Martin Masters Megacross

 Megacross Shootout Series  Round 4

Mendota, IL – May 27^th, 2006

By Nikki Dixon

 

 

“Rain is not an option,” said Megacross promoter Gerhard Ward, on the track’s website, after a soggy spring. Round 1 was cut short during the mains due to rain, and rounds 2 and 3 cancelled, thanks to Mother Nature. Possible make-up dates are the works, seeking rider input.

 310 riders and their crew jammed into the Tri-County Fairgrounds to kick off their Memorial Day weekend with Saturday night racing under the lights. This time, Megacross dodged a bullet, as lightning and dark skies just north of the track stayed away, and it was finally time to go racing!

 The track conditions were incredible, as the Megacross crew tilled up the moist track and worked it to perfection. Corners developed multiple lines, making for passing opportunities and close racing. As usual, the expert classes were stacked with top riders from the Midwest, such as Ross Martin, Roy Horton, Justin Kelly, David Oettel, and Kevin Markwardt. The Team Chicago video crew was on hand catching the racing action on film, and several photographers snapping photos of the riders. Riders were also hungry for their share of race contingency offered by track sponsors MSR and Answer Racing, as well as factory contingency from Honda and Suzuki.

 Ross Martin, from Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, continued his dominance in the Megacross Expert classes. Martin is accustomed to running out front in whatever he does, as during the winter months, you can catch him on ESPN winning Snocross races for Polaris. He’s also a force on the motocross track, as he has shown race after race, by taking the top spot in 125A and 250A.

 In 125A, Roy Horton and Martin rocketed into turn one in the heat race, with Martin taking the inside to move into the lead. Martin sprinted to the win, while the battle behind him was intense. Horton and Justin Kelly were swapping positions and rubbing plastic, fighting for that second spot, resulting in both riders going down. This opened the door for up-and-comer Cameron Lansing to finish second in the heat race, followed by David Oettel.

 "Hell I thought it was Thanksgiving out there tonight with all the stuffing going on," replied Megacross promoter Gerhard Ward about the bar-banging in the 125A Heat race. "But I had to talk to those gentlemen to settle it down; this is supposed to be fun!" The rest of the night it wasn't an issue.

 Kelly put his Suzuki out front in the 125A main event, with Justin Baker in tow. As the pack made their way to a rutted off-camber turn, Oettel triggered a pile-up claiming several riders. After one lap of seven, the running order was Kelly, Baker, Lansing, Horton, and Matt Mellott. Heat race leader Martin was buried back, but on the move. On lap two, Kelly was still out front, while Horton went down in a turn, and Martin closed in on Baker and Lansing. By lap four, Martin advanced into second, and was closing in on the leader, Kelly. Martin gassed it through the multi-lined off-camber to take the lead.  Once out front, Martin dashed to the checkers for the win. Kelly held on for second, while Horton fought his way to third after his early crash.

 In the 250A heat race, Kevin Markwardt picked up the holeshot, with Kelly and Oettel in tow. Markwardt then bobbled through a berm before the step-down tabletop, handing the lead to Kelly. Oettel, Martin, and Horton were on the move, as the three chased down Kelly, with Martin eventually taking the lead into the small whoops section. Martin, Kelly, and Horton crossed the finish line 1-2-3.

 Horton lead the fourteen rider 250A field to the first turn in the main, but had his word cut out for him, with Martin and Kelly right behind. Horton led for five laps, as Martin shadowed Horton, patiently waiting to make his move. As the two approached the while flag, Martin found a little extra to take over the lead, and keep it to the checkers. Horton finished runner-up, as Markwardt held off Kelly to take the final podium position.

 Jacob Selock picked up the holeshot in the 50 Senior heat race, followed by Kai Devine, Jordan Cram, and Jacob Wehn. The four mixed it up for a few laps, with Cram moving into the lead, to take the heat race win, with Wehn and Devine wrapping up the top three.

 Wehn led the class around turn one in the 50 Senior main, but Devine moved into the lead on the first lap, while Wehn slid back several positions. Cram charged through the pack, and took over the lead on lap three, in front of Devine. Wehn gave it his all trying to get Devine for that second spot, but came up short, as Cram, Devine, and Wehn completed the top three.

 As the gate dropped for the 50 Junior heat race, Jackson Jeffery collected the holeshot, trailed by Tanner Chada, Dylan Boyd, and Tomas Aubone. Jeffery kept it upright to take the heat race win, followed by Chada and Aubone.

 In the 50 Junior main, Boyd had a great start and was running out front, with Chada and Jeffery behind. Heat race winner Jeffery went down on the first lap, while Chada moved past Boyd to take the lead. Aubone and Jeffery were on the move, as they caught up to second place Boyd, and there was a tight battle for second all the way to the checkers. At the finish, Chada carded the win, with Aubone and Boyd rounding out the 50 Junior podium positions.

