Crawford Controls & Rossetto Rails FVOR HS rnd1.

5-21-23

Photos by 451 Photography

Results

Fox Valley Off Road kicked off its racing season with a Gp on Saturday, then the longer version of racing on Sunday with it's first Hare Scrambles of the Season.  Dry was the conditions, although the west side always seems to be a good soil to race on that east side can be dusty and it's why on this day the big fast areas were left out of the course to keep the speeds down.  One of the larger turn outs for this weekend and so many other new things kicked off this year with the rising stars and the steady racers all making it out.

Story of the day is the vast improvement of Jayson Crawford (80) (normally runs 8), one can tell he has figured out some the finer points of racing HS.  In fact one would wonder is he isn't being coached by another IL speedster, rumor is that he is.  Not to long ago he had a get off and broke a leg, he has come back smoother and faster then seen in past racing.  Sometimes smooth is fast.  Not to be outshined in this day of racing was Ayden White(88) who as equally been coming through the ranks of the racing process.  8 and 88 are the boys to watch. It looks like White will need some time to refine his speed and also keep his mistakes to a minimum.  Something that Crawford looks to have learned over the winter months.

We had 16 entries in the 50+ BC class, wrestling their machines through 9 laps, with 3 out of 16 eventually finishing all 9 laps. The scoring team held up well throughout the event, recording 123 entries at the checkpoint.

50+A Class seen a new "old" rider show up that hasn't rode in a while Alex Rossetto (6111) decided it's time to play on a dirt bike again and well he jumped in right where he left off years ago. Eric Wheelwright (694) and Randy Southard (682) didn't see that storm coming. The old man of the morning race was Rusty Ott (617) who is 60+ now but still banging with the "kids" in the 50 class. Rob Mcgee pulled the holeshot and we all new that he had an hour!  Only because he brought his electric Suron and not his ICE bike to race today.  In fact he is the reason for the testing of bringing electrics in to see if they can handle Hs racing! Rob ended his day 5 laps of the 10 raced but he didn't have to push his bike out, he did get his hour!  So the ICE boys had a race in the last half hour they realized that they all moved up a spot!

Rossetto took the win with, Eric and Randy close, but in HS anything over 25 seconds is a life time!  The ole man in the top 4 of the overall in this group Ott was about a minute plus behind the "kids", but ahead of 100 other riders after 1hour and 30 min!  Nice ride gentleman.

Ron Kettle wasted no time setting the pace on the first lap - turning a 10:15 lap time.  Mike Myers was next coming through the gates, with a laptime of 10:29 - only 0:14 behind.  Duncan Gray was next coming through the gates, with a laptime of 10:54 - only 0:25 behind. Hot on the heels of the leaders were Shad Goins (3271) and Lyle Piecha, both looking good, and looking to make up time on the leaders. The race was young - there were still plenty of opportunities for either of them to take the win.

Ron Kettle (3009) was still in the lead at the end of lap 2 riding well, doing his best, but with a smaller lead than on the previous lap.

The action on the track centered around John Endrst, moving up from number 6 to the number 4 spot - meanwhile Ron Worth dropped 4 places, from number 7 to the number 11 position. Thinking about spending a little more time at the gym in preparation for a workout like this,  Mike Myers (3191) still owned second place - trailing by 0:06. Meanwhile Shad Goins held onto third place.  Rolling through the gates in the number four position was John Endrst, treating it like a rental but still behind by 0:18. Coming through in fifth, Duncan Gray (3012) wasn't even looking back - content to work on the 0:12 lead held by the fourth place rider ahead.

Still on the gas, Ron Kettle remained in the lead during lap 3 staying ahead of Mike Myers who was trailing by 0:03.

Ron Kettle was still in the lead at the end of lap 4 riding well, doing his best, but with a smaller lead than on the previous lap.

The movers on this lap were Hy Hunt, moving up 2 places from number 8 to number 6 - meanwhile Ron Worth dropped from number 13 to the number 15 position. John Endrst turned up the throttle, and came through the checkpoint in third place.  Meanwhile Shad Goins held onto the number four position.  Duncan Gray kept a cool head and staked a claim on the number 5 spot, buth with a 2:01 disadvantage.

