Baker got up just in time and rushed down to checkered flag to take the win, Gehrt came in a close second with Macneil taking third!

Jake Marquette (199) gave us some inside info on his race in the Open C class, “I felt good for the most part, the track was really rough but my favorite part was the woods section with the double tables! I wasn't happy 2 weeks off the bike was the cause for simple tip overs in the corners. The only thought I had was get a good start, get out front and get as many points as I could to maintain the points lead in Open C. Get back on the podium and just have fun and ride my dirtbike!”

As soon as the gate drops for the 50cc 4-8 class, Bryson Mejia (27) is on the throttle and taking the lead! Coming off the gate in second is Easton Ball (18) with Connor Ethell (804) behind him in third. Pretty quickly in, Ethell is already inching towards Ball and gets right up on him. With the two racing this close, it made it a very intense first lap around. Once the two got closer to the end of the first lap, Ethell made the pass on Ball to switch their positions right around. Mejia was able to find his speed pretty quickly into the race and take off from the rest of the class. Second lap in and Ethell was able to inch away from Ball to secure the second place spot. As Mejia went flying around the track, it was time for the checkered flag to come out, Mejia takes the win, Ethell pulls second, and Ball takes third to finish their first moto!

After the race, grabbed Mejia to ask him a few questions to hear what his favorite parts were and how he felt during his race, his favorite part was the big hills in the back and although he was happy with how he raced he said “going to try and get 3rd in second moto of 50 Jr since I got 4th in first moto”.

Out in the first moto for Mini Open as they make their way around the track for their first lap, Archer Smith (244) snatches up the lead with Vince Binkowski (545) out in second, and Jaxon Cruse (39) in third as he inches towards Binkowski. Pretty quickly Cruse comes up and makes the pass on Binkowski to switch their places around. Cruse pulls away while Binkowski now has Brayden Heinrichs (513) hanging right behind him. Shortly into their second lap, Heinrichs takes the opportunity to make the pass on Binkowski and move himself up to third. As the kids keep moving around the track, Archer had made himself a good size gap on Cruse while Cruse is making himself a gap on Heinrichs and rest of class. As they get into their third lap it seems like the top five guys have all spread out from each other and as long as no one goes down they’ll keep these places. Checkered flag comes out as Smith takes the win, Cruse in second, Heinrichs in third and Binkowski in fourth!

Binkowski was able to give us some inside information on his races, “My favorite part of the track was the corners. My thoughts while out there racing was to go faster, don’t fall and be smooth. I felt good and my goal was to podium which I did in 65 Sr, only thing I would of changed is I got fourth in first moto and I should of got 3rd".

Second moto of 25+A, Nick Wallace (23) and Kyle Koosmann (891) start their intense battle as soon as that gate drops. Wallace grabs the lead while Koosmann hangs on to him. As the two are flying around the track Koosmann is trying to find a way around Wallace, but Wallace is not backing down! The two were coming down to finish their fourth lap when Koosmann made the pass to take the lead and put Wallace in second! Last lap around and Wallace was still hanging with Koosmann, as they make their way to the checkered flag. Koosmann takes the win with Wallace coming in second place!

Next racing event at Byron Motosports park will be August 4th for the WFO  Hare Scramble race it's also part of the diverse racing that is hosted here. Forest City Riders, and WFO join Motosports for this event and is a tribute event to Greg Moss who was a major influence to off road racing in District 17.