Traxs Winter Series winds down with intense competition!

Story by Kenzie, Photos by 451 Photography, results.

3-4-2023

The small little winter series put it's final race in the record books and it was intense all day and evening. From the mini classes to the adult classes everyone seemed to know it's time to be ready to go outside but one more blast indoors was going to make it count of the series end awards and the bragging rights for the winter time.

In the Super Mini class we saw a great race between Joey Jared (17) and Dane Miller (152). Jared took off in second with Miller right behind him for the first three laps while Miller was inching closer and closer to Jared being real patient to make a pass. Finally on the fourth lap around Miller got right up next to Jared, all he needed was that little bit more to make a complete pass on him and that’s exactly what Miller did when the two went into the berm right before the West Wall Jump. From there, they only had one more lap till the race was finished, so Miller made sure to stay ahead of Jared in enough time to finish with a second and Jared made sure to not let anyone else pass him so he finished with a third. 

In the 65 Beginner class  Vincent Binkowski (545) and Karson Connolly (14)  went head to head from the very beginning of the race. Binkowski took the lead right off the bat and was pushing hard to try and keep that lead. Connolly was keeping up right with Binkowski in second, hoping he would be able to get a chance to get around him and take the lead. Binkowski was doing all he could to stay ahead of Connolly, all he had to do was keep it that way for their last lap. As these two are making their way on their last lap Connolly found a way to pass Binkowski and steal the lead now was Binkowski going to have enough time to pass him back or was Connolly going to hold him off for the rest of the lap? As the two come to the finish line Connolly kept that lead with Binkowski just barely behind him in second. These two had an awesome and intense race! 
85 Jr was a very intense race to watch, the whole front pack of the class was out there battling with each other. Alyjah Billman (27) took off in the lead but Noah Billman (232/) was not going to let him get far ahead, N. Billman stayed right on him, while Chris Bahnik (122) was pretty close behind in third and Braxton Jacobson (38) right up on Bahnik in fourth. These four raced pretty much the entire race in a close group. 

Michael Dillett (633), Zeyden Lawson (514), and Malachi Anschutz (335) started this race out racing all real close together. Dillett was leading them but we could see Lawson wanting to pass Dillett and that’s exactly what he did, he was not waiting around, he made that pass within the first two laps and that’s when Dillett realized he was going to have to really work for it if he wanted that lead back. Once Lawson was able to get around Dillett they started to pull away from Anschutz but Anschutz was making sure to keep up his pace and not let anyone get too close to him. While these guys are battling it out we also had Ethan Taylor (540) in fifth place with Lucian Komperda (720) in sixth right up on Taylor. These two were racing so close it seemed like Komperda was going to make a pass on Taylor a few different times out there but Taylor just kept holding him off all the way to the finish to keep his fifth place spot. Lawson didn’t let Dillett get the lead back so he finished in first with Dillett in second and Anschutz kept his third the entire race. 

As Open B took off the line, Zachery Johnson (7/) took the lead with Ayden White (88) in second and Justin Peterson (7) in third, all right on top of each other. White was doing a good job holding off Peterson till their third lap going through the dragon back when Peterson made a clean pass to get around White and switch their places around. At this point Peterson had two laps to try and pass Johnson for the lead while holding off White from taking his spot back. Peterson was trying everything he could to get around Johnson, but Johnson was not going to give up that lead, he was able to hold off the other two the entire race. Peterson managed to hold White off the last two laps and finished in second while White wasn’t able to get back around Peterson, but stayed right with the other two and finished in third. 
Riley Marsh (72),  Bryce Olson (308),  and Wyatt Hall (710) went head to head in the 30+ B/C race. Marsh took the lead right away, Olson staying right on him in second, Ryan Knott (225) in third, and Hall in fourth. It didn’t take long for Hall to get around Knott and take third. As soon as Hall got around Knott he was going after Olson so he could get to Marsh before it was too late. Olson was not making it easy for Hall to get around him, These three were basically tire to tire with each other, all going after that first place spot. Once it got down to the fourth lap, Hall knew his time was running out, he managed to pass both Olson and Marsh and take that lead from them. As soon as Hall took that lead we saw him put some good spacing between himself and those two. While he took the lead he left Marsh and Olson to battle it out on the last lap. Hall managed to win even with starting in fourth while Marsh placed in second and Olson in third. 
Justin Peterson (7) took the lead right away in the 250 B class with Timothy Hartfield (836) just inches behind him in second and Ayden White (88) right up on him in third. Right from the start we knew it was going to be a good race between these three. For the first three laps we watch as White tries to get around Hartfield and Hartfield try to get around Peterson but neither of them were successful with that, they were not giving their spots up that easy. As Peterson and Hartfield were coming into the corner after the middle jump in the fourth lap these two are right up next to each other and actually end up hitting each other and both of them go down! As White comes in behind them he ends up going right into them and went down as well, now the lead was completely up for grabs! Luckily for Casey Palka (144) he was just far enough behind where he missed the collision and took that lead right from them. As these three are trying to get up, a few guys went right in front of them, Hartfield ended up getting taken back out while trying to get moving again and ended up having to pull off the track so he wasn’t able to finish the race. Now with only just a little over a full lap left, Palka leading, Zachery Johnson (7/) in second now, Peterson was able to get into third with White right behind him. With only one lap left was Peterson and White going to be able to get their front spots back? Something must of happened to Peterson because he dropped down to fifth and White moved up to third with Braden Munson (717) in fourth now.

 After that these guys kept their places and finished the race off just how they were.

By the time this gets posted the outdoor season will be in full force. Megacross firing off it's 31st season, Fox Valley Off Road kicking off it's 23rd season.  Riders have worked all winter to keep their edge, and it will show as they hit the races this spring!  Summer time is great for riding and racing, make sure to change it up and do all kinds of new series and types of racing, keep the racing spirit alive by testing your abilities on all surfaces and don't make it boring!  See you outside!