Racing Intense at Rnd 2 Traxs Winter Series!

Story by Kenzie

Photos By 451 Photography

1-14-2023 Round 2 Traxs Winter Series

Results 

When having a very large entry count, the two-part race day ends up working out great for our riders. Especially when having 48 riders in just Open C alone. The first round of the Megatrax series we had 18 women show up which was awesome, this time we had 24 women in the class! We even had to split them into 2 different classes which hardly ever happens anymore, I think we are all excited to see the turn out for round 3 in the Women’s class.

The little bikes never fail to put on some good competitive races, the 85 Jr class was one of those classes on this race day. Gage Lane (444) just started riding his 85 and he managed to pull the hole shot like it was nothing! While Lane was taking the lead, Alyjah Billman (27) was in second with Harrison Koch (562) in third and Alex Colcer (215) running fourth right with them. As soon as these guys got out on that track you knew there was going to be some good battling going on. Within already their second lap around Colcer was able to get around Koch and get even closer to Billman. One of the times when the two were coming over the hump right before the finish line jump, it looked like Colcer was completely ready to make the pass to get ahead of Billman, but he must have decided to wait a little longer. By their fourth lap around, Colcer managed to find somewhere to pass Billman and take the second-place position. While the front of the pack is having their battle off, the middle of the pack is also battling it out, Koch, Noah Billman (232/), and Chris Bahnik (121) were all racing right on top of each other. This battle started about in the third lap when Koch was in front of Noah Billman and Bahnik. N. Billman did not put up with that for long, he saw an opportunity to get around Koch and he took it! Even after N. Billman was able to make it around Koch, these three still were racing pretty close together. There was no giving up in this race from any of these kids, they were out there giving it all they had! Lane never gave up that first place spot and Colcer was able to keep second, while Braxton Jacobson (38) was able to catch A. Billman and pass him, leaving him in fourth.

Every time Bryce Arnold (9) goes out on a track to race, I know there is going to be a good race like on Saturday when he went out in the Schoolboy class, he had an awesome race against Mikey Chiappino (177) with Cutter Riebe (322) in the mix as well. This race started out with Chiappino in the lead, Arnold barely in second, and Riebe in third right with them. This race had my full attention, wondering who was going to pass who. Chiappino was able to stay in front of the other two for the first lap, but then on the second lap we watched the boys on the back of the track on the Dragon Back, we saw Arnold take the outside while Chiappino took the inside and that’s when Arnold was able to get right next to him.  At this moment we were all wondering, is Arnold going to gain that little bit of speed to actually pass him or is Chiappino going to keep that inch ahead of him? The two boys went to jump that middle jump and as they’re both in the air you could see Arnold make that clean pass. Now we have Arnold leading, Chiappino in second staying right on Arnold and Riebe not backing down either. After about a lap of Arnold leading, he was able to pull away from Chiappino and Riebe, while these two were still battling for the second-place spot. Last lap around, if Riebe wants to make a pass on Chiappino, he has to do it soon, these two are pushing each other, trying to find the right lines to take without making any mistakes, Chiappino does not want to give up his spot. Luckily for Chiappino he was able to hold off Riebe just long enough to finish the race. These three were well deserved of the top three places they received from this race, they all put in the work for it and made each other work for it!

As the girls class heads out on the track Rylee Woods takes the lead, but unfortunately for her, as she was going through one of the corners she fell over and lost the lead which led Mallie Arnold (99) to take the lead. While Woods is trying to hurry back up and get going as quickly as she can, by the time she gets up she’s down to seventh place. Woods did not let herself become discouraged from that, she used it as motivation and just within two laps she got herself up to fifth place. As each lap went by she was making passes and moving up to the front, by the fourth lap she was already back in third! Knowing that the race was going to end in about another lap is when it got intense, was she going to be able to pass second place? Was she going to have enough time to put herself back in first? Or was she just going to settle with the third place after moving up four places? Well, she did not settle that’s for sure, as they were coming back up to the front of the track she was right on Lexi Gower (922), getting as close as possible, at the last minute as they were going over the hump before the finish line jump, Woods made another pass! After starting in first dropping all the way down to seventh, she still was able to finish in second place!

