You couldn’t have asked for much better conditions to close out the 2026 AMA Texas State Championship than what we saw last weekend at Oak Hill Raceway. The weather was nearly perfect, the pits were packed, and after months of racing across three different regions, it was finally time to crown some champions.
Since August, riders have been putting in the motos, chasing points, and doing everything they could to put themselves in championship contention. Yet heading into the final weekend, not a single title had been officially clinched. Throw double points into the mix, and there was still plenty left to settle on the track.
With over 500 entries, the turnout was impressive, and it had us wishing every round looked like this. All three regions together, packed gates, and the Texas motocross community showing up to race dirt bikes. With that said, let’s get into some of the action from an eventful weekend of Texas Motocross at Oakhill Raceway.
Mini E
One of the biggest storylines heading into Oak Hill was the championship battle in Mini-E 4–8. Braxton Angello and Brecken Burley had spent the season putting together nearly identical results in their respective regions, each collecting three wins and arriving at the finale tied with 276 points. After months of racing, there was absolutely nothing separating the two in the championship standings.
The opening moto got underway with Winston Weckman grabbing an impressive holeshot, splitting championship contenders Angello and Burley as the field charged into the first turn. It didn’t take long for the two to work their way around Weckman, with Burley taking the lead before Angello quickly answered back and moved into the top spot. Meanwhile, Lincoln Masch was lurking just behind in third, as the two championship rivals wasted no time turning up the pace.
As the laps clicked off, Burley reclaimed the lead, while Masch managed to get around Angello for second. But Masch wasn’t settling for the runner-up spot. On the final lap, he made his move into the lead, with Burley doing everything he could to stay with him.
Unfortunately for Burley, a small mistake sent him to the ground, allowing Angello to slip by for second.
Masch went on to take the moto win, but the battle behind him was far from over. Burley quickly recovered and went right back after Angello, with the two championship contenders duking it out nearly to the checkered flag. Burley eventually made the pass to reclaim second, giving him the upper hand in the championship battle heading into the final moto.
If the first moto was exciting, the second one was about to get even better.
When the gate dropped, Angello powered his way to the holeshot, while an early mistake sent Burley to the ground, allowing the entire field to go by. Just like that, the rider who had entered the moto with the championship advantage was sitting dead last, with plenty of work ahead of him.
Up front, Masch quickly took control of the race, with Braxton Pate moving into second. But Burley was absolutely on a mission. By the start of lap two, he had already charged his way from dead last to third and was chasing down the leaders. Sexton Long and Brayden Trevino were running fourth and fifth, while Angello sat sixth.
As the laps wound down, Burley kept the pressure on, moving into second by the final lap. Masch was still out front, but Burley was closing fast, with Pate not far behind. Meanwhile, Angello had climbed his way into fourth, keeping the championship battle interesting right down to the finish.
Burley wasn’t about to settle for second, though. After charging through nearly the entire field, he managed to make the pass on Masch for the lead and went on to take the moto win. From dead last to first, with a Texas State Championship to show for it. Not a bad way to finish the season.
Angello would also make a late move around Pate to finish third, but the championship belonged to Burley, who capped off an incredible comeback with one of the most memorable rides of the weekend.
P-Dub Perfection
Mason Rice might still need help reaching the top shelf, but he certainly doesn’t need help riding a dirt bike. The North Region standout entered Oak Hill ten points ahead of Zane Urban, who made things interesting by winning the opening moto.
Rice had other plans in moto two. He grabbed the lead and never looked back, putting on an absolute clinic aboard that little Yamaha. We’re not sure how much more speed he could’ve squeezed out of that P-Dub, but it sure was fun watching him try. He left Oak Hill with a Texas State Championship and at least one new biggest fan. That would be us.
PERFECT SCORES
Nathan Martins
A perfect moto record in the 50cc 4-6 class put Nathan Martins in the spotlight heading into Oak Hill, and Nate Dawg delivered. Martins ripped the holeshot in moto one and never looked back, leading every lap. He returned for moto two with another holeshot and pulled away for the win, leaving his undefeated streak intact.
Martins headed home with the Texas State Championship and a trophy almost as tall as he is a fitting reward for a perfect season.