 Daniel Sanders captured the 250C win, finishing out front in both the heat race and main event. In the heat, Sanders put his Suzuki out front, and was gone. Behind Sanders, the battle for the next spots was a close one between Adam Therriault, Brent Johnson, Mark Carcia, Brian Goodin, and Kevin Kline. Therriault and Carcia prevailed, as they crossed the finish in second and third.

 Kline had the early lead in the 250C main event, trailed by Therriault and Goodin. Therriault then stalled out on lap two, and had a hard time restarting the bike. Heat race winner Sanders rode a steady race to take over the lead from Kline on lap four, and keeping it until the checkers. Kline and Goodin completed the top three.

 Tim Copeland was unstoppable in 125C, leading from wire-to-wire in both the heat and the main. Copeland started out front in the heat, with Jeremy Newell, Doug Smith, Michael Panterburg, and Benjamin Cowan in tow. Newell kept Copeland honest, staying with him until the finish. Copeland and Newell carded first and second, with Smith outlasting the pack for third.

 Copeland grabbed another holeshot in the 125C main, followed by Cowan, Newell, Joshua Stevenson, and Matt Bristol. Newell moved past Cowan early in the race and set his sights on the leader Copeland. The two were setting a fast pace, but Newell couldn’t get around Copeland, who collected the main event win. Newell finished second, with Bristol edging out Stevenson for the third spot.

 Brady Neys picked up the holeshot in the 65 Senior heat race, followed by Kyle Nelson and Jacob Wever. Rick Nichol was charging through the field, and caught up to the leader, Neys, on lap two. Nichol was all over Neys, and he went for the lead in the big bowl turn before the small whoop section, but lost it and crashed. Neys stayed upright to take the heat race win, with Wever and Nichol in tow.

 In the 65 Senior main, Neys had the early lead, with Nichol right there. On the second lap, Nichol motored past Neys in a rutted off-camber turn to take the lead. Nichol pulled away for the main event win, with Neys finishing a solid second. There was a great race for third between Wever and Jesse Schroeder swapping positions as they made their way through lapped traffic, with Wever getting the nod for third at the finish.

 The 65 Junior heat race holeshot went to Bryce Ivey, with Chandler Hiatt, Logan Skaggs, and Zachary Sawko in the hunt. Skaggs charged into the lead on the first lap, trailed closely by Hiatt. Skaggs went down in the whoops, opening the door for Hiatt to take the heat race win. Sawko made his way past Ivey and carded second, with Skaggs rallying back to third.

 Hiatt had the early lead in the 65 Junior main, with Sawko, Skaggs, and Ivey in all in striking distance. At the end of the second lap, Sawko aired it out over the big tabletop to pass Hiatt for the lead. Sawko pulled a little lead as he cruised to the checkered flag for the win. Hiatt and Skaggs fought for the second position, with Skaggs giving his all in the last whoop section before the finish, trying to make a pass, but fell short. Hiatt captured the second spot, with Skaggs in third.

 Mike Weese was the rider to beat in 125B. Weese dominated both the heat race and the main from start to finish, holding off second place Jacob Kenyon’s pressure both races. Kyle Entwistle, Broc Pagni and Jordan VanDeWyngaerde battled for the final podium spot in the 125B main event, with Entwistle crossing the finish in third.

 250B was packed with close racing. In the heat race, Wyatt Hall started with the holeshot, and Jeremy Gauer on his rear fender. Jim Murray was on the move, as he caught up to the leader, Hall, on lap three. Murray cut to the inside in a multi-lined off-camber to take the lead, but Hall took it right back. In the meanwhile, Josiah Damm and Tyler Knowlton were in the mix, right there with the leaders. Hall picked up the heat win, trailed by Murray and Damm.

 Ryan Underhill nailed the 250B main start, by beating everyone to the first turn. Murray took over the lead on lap one, and stayed out front to the checkers. Damm, Underhill, Aaron Hart, and Neil Dornik wrapped up the top five at the finish.

 Chad Wiench lead from wire-to-wire in the Quad A heat and main. In the heat, Jeremy Beetz, Casey Gerke, and Jeff Juran mixed it up for the second position behind Wiench, with Juran getting the edge, followed by Gerke. In the main, Wiench started out front, with Juran and Gerke in tow, and that is how they would finish.

 Quad B was an exciting battle between Cody Harbach and Jason Wehrli. In the heat race, Wehrli started out front, and held off Harbach’s pressure to take the win. In the main, Wehrli had another holeshot, while Harbach was buried in the pack. Harbach worked his way through the field to catch the leader, Wehrli, on lap three. The two were side-by-side and on the gas for the remainder of the race, with Harbach making a last lap pass stick by going inside in the big berm before the rhythm section to take the win. Wehrli and Derek Engeli rounded out the top three.