Congratulations to the 2018 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Champions
by: Kayla Bolton
Wednesday, August 8, 2018 | 5:00 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(304) 284-0101
[email protected]
Congratulations to the 2018 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC
AMA Amateur National Motocross Champions
35 Loretta Lynn Championships Awarded
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (August 8, 2018) – After months of qualifying and a week of world-class amateur competition, 107 Motos at the 37th Annual Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, presented by Lucas Oil, concluded on Saturday, August 4, in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, crowning thirty-five new National Championships.
KTM’s Derek Drake, who earned the Open Pro Sport and 250 A National Championships, captured the coveted Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Award. This award is given to the A-class rider who shows the most promise as they prepare to enter the professional ranks.
The AMA Motocross Amateur Rider Award is designed to recognize an outstanding non-A-class rider who is ready to make an immediate impact in A-class competition. Husqvarna-backed rider, Jalek Swoll earned the honors with his 2-1-2 finishes and National Championships in the 250 B and Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C classes.
The AMA Motocross Youth Rider Award is designated for a rider under the age of 16 chosen for his or her performance in the Youth classes at the AMA Amateur National. This year, Tennessee native Nathan Thrasher earned this impressive award after claiming the Supermini 1 (12-15) and Supermini 2 (13-16) titles.
The AMA Motocross Vet Rider Award is given to an outstanding rider over the age of 30. Results from all Vet classes are taken into consideration when selecting a winner. In these highly-competitive classes, Husqvarna’s Michael Brown proved once again to be a front-runner by earning five of six-moto wins in the Junior (25+) and Senior (40+) divisions.
New for this year, Specialized Turbos will be given out to the Nicky Hayden AMA Motocross Horizon Award, AMA Youth Award and AMA Vet Award winners. The 2018 WMX National Champion will also receive a Specialized Turbo at the conclusion of their season.
Once again, California added another State Championship award by having the most racers out of any other state to win overall titles. California claimed eleven National Championships between Derek Drake, Carson Mumford, Dustin Renteria, Terry Bostard, Ryder Darrigo, Seth Dennis, Enzo Temmerman, Ryder DiFrancesco and Haiden Deegan. This brings California’s state championship tally to 24 of the 37 years the award has been given out, and it is also their tenth-straight year earning the honors.
Returning to the Ranch was Georgia Practice Facility (GPF) who teamed up with On Track School to provide a lucky racer a full academic and athletic scholarship ride. The program encourages athletes competing at this high level to do so while continuing to receive an accredited education. Applicants submitted an essay detailing why the scholarship program would benefit them and their family, and how it would help them achieve their educational goals. Alexander Vestal surpassed the rest of the applicants and will be enrolling in one of the On Track School educational programs, along with full access to the GPF facilities, for the 2018-2019 school year. Accompanying the scholarship award was the eleventh annual On Track School Graduation Ceremony where all alumni were recognized for their academic achievements.
South of the Border MX (SOBMX) also returned with the 2nd Annual Chris and Cody Gragg Memorial Scholarship. Privateer racer, Cody, and his father, Chris, were tragically killed when they were traveling to a race in 2017, but their legacy still lives on in the racing world. Applicants submitted an essay describing how their relationship with their dad is an important part of their life. Cory Carsten was presented the scholarship which includes access to SOBMX and the On Track School for 2018-2019.
RacerTV.com provided an unprecedented 50+ hours of LIVE race coverage throughout the week, resulting in over 616,000 live views across Livestream and Facebook Live. The archived footage is now available for viewing HERE. In addition, two one-hour highlight shows featuring the event will air on NBC Sports Network on Saturday, October 13 at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 11 at 5:00 p.m. EST.
Complete results from the 2018 National Championship can be found HERE. For additional information, visit the event website at www.mxsports.com or call (304) 284-0101. Join the conversation on the event’s social media channels, along with receiving the most up-to-date news and exclusive content.
- Facebook: @LorettaLynnMX
- Instagram: @LorettaLynnMX
- Twitter: @LorettaLynnMX
MX Sports wishes to thank everyone who participated in the Loretta Lynn National program, and congratulates all the 2018 Champions on their accomplishments.
| 2018 AMA Amateur National Motocross Champions | ||
| Open Pro Sport | Derek Drake | San Luis Obispo, CA |
| 125 C | Jagger Koch | Silverthorne, CO |
| 250 A | Derek Drake | San Luis Obispo, CA |
| 250 B | Jalek Swoll | Belleview, FL |
| 250 B Limited | Carson Mumford | Simi Valley, CA |
| 250 C | Dustin Renteria | Hollister, CA |
| 250 C Limited | Luke Fineis | Westfield, IN |
| 250 C Jr. (12-17) Limited | Luke Fineis | Westfiled, IN |
| 450 B | Cristian Fernandez | Crosby, TX |
| 450 B Limited | Parker Mashburn | Stephenville, TX |
| 450 C | Mikael Savard | Canada |
| College (18-24) | Joseph Tait | Wilton, CT |
| Junior 25+ | Michael Brown | Bristol, VA |
| Vet 30+ | Kenny Day | Live Oak, FL |
| Senior 40+ | Michael Brown | Bristol, VA |
| Senior 45+ | Terry Bostard | Discovery Bay, CA |
| Masters 50+ | John Grewe | Rockford, MI |
| Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C | Jalek Swoll | Belleview, FL |
| 51cc (4-6) Special LTD | Colt Martin | Talladega, AL |
| 51cc (4-6) Shaft Dr LTD | Brayton Kreglow | Panama City Beach, FL |
| 51cc (4-6) Limited | Ryder Darrigo | Corona, CA |
| 51cc (7-8) Limited | Seth Dennis | La Mirada, CA |
| 65cc (7-9) Limited | Drew Adams | Chattanooga, TN |
| 65cc (10-11) Limited | Enzo Temmerman | Visalia, CA |
| 65cc (7-11) | Haiden Deegan | Temecula, CA |
| 85cc (9-11) Limited | Daxton Bennick | Morganton, NC |
| 85cc (9-12) | Ryder DiFrancesco | Bakersfield, CA |
| Mini Sr 1 (12-13) | Ryder DiFrancesco | Bakersfield, CA |
| Mini Sr 2 (12-14) | Caden Braswell | Shalimar, FL |
| Supermini 1 (12-15) | Nate Thrasher | Livingston, TN |
| Supermini 2 (13-16) | Nate Thrasher | Livingston, TN |
| 125 (12-17) B/C | Ty Masterpool | Paradise, TX |
| Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C | Ty Masterpool | Paradise, TX |
| Girls (11-16) | Tayler Allred | Riverton, UT |
| Women (12+) | Jordan Jarvis | Clayton, NC |
| 2018 AMA Specialty Award Winners | ||
| Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Award | Derek Drake | San Luis Obispo, CA |
| AMA Amateur Rider of the Year | Jalek Swoll | Belleview, FL |
| AMA Youth Rider of the Year | Nate Thrasher | Livingston, TN |
| AMA Vet Rider of Year | Michael Brown | Bristol, VA |
| Chris & Cody Gragg Memorial | ||
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 1,470 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 Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen, Aaron Plessinger and Justin Barcia. 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.