Anthony Palomarez
Perfect season? Check. 400 points? Check. Texas State Championship? Check. Anthony Palomarez made the most of his time in the 122cc+ Beginner class.
We’re excited to see how Palomarez continues to grow as a rider when he makes the jump out of the Beginner ranks.
Paetyn Mccleskey
Paetyn McCleskey had herself one heck of a summer. Not only did she go undefeated in Girls 11–16 and Women’s 12+, but she was also the only rider to pull off a perfect season in two separate classes.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, she threw in a third-place finish in the 85cc 10–14 championship standings as well. Not too shabby!
85cc 9-13
The opening 85cc 9–13 moto got off to a great start, with Brim BrockMueller edging out Levi Geis and Kannon Zabojnik for the holeshot as all three charged toward the first turn nearly side by side. Geis quickly made his presence known, working his way into the lead as the race began to take shape.
At the end of lap one, Geis was out front, followed by BrockMueller, Zabojnik, Charlie Orr, and Jayce Owen. Meanwhile, points leader Dakota Lee was sitting sixth, with plenty of ground to make up.
By the third lap, Geis, BrockMueller, and Zabojnik had checked out up front, leaving the rest of the field to sort things out behind them. Jayce Owen was all over Jett Rau, giving him everything he could handle, but Rau wasn’t giving up the position.
The battle continued through the remainder of the moto, with Rau holding strong while Dakota Lee eventually slipped past Owen for fifth to end the moto.
Asher Hauenstein got things started in moto two with an impressive holeshot, and for a moment, things were looking pretty good, with several of the opening moto’s front-runners right on his heels.
That was until he and Geis crossed lines, sending Hauenstein to the ground.
Geis, Zabojnik, and Owen quickly established themselves as the front-running trio and pretty much ran a race of their own from there. Behind them, Ichiro Miwa and BrockMueller were locked in a good battle, with Miwa managing to get around BrockMueller before BrockMueller fought back to reclaim the position. On the final lap, Jett Rau made his move into fifth, while Dakota Lee was charging just behind in sixth.
With a perfect 1-1 performance, Geis walked away with the overall win, while Zabojnik’s 3-2 scores earned him second overall. BrockMueller rounded out the podium with 2-4 finishes. As for the championship, Dakota Lee did enough to secure the 2026 Texas State title, while Jayce Owen managed to sneak into second in the final points standings after Charlie Orr was unable to line up for the second moto.
Random Champs
250 C
Steven Lowry got things started in 250 C with the holeshot, but he had plenty of company. Trevor Beeson, Wyatt Rodgers, and Shane Steffens were all in the mix early, while Jace Schoomaker wasted little time getting to the front.
By the end of lap one, Schoomaker had taken control, with Lowry and Beeson completing the top three. Further back, Trevor Tanksleary and Renzo Litteri had their own battle going.
Schoomaker stretched out a comfortable lead as Easton Hoskins advanced through the field, passing Ryan Spaur along the way. Hoskins ultimately reached fourth, but the front three held their positions, with Schoomaker taking the win over Lowry and Beeson. Steffens finished fifth.
Steven Lowry picked up where he left off at the first gate drop, grabbing another holeshot in moto 2 while Casen James also got away well. Lowry held the early lead before Jace Schoomaker moved to the front, with Trevor Beeson running third.
Schoomaker’s race got more complicated at the start of lap two. We missed what happened, but the opening-moto winner was suddenly back in fifth. Lowry inherited the lead, with Beeson second, Shane Steffens third, and Easton Hoskins fourth. Schoomaker was right behind, with some ground to recover.
By lap four, the lead battle was getting good. Beeson was pressuring Lowry, and Schoomaker had brought himself back into contention. Beeson finally found a way around Lowry, with Schoomaker following him through before the white flag came out.
Schoomaker wasted no time passing Beeson, reclaiming the lead and finishing off a hard-earned 1–1 sweep. Beeson’s 3-2 scores gave him second overall, and 2-3 scores gave Lowery third overall on the weekend.
STANDOUT SEASONS
Karson Lazo
Bigger bike, solid results. Karson Lazo’s first season racing a 125 ended with fourth in the Schoolboy 1 12–17 championship and sixth in 125cc B/C. His season-best finish came at round four at Murphy’s MX, where he grabbed second in Schoolboy 1.
