Friday Race Report

by:
Friday, August 4, 2017 | 7:30 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chelsea Taylor
(304) 284-0101
[email protected] 

Friday Race Report: Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, presented by Lucas Oil

HURRICANE MILLS, Tenn. (August 4, 2017) – The 36th Annual Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, presented by Lucas Oil, crowned the first 21 National Champions today, Friday, August 4, as the second to last day of racing took place in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. The historic Loretta Lynn Ranch presented challenging track conditions in the morning after overnight rain, but the typical hot and humid conditions that the AMA Amateur National is known for graced the facility as the day progressed.

The fourth day of racing kicked off with the remainder of the second motos. In the Junior (25+) division, Mike Brown took home the moto win and control of the championship standings. After missing the top-five in the first 125 (12-16) B/C moto, Palmer Neely had his eyes set on landing a podium finish and took the second moto victory with Carter Biese and Kyson Palmer in second and third.

Palmer Neely secured his first win of the week in the 125 (12-16) B/C class.
Palmer Neely secured his first win of the week in the 125 (12-16) B/C class. Ken Hill

The first National title of 2017 was presented to Ezra Hastings in the 450 B Limited class after his trio of second place finishes, while Drew Adams went 1-1-1 for the 51cc (7-8) Limited win. Ryder Ellis topped the charts in 51cc (4-6) Limited, and Aiden Biersteker claimed gold in 51cc (4-6) Special Limited. Landon Palmer snagged the last 50 class moto win in the 51cc (4-6) Shaft Drive Limited Division.

Jazzmyn Canfield was well on her way to earning another title until tragedy struck and her bike blew up on the last lap. Tayler Allred’s impressive performance throughout the week set her up to steal the championship away in the highly-contested Girls (11-16) class.

Ezra Hastings' consistency paid off where he went 2-2-2 for the 450 B Limited title.
Ezra Hastings' consistency paid off where he went 2-2-2 for the 450 B Limited title. Ken Hill

Challen Tennant grabbed the Bell Helmets Holeshot Award in the third 250 A moto, but it didn’t take long for Justin Cooper to find himself in the lead. Julio Zambrano was sitting in second at the conclusion of the first lap – his best start to date after a DNF and 25th place finish earlier in the week. Jordan Bailey moved into the second-place position halfway through the race, but couldn’t catch Cooper who crossed the line victorious earning the title. Bailey and Joey Crown rounded out the overall podium and the top-three championship standings.

The esteemed 250 B competed in their second moto where Garrett Marchbanks, Joe Shimoda and Derek Drake were all wheel-to-wheel as they rounded the first turn. Marchbanks emerged with the early lead as they jumped through the Go Pro 10 Commandments and never looked back. Meanwhile, the racing action was only heating up behind him. By the end of the first lap, Marchbanks, Drake and Hammaker had settled into the podium positions where they rode that way until the checkered flag. With a 2-1-1 moto tally, Marchbanks was awarded the National Championship.

Garrett Marchbanks wrapped up the coveted 250 B championship.
Garrett Marchbanks wrapped up the coveted 250 B championship. Ken Hill

Once the gate dropped for Open Pro Sport, Justin Cooper was buried mid-pack, while Dylan Greer, Mitchell Falk and Joey Crown saw a clear track in front of them. While running in second, Crown went over the bars across a breaking bump opening the door for Jake Masterpool to secure the runner-up position. Masterpool used this momentum to make the pass for the lead in the Cometic turn just before the Go Pro 10 Commandments. Unfortunately, the same turn that brought Masterpool good luck, turned around to backfire the very next lap where he tipped over and lost the lead back to Greer. Just two laps later another lead change occurred and Jordan Bailey moved into first across the tunnel jump. Bailey ended up taking the moto win followed by Greer. Cooper worked his way from 18th to third, which vaulted him to the top of the championship standings. 