85cc classes specially the 9-13 and Sr class has seen a battle come about with Grant Robinson (426) and Everrett Baker (309)  sprinkle in Landon Brandt (614) and a host of others in those classes you end up with some the best racing of the night.  Tonight was no different as the two leaders in this class battled intensely the whole night.  Robinson taking one class and Baker taking the other.  Both have grown up racing since they were little tikes and likely will race each other a long time. Baker is new to the class and fairly new to the 85cc machine. Robinson has come into his own this last fall and been a force as well.  Jumping back to Jr class the introduction of Gage Lane this little fire ball will be one of the hitters as he aclimates to the bigger wheels and more power. Racing will be alive an well around these parts as the weather breaks and we all go outside to keep improving.

As soon as the little bikes are done we jump right into getting the big bikes ready for their races, although having this day split makes it a long day for everyone that helps run the races, it makes it a shorter day or night for all of the riders.

In the 30+ B/C class there was quite a battle in the front of the pack between Bryce Olson (308), Wyatt Hall (710), and Riley Marsh (72). These guys were not backing down from one another, they went head to head the entire race, Hall was trying everything he could to get around Olson but just couldn’t find the right line to take to make a pass while Marsh was trying to do the same to Hall. Finally on their last lap around, Marsh was able to make a pass around Hall in the corner after the big middle jump and put himself in second place which pushed Hall back to third place. As these guys finished their race we could see the disappointment from Hall as he backed off of Marsh and his body language completely changed.

Mikey Chiappino (177) and Cutter Riebe (322) had another great battle in the 125cc class. Reid day (123) was gone and in the lead, while Chiappino and Riebe battled it off for second place. Chiappino was holding second place while Riebe was right behind him in third, hoping he was going to be able to make a pass around him. Riebe didn’t have to hope for long, within the third lap around he was able to get around Chiappino and now he was headed to see if he could catch up to Day. Even though Chiappino lost the second place spot he still didn’t give up, he made sure to keep third and keep up with Riebe until the race ended and still finish in top 3.

In the 30+ A class Anthony Biagi (107) had Ryan Smith (249) pushing him a bit to see how bad he wanted that first place finish. As the race started with Biagi leading, Smith was right on his tail. As each lap went by, we saw many opportunities to where it looked like Smith was going to make a pass, but Biagi didn’t let that happen. Biagi managed to hold Smith off the entire time and finish in first.

The Mclaud boys, Bryce Mclaud (104) and Brett Mclaud (1), gave Garrett Ward (31) some good competition in the 250 A class. Ward had to start this race without his hole shot device since it broke off right before he went out for his race which gave others an advantage for the start. Brett took the lead with Bryce right behind him and Ward right with them. These three battled it out the entire race, racing right on top of one another. Brett was holding that lead strong while Ward was trying to pick every right line to get around Bryce so maybe he could get around and catch Brett. As these three were racing, we all were waiting for one of them to make a move or for someone to make a mistake. Bryce ended up making a mistake on the wall jump in the back and Ward was finally able to get around him and get in second, but this was the last lap, so unfortunately for Ward there was no time left to make any other passes. Brett finished with his first while Ward got second and Bryce still was able to stay in third. Check out the speed and angles entering and exiting the corner. 

Don’t miss out on Megatrax Round 3 which will be on February 11th! The next weekend after that will be the Woods Race, which is going to be a two day event this year. Kids will have practice on Friday, the 17th, while Saturday, the 18th, will be practice during the day for the all bikes and then we saddle up for racing on Saturday night including some smaller bike and mini bike classes that we have never done before. YOU don't want to miss this event which kicks off URC Series!