This weekend was a race weekend that brought about a lot of positive things, such as the continued rise of Cody Gray and a new winner in the 80 class. It also carried with it some things that were not so nice, there were several bad crashes & the track conditions didn’t help with that. As we’ve written before, The Leahy Family is typically really on-point with their track maintenance. The weather definitely didn’t do the Leahy’s any favors, as it was hotter than late 90’s Brittany Spears out there. Regardless, the track was far from what we have come to expect over the years. Although the track wasn’t quite up to snuff, the racing definitely was. Cody Gray, Tanner Wineland and Joey Olson were dukin’ it out all day in the heat. As we move down in class. Jared Estergaard crushed in 250 B, and Conor Wallace was on a tear as well in 450 B and Open Am. In the 80’s, dudes like Tyler Long, Cam Harris & Jagger Koch apparently remembered quite well which side the throttle was on. So let’s get to breakin’ these classes down, huh.
A’s
What more is there to say about Cody Gray that hasn’t already been said? He has really come into his own since the Loretta’s Regional. To be quite honest, before that, it didn’t seem like he was running that top pace. But ever since, he has been absolutely movin’. In the morning, Cody ran away with a 250 A victory, passed Joey Olson for an Open Pro double-u and held off the fierce advances of Tanner Wineland in 450 A. In the afternoon, it was more of the same for Cody Gray, as he won all but one class due to a bit of a digger. Tanner ‘Freaky Fast’ Wineland’s speed was just ludicrous, as it is most days. His starts were really what ended up costing him on Sunday, but he still charged his way to a 2-2 in 450’s and a 3-1 for 1st overall in Open. Joey Olson had an up & down day. He had some stellar motos and some that were a little forgettable, but his starts were consistently dialed, as usual. A couple of dudes we felt obligated to S/O were Michael Kimmerle, Chris Flesia & (out of the woodworks) Jeff Fisher. They were runnin’ great pace & really battling all day. We also want to wish Tyler Kuntz & Chad Ruggles well as they had some rough get offs, get well soon doods!
B’s
Jared MF Estergaard, that kid has been starting to flash some real-deal speed lately. He caught my eye last weekend at The Hood when he was battling with some of Colorado’s best in Open Pro/Non-Pro. This weekend, he took that confidence and carried it to a solid 2-1 performance in 250 B. He also went 10-8 in Open Pro/Non-Pro for a 9th overall. Conor Wallace strung together a nice set of motos. He swept 450 B & Open Amateur, as well as going 2-4 for 3rd overall in +25 B. There was also one blazing quick non-local that did some work in the 250 B, Jacob Wilke. Jacob calls the scenic Bismarck, ND his homeland, but despite not being from the raddest state in the country, can still rip on a dirtbike. He went 1-2 in 250 B, for 2nd overall.
80’s
Man, this class has been somethin’ to watch these past couple weeks. Between the wicked speed that these dudes have been displaying & their epic battles, it’s been by far one of the most fun classes to spectate on. At the top, Tyler Long, Jagger Koch and Cam Harris were running sick nasty pace in the Supermini class. Behind them, Gage Fredericks & Kaleb Hale had some nice battles and swapped positions all afternoon. All said, without Bronson McClure in the mix, Tyler Long has been the kid to beat on the RMXA side of things. He continued to crush this weekend as he went 1-1 in Supermini and 1-2 in 85 12-15. Jagger Koch did what he has yet to do this year and snagged up a moto win from under Tyler to secure the overall in 12-15. As far as the littler dudes are concerned, Jaxon Pascal, Gage Carter & Matthew Paris went 1,2,3 in both motos, respectively.
OG’s (Old Guys or Original Gangsters, whichever you prefer)
The veterans of our sport have continued to just line the gates, week-in and week-out. This weekend +40 C had a solid 20 rider gate, and there were some fun battles to behold. After it was all said and done, Andrew Slaugh and John Miner ended up trading moto wins, with Andrew Slaugh taking the overall. In +40 B, there was a shit-ton of inconsistency amidst everyone 3rd place & behind. The top 2 spots were taken by Forrest Hobbs and Roger Maynor, who went 1-1 and 2-2 respectively. Everything behind that was pretty jumbled. Russell Shay was able to claim a 3rd overall with two 5th place finishes. In +40 A, it was business as usual for Bryan Sabbaugh, who went & claimed two moto wins en route to the overall. Rounding out the podium were Keith Campbell & David Harris. Arguably the most wild class of all the Vet & Over classes was Vet A. David Harris was able to snag the overall with a solid 1-2 performance, but behind him, things got weird. Chris Kelly or as he apparently prefers to call himself ‘Dipshit’, secured 2nd overall with 5-2 moto finishes. Jeff Boone went 4-3 for 3rd overall, Sabbaugh went 3-6 for 4th and Wesley Hale rounded the Top 5 with 8-4. Jeez guys, take it easy on each other out there!
Wrap-Up
This weekend brought us a stacked-slate of good battles. The track conditions were not up to the high standard set by the Leahy Family, but we’ll give ‘em a pass this time. Dudes like Cody Gray and Tanner Wineland continued to show that they are some of the quickest riders in this region. Jared Estergaard and Conor Wallace both saw their fair share of dominance amidst the B classes. In the 80’s Tyler Long, Jagger Koch & Cam Harris went at each other all weekend, with Tyler gettin’ the best of the latter two on most occasions. And the OG’s, who continue to be the lifeblood of our sport, as they show up to race far past any doctor recommendations. Then again, you could say we’re all racing against doctor recommendations anyway, oops. We would also like to give some props to Dylan Paris as he has officially made the leap from 50’s to 60’s, something I’m sure your parents are stoked about. And Chelsey Imondi, who did some serious work in Women’s C, goin’ 1-1 for the overall. Lookin’ forward to Rocky Ford & Cheyenne this weekend. See y’all at one or the other or, if you’re a real savage, both.