Justin Cooper snagged both the highly-competitive 250 A and Open Pro Sport championships.
Justin Cooper snagged both the highly-competitive 250 A and Open Pro Sport championships. Derek Garcia

Rene Rodriguez redeemed himself with a 250 C class win after a rough week, but Stockton Stinebaugh returned to the center of the box for the class championship, after claiming the 250 C title earlier in the day. Jett Reynolds sat 1-1 coming into the final moto of the Mini Sr. 1 class, but suffered from a disappointing DNF in the third moto. Matthew Leblanc ended Reynolds championship success and stole the title away. 

Matthew LeBlanc came out swinging to win the Mini Sr. 1 National Championship.
Matthew LeBlanc came out swinging to win the Mini Sr. 1 National Championship. Ken Hill

Ty Masterpool took the Supermini 2 (13-16) championship after rebounding from an unfavorable start in the last moto. Even with a 23-second win in the Masters (50+) class for Barry Carsten, it wasn’t enough to top John Grewe in the championship standings. The fastest ladies in motocross took to the track for their third moto to end the day, where Jordan Jarvis made a last lap pass for the moto win over Hannah Hodges. Jarvis' DNF in the first moto took her out of championship contention, and Hodges was awarded the shield.

John Grewe leaves the Ranch as the Masters (50+) class champion.
John Grewe leaves the Ranch as the Masters (50+) class champion. Ken Hill

The third and final moto racing action resumes tomorrow, Saturday, August 5, and RacerTV continues with live streaming coverage beginning at 7:30 a.m. CDT/8:30 a.m. EST. Friday’s archived coverage is now available on RacerTV.com, to view the racing action from day four please click HERE. Complete results from the 2017 AMA Amateur National can be found HERE

The 2017 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, presented by Lucas Oil, concludes tomorrow, August 5, at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee.

For additional information, visit the official website at www.mxsports.com or call (304) 284-0101. Also follow the official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for exclusive content and to catch the latest news.

Friday Class Winners:

  • Junior (25+) – Mike Brown
  • 125 (12-16) B/C – Palmer Neely
  • 450 B Limited – Zane Merrett
  • 250 C – Stockton Stinebaugh
  • Girls (11-16) – Korie Steede
  • Senior (40+) – Mike Brown
  • 250 A – Justin Cooper
  • 250 B – Garrett Marchbanks
  • 51cc (7-8) Limited – Drew Adams
  • 51cc (4-6) Limited – Ryder Ellis
  • 51cc (4-6) Special Limited – Aiden Biersteker
  • 51cc (4-6) Shaft Drive Limited – Landon Palmer
  • 65cc (7-11) – Haiden Deegan
  • Mini Sr. 1 (12-13) – Matthew Leblanc
  • 250 C Limited – Rene Rodriguez
  • Vet (30+) – Taylor Painter
  • Supermini 2 (13-16) – Ty Masterpool
  • Open Pro Sport – Jordan Bailey
  • 250 B Limited – Derek Drake
  • 85cc (9-12) – Matthew Leblanc
  • Masters (50+) – Barry Carsten
  • 125 C – Cade Matherly
  • Women (12+) Amateur – Jordan Jarvis

About the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship 

The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship is the world's largest and most prestigious amateur motocross racing program. The national qualifying program consists of 57 Area Qualifiers (February through May) and 13 Regional Championships (May through June), hosted at select motocross facilities across the country. The qualifying system culminates in the National Final (first week in August) hosted annually since 1982 at the home of country music star Loretta Lynn in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. Nearly 22,000 racers attempt to qualify in 35 classes for the 1,446 available positions at the National. Christened "The World's Greatest Motocross Vacation", the National event serves as a launch pad for some of the biggest names in professional motocross and supercross, including Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto, and Ryan Dungey. The national program is produced by MX Sports, Inc., a West Virginia-based race production company and sanctioned by AMA. For more information, please visit www.mxsports.com.

About the American Motorcyclist Association

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join

-MXS-