The movers on this lap were Hy Hunt, heavy on the throttle able to move up 1 places from number 6 to number 5 - meanwhile Duncan Gray fell off the pace and dropped from number 5 to the number 6 position. Mike Myers was still rolling along in second place, trailing by 0:04. Pushing to gain another spot was, John Endrst finishing lap 5 in third place - behind by 0:15. Shad Goins owned fourth place, but with a 0:23 disadvantage. Hy Hunt was sticking to the game plan, but it was time to make the move. Coming in fifth wouldn't grab that 1st place tropy.

The action on this lap centered on DJ Parks(3030) moving up from number 8 to the number 7 spot - and on Lyle Piecha dropping 1 places - from number 7 to number 8. Riding in third place, John Endrst cranked it up, but  was still behind by 0:22. Could it be this easy ..... Shad Goins seemed to ghost through the checkpoint in fourth place. Hy Hunt was starting to wonder how long this event was going to be - but still rolled through the chekckpoint in fifth place.

Lap 9 had Ron Kettle taking over the lead, followed by Mike Myers, trailing by 1:25. Our number three rider was John Endrst, behind by 0:21. On the last lap Kettle had been missing that damn tree on the west side for well over an hour!  But that infamous last lap he caught the one tree before it and bam hit the next one hard, very hard and got that ride to the box with red and blue lights. At press time Ron is doing better but he did have some breakage and is out for a bit.  Get well soon!  You guys all had a hell of a race!

85-201 C class is where the transition is made to the big bikes and this year will be a year with many of the young hot rods cutting their teeth on the 1.5 hour course with the bigger bikes on trail with them.  They start back in a later row so they have to learn to pass and be patient all at the same time.  At a young age this can be a big task, here are some of the laps of the "little c class".......

The event started with 12 85-200 C riders twisting throttles in unison, dropping the clutches and screaming to the first turn - determined to finish 9 laps. Of those who started, 5 out of 12 eventually finished all 9 laps. The scoring team held up well throughout the event, recording 100 entries at the checkpoint.

Cooper Duff (201) burned up the first lap, turning a 11:35 lap time. Coming in number 2 was Heilman. Kade (299), on the gas, but a little off the pace - now trailing by 0:02. The next rider through the checkpoint at the end of the first lap was Austin Burns (999), rolling through with a 11:53 lap time. Following on their heels were Bo Laws and Cash Kinsey separated by 0:34.

Cooper Duff kept the lead at the end of lap 2 on the gas, and opening the lead on Heilman. Kade riding in second place.

The largest swings in rider position on this lap centered around Heilman. Kade, moving up from number 2 to the number 1 spot - meanwhile Cooper Duff dropped 2 places from number 1 to number 2. The third place position belonged to Austin Burns, doing some killer riding, but still behind by 3:23. Pushing to gain another spot was, Bo Laws finishing lap 8 in fourth place - behind by 1:01. Cash Kinsey was starting to wonder how long this event was going to be - but still rolled through the chekckpoint in fifth place.

Heilman. Kade  was still in the lead at the end of lap 9 riding well, doing his best to ensure the lead didn't change for the remainder of the event. Riding in second place, Cooper Duff was doing his best to reel in that number 1 spot. Riding like a 'possessed' person - Austin Burns was ripping through the checkpoint - but still in third place, and trailing by 4:08. Riding in fourth place, Bo Laws cranked it up, but  was still behind by 0:42. Cash Kinsey was displaying true grit on the course, ripping through the checkpoint in fifth place, with a 4:32 disadvantage.

In the end it was a great race with 2 different leaders, but it was Heilman. Kade taking the win, able to hold off Cooper Duff.

Fathers day weekend is the next double header at FVOR and it looks to be an excellent weekend to come and spend it at the park. Many come out Friday night and head home on Sunday night!  Course for that weekend is always run in reverse, using the tunnel for the over under!  Technical and hills are the order of the day for the June double header weekend!  

Kenzie and Gman