Heat, Battles, and Intensity show up at M8!

08/06/2022

Story by Kenzie

In the cover photo Landon Brandt got what we think is his first time ever 1st place at Megacross. The 85cc and Supermini classes were stacked!

Temps in the low 90's, humidity that makes you melt in seconds was on order with this year being the every time threat of rain in the mix. Dropping water from Friday night, and all day Saturday made for a good race track, and at 5pm as racing was to begin, clouds and sprinkles to top it off. They say to know what the weather will be simply walk outside and look up, want to know what it will be in a few hours? Do the same, in a few hours!

You wanna talk about a high intense fast paced race? The guys in the 250 A class had that covered. Gavin Sienkiewicz (402) started the first lap in first, Nick Wallace (23) in second, Cody Barnes (99) in third, Garrett Ward (31) in fourth, and Kyle White (23) in fifth. Within the second lap these guys were already passin and moving around, Wallace put himself in first with Barnes stil

l right behind him and Sienkiewicz now in third. As these guys were racing, they are all real tight and close together barely leaving any room in between each other all waiting for the right time to make some passes. By the third lap White was able to bring himself up to third coming right up behind Barnes. Within the fourth lap somewhere

Barnes makes his way right passed Wallace and puts himself in the lead and the longer the race goes on the more and more Barnes was able to pull away and actually make a gap from him to the rest of the class. Barnes kept that lead and finished off in first and White was able to get around Wallace in there somewhere and finish in second place while Wallace took a third and Ward in fourth. This race was so much fun to watch I felt like the entire class was constantly making passes all over the track.

Reid Day after some knee issues was back! (123), Jake Hasten (14), Bryce Arnold (9), and Tyce Kubiak (34) had a pretty intense race in Schoolboy. These four were all runnin real close together right in the front for the first few laps keepin in the same spots until Arnold switched it up and made a pass around Hasten right as they were finishing up their fourth lap. As the boys were getting ready to finish up their race Arnold was able to gain enough speed and pass Day in basically the same spot he passed Hasten the previous lap. The Duff boys themselves were also putting on a good show in this class as well, on one of the laps around while going over the finish line the younger one stuffed the older one and pushed him to the outside and passed him. Jaxon Schiller (64) shoulder injury from last spring was back after getting it fixed, for his first Megacross had to take time off with dislocating his shoulder. This class ended up with Arnold winning, Day in second, Hasten in third and Kubiak in fourth place.

In 50+ Steve Perkins (164) pulled the whole shot and took the lead with Larry Bank (13) in second place and Jeremy Barone (15) in third. Barone found a spot to pass Bank in the second lap somewhere but Bank made sure not to lost sight of him. Barone and Bank had a close race the entire time and had everyone wondering if Bank was going to be able to pass Barone back. As the old guys’ race was coming to an end Perkins finished in first, Barone in second, and as Bank was taking the inside hump to try and finish his race, he had a little tip over and couldn’t manage to get up quick enough before Dean Sheldon (18) and Frank Licastro (371) passed him and put him in fifth place for a finish.

Emmett Baker (309) and Lucas Wood (27) had some really good races battling each other, one of them being the 65cc Open class. The Open class started with Baker in the front leading with Wood right behind him not leaving much of a gap in between them and Rylen Hofmaster (23) right behind Wood also staying pretty close. Baker was doing really good at staying ahead of these two until their fourth lap around when both Wood and Hofmaster somehow got in front of him. Baker didn’t let much get past him though with Wood in first, Hofmaster in second and Baker in third. There wasn’t enough time at this point in the race for Baker to get back up to that first place spot or even make it around Hofmaster at all.

Arguably the absolute best racing of the night, Super Mini!! Logan Webb (375), Brody Brewer (586), and Bryce Arnold (9) were all racin pretty close together, they started with Webb in front leading, Brewer right behind in second and Arnold runnin third. As this race went on it hot more and more intense between the three, especially between Brewer and Arnold. By the third lap around Arnold was able to gain enough speed and find the right spot to make a pass around Brewer and put himself in second which led us wondering if he was also going to be able to pass Webb as well. Even though Arnold was able to pass Brewer, Brewer did not let that stop him from coming back and passing Arnold as they were on their last lap. These two battled the entire time and put on a very good race!

Safe to say that tonights racing brought back some of the riders who chase all the qualifiers and such. Those riders were a little surprised by the competition they met by the riders who have been here all summer. This makes for great racing and it showed in all classes! Now before you leave, 9-3 is our next event, AMA D17 Bonus points. Then AMA D17 Illinois State Motocross Championship event at Fox Valley Off Road that date is 9-10-9-11. It also is a Great RIver Shootout race on Saturday! To wrap up our Megacross series, we will have the 23 Challenge Pro Am here at the Tri-City Fairgrounds! Chase has not confirmed but it's a good chance he will be here! Bigger purse then last year, more give aways and likely Chase is bringing a bunch of stuff. Look for the 23 Challenge event video from last year being aired sometime next week!!! Until then ride safe have fun! K.A.

"NEWS NOT HISTORY"

Heat, Battles, and Intensity show up at M8!