Connor Mikolas
Connor Mikolas was a regular on the podium this season, earning top-three finishes at every round leading up to Oak Hill in both 50cc 7–8 and 50cc 4–8 Open. His best finish at the finale was fourth in the second 7–8 moto, but the work he’d put in all season earned him third in both championships. Add seventh in the 65cc 7–9 standings, and Mikolas had himself a year worth celebrating.
65cc 7-11
On paper, Dakota Lee looked to have the 65cc 7–11 championship well under control heading into Oak Hill. The Sanger, Texas, native carried a 26-point advantage over Braytyn Burley, putting him in a strong position to claim the title. But what looked like a straightforward championship weekend turned into anything but, as Lee found himself battling adversity in both motos.
The trouble started almost immediately in Saturday’s opening moto. Despite grabbing the holeshot, Lee looped out in the final section of the track before the green flag even waved, dropping him back into the pack and leaving him with plenty of work to do. Kruz Schexnaydre took over the lead, while Lee picked himself up and got back underway.
What happened next was pretty impressive. Lee wasted little time charging through the field while Schexnaydre continued to lead. By the second lap, Lee had already worked his way into fourth, but he wasn’t stopping there.
He kept pushing, eventually catching and passing Schexnaydre to take the moto win in what might have been one of the grittiest performances we’ve witnessed all season.
If Saturday’s opening moto wasn’t enough excitement for Lee, Sunday had a little more in store. Kellan Cooper grabbed the holeshot in moto two, but Lee quickly took over the lead, with Burley following close behind.
Then, on lap two, things went sideways again. Lee suddenly found himself dropping through the field, and while we’re not entirely sure what happened (some top-notch reporting, we know), it completely changed the race. Burley took over the lead, followed by Schexnaydre, Cooper, Knox Pomeroy, and Bodie Roberts rounding out the top five.
Schexnaydre was putting together another strong ride in second, but unfortunately, a bizarre crash sent his bike into a ditch, bringing his race to an early end.
Meanwhile, Lee was once again doing everything he could to fight his way back through the pack. As the laps wound down, he continued gaining ground, but just when it looked like another impressive comeback might be in the works, a second crash on the final lap sent him back to the ground.
Out front, Burley kept things together and went on to take the moto win and the overall, with Cooper finishing second, Pomeroy third, Roberts fourth, and Ryker Wilson rounding out the top five.
Lee’s second moto didn’t go to plan, but an 11th-place finish in moto two was enough to bring home the 2026 Texas State Championship. Burley made a serious run at it, taking the overall win and cutting Lee’s 26-point lead to just six. Credit to Burley for making it close, but Lee kept fighting through the setbacks and left Oak Hill with the 7-11 open title.
End of an Era
Rance Tucker
One of our favorite little dudes is growing out of the P-Dub ranks. Oak Hill was likely our last chance to photograph Rance Tucker aboard his little machine, and he gave us another podium moment to capture in moto one. The final moto wasn’t the finish he wanted, but there’s plenty to celebrate as he moves up. Juice boxes up for the Ripper and one helluva P-Dub career! 🍻
Jaxon Kopcak
Well, that’s a wrap on the 50cc days for Jaxon Kopcak. After collecting nine overall wins in the South Region this season, Kopcak headed to Oak Hill for one last dance on the little bike. He made his final moto count, getting a top-three start all the way from the outside and running third in the 50cc Open class.
When it was all said and done, Kopcak walked away with runner-up honors in both the 50cc 7–8 and Open championship standings. Two second-place championship finishes and nine overall wins? The kid has plenty to be proud of.
You’ve Gotta See This Battle
We weren’t there to catch Ryan Eppers and Corey Matthews trading moves in Vet 25+, but word got around. After watching Matthews’ vlog, we can see why. Rather than try to describe it, we’ll let you watch for yourselves. The full video is worth a look, with the battle starting around six minute mark.
The sign off.
All in all, it was a great summer of Texas motocross. We wish we could’ve shared more recaps with y’all, but we’re grateful for every story we got to tell. Huge thanks to the riders, their families, the track owners who welcome us out, and everyone who makes this community what it is. We’re taking a couple of months to recharge, then we’ll come back swinging at the Texas Winter Series. Cheers, y’all.
