The 2019 RMRA season’s end is upon us and it’s starting to feel real. Last weekend we drew the curtain on the Showdown Series; This weekend we shut it on the Supercross Series, too. With just one more RMRA series to finish up in a couple of weeks, the reality that leaves will be changing and snow will be falling and dirtbikes in Colorado will be cooped up in garages all over soon is really setting in. Still, we were glad to see supercross go out with a bang at the Morgan County Fairgrounds in Brush, CO this warm September weekend! Something about that town and two-wheels always makes for a good time!
Pros:
The pro classes this season have been prime examples of true supercross. The tight battles never stopped, and that remained true all the way until the final checkered flag waved! Everyone from the long-time Colorado A’s to the rookies who just moved up this season brought all they had and left it out on the track. That’s what we like to see!
In the 250A heat, Mitchell Gifford reminded us of his supercross dominance with a nice holeshot to set the tone for the night. Series points leader, Chris Flesia, and the #35 of Bobby Fitch would follow. Before long, rookie Jaylend McCarty would find himself putting pressure on Fitch for third. The two rode a close race until McCarty decided to make friends with a hay bale before the whoops section mid-race, sending him back to fifth. At the checkered, it was Gifford who came away with the heat win, Flesia second, and Fitch third.
The main event is where things got a little wild! Fitch grabbed the holeshot, but Gifford stole the lead before they were even through the first corner, as he made a B-line for the #35 off the start straight, running him high and coming out of the first turn up front. It was seriously fast; does the guy even have brakes? While Gifford was busy stretching his lead, positions two, three, four, and five all went at it. It was such a tight ride that, at one point, all four of them were less than a wheel length apart! Flesia and Cody Gray flew side-by-side through the rhythm section and in an instant, Fitch and McCarty were right there in the mix, too. The four of them were bar-to-bar by the white flag lap, but in the end it would be Flesia and Gray who held on to second and third. Gifford, even with a massive mid-moto mistake that sent him off the track after the whoops, had such a strong lead that he was able to hold on to the main event win!
450A didn’t disappoint either! Gifford found himself up front yet again in the heat and McCarty and Flesia followed in a close battle early on. McCarty, however, went down in the corner after the finish and Flesia, having nowhere else to go, did the same. The hold up allowed the #550 of John Citrola to move up to second. Gifford walked away with the win, Citrola finished a lucky second, and McCarty came across in third.
For the main, Gifford was the early leader once more. The guy was simply on another level all night long! Behind him, there were some switch ups, but by lap two it was McCarty, Gray, then Flesia. A heavy battle between Gray and Flesia ensued and soon enough the two found themselves side-by-side through the whoops and rhythm again! In the end, Gifford was untouchable and came away with an easy win, rookie McCarty grabbed an impressive second, and Flesia earned a hard-fought third.
125 B/C 12+:
Arguably one of the most interesting classes to watch all night was 125 B/C. The first time they hit the track, Kaleb Hale snagged the holey, but Jaxon Pascal was already hot on his heels! The front-runners rode close the entire race! Pascal made a challenge for the lead mid-moto, but a mistake through the whoops right as he tried to pull the trigger would hold him back. He tried to steal the W once again in a last-lap charge, but couldn’t quite make it happen. Hale won, Pascal came away with a frustrating second, and Zach Showe grabbed a quiet third.
Moto two would play out identically for the first couple of laps, with Hale out front and Pascal close behind. But, hungry for a win, Pascal made sure the end of the race wouldn’t turn out the same as the last. The two battled hard as they pulled away from the rest of the pack. Mid-race, Pascal set up a sick pass for the lead before the rhythm section, earning himself an impressive and well deserved overall win! Kaleb Hale and Zach Showe finished second and third.
Openmini 9-12:
We witnessed the return of the Blecha brothers this weekend and everyone knows that means some serious speed in each of their respective classes. In the Openmini 9-12 class, Dilon Blecha came out swingin’ for moto one when he claimed the holeshot and established a comfortable lead early on. Blake Leach followed in second and a nice battle for third boiled between Jace Hinrichs and Caden Gordy. The two ran tight together for much of the race, but in the end, Gordy solidified third by making the pass and immediately putting a gap on his competitor.
Moto two kept fans on their toes, too! Blecha nabbed yet another holey and opened his lead up early again. Similar to moto one, Leach followed, but this time it was Gordy in third right away. Gordy really brought the pressure on Leach by mid moto. The young rippers were hauling, putting on such a fun show for the crowd! When Leach made a final-lap mistake that sent him off the track going into the rhythm, Gordy tried to capitalize, but it wasn’t enough. Blecha overalled the class, Leach earned second, and Gordy got third.
65cc Open 7-11:
The younger of the Blecha brothers, Cole, came to make a statement, too, earning the holeshot in moto one of 65cc 7-11. Beau Leach and Gannon Lawson followed. Lawson charged hard on Leach the entire race until the two made contact in the corner before the rhythm, leaving Lawson on the ground. That gave Zach Redd room to head for Leach, next. It looked like Redd might be able to make the pass for second, but he fell short by a hair!
The second time the boys took to the track, it was Lawson who got off to a clean lead. Leach and Blecha were close behind, then Redd showed up in the mix following Leach. From there, the field was plagued with inconsistency and mistakes. Redd made a mistake after the rhythm and Leach did the same after the finish. Suddenly the two were neck and neck. That is, until Redd made yet another mistake and let Leach go. In the end, after all the madness, it was Lawson who came away with the race W, then Leach, and finally Ryan Boutilier. Overall, Leach got first, Blecha got second, and Boutilier got third.
50cc 4-8:
It’s sad to think this was the last weekend for us to watch the little ones make their laps under the lights with the crowd on their feet! In moto one, Kash Cain from Amarillo, Texas shot out of the gate for an impressive holeshot. The youngster checked out early and crossed the checkered in front of Steven Street and Wyatt Kemble.
Moto two started out with Cain in front again, but Street gave it his all to make a pass for the lead in the corner after the whoops during lap one. It looked as if he could give the Texas native a run for his money, until Cain flew through the rhythm like no other 50cc rider did all night! Soon after, he pulled away and finished with yet another dominant win. Street and Kemble stayed consistent, earning second and third again.
And just like that, the first Supercross series presented by the RMRA has come to a close. We saw battles of a lifetime and unparalleled speed all year! We’ll sure miss spending our Saturdays under the lights, but it just makes us more excited for what’s headed our way next season! Until then, people… Here comes the checkered flag on this one!
Photos by Erin Malcolm.