d14 news jul14

�� DAVE MORETUZZO

#909 (Honda) Cody Younglove on the gas in Bulldog's Red Max 2-Stroke Shootout

Bulldog Riders MC (Millington, MI) | May 18

INSIDE:The Beane Report –

Shoot-out at the OK Corral

From the Scoring Tower

The Becker Chronicles

Moto Musings

Loose Moose National News

Other Division News

& Updates

#909 (Honda) Cody Younglove on the gas in Bulldog's Red Max 2-Stroke Shootout#909 (Honda) Cody Younglove on the gas in Bulldog's Red Max 2-Stroke Shootout

YOUNGLOVE PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDROYAL OAK, MI

48068PERMIT #792

10450 Enterprise Dr.Davisburg, MI 48350

July 2014

Michigan’s Motorsports

2 July 2014 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News

July 2014 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 3

PLEASE RECYCLE.This publication is printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks.

AUGUST 2014MATERIAL DEADLINES:Materials need to be submitted by the following date. Sorry, but late submis-sions are subject to prevailing space and time restrictions and may, if neces-sary, be left out of the deadlined publi-cation until the following edition.

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SPACESpace is reserved in every issue for ev-ery division in the District. Please, pro-mote your sport by contributing stories and photos about your events, past and/or upcoming. This is FREE adver-tising for your division. Take advantage of it!

When submitting a story or photo please ensure to include event dates and locations, and photos MUST in-clude captions. Event results are al-ways nice to include as well.

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DELIVERYThe delivery goal of District 14 News is normally around the middle of the month. However, due to varying factors of submissions, printing, and mailing, there is no guarantee the newspaper will reach readers by a specifi c date in the month. It is recommended and good practice to think at least 1 or 2 months ahead when promoting special events or other time sensitive dates. For example, if your special event is in August, you should consider promoting that event no later than the July edition.

For more info:[email protected] | 810.496.0069D14News.net

JULY2014

So, are ya'll enjoying this heat? Talk about the dog days of summer. Even though it hasn't been as hot as it could be, I am SO grateful to have air conditi oning for cooling off aft er a hot day or weekend at the track! Speaking of cooling off ... soon enough (and faster than most of us would like) the temps will be changing to cooler weather. No, this is not news I've heard from the weatherman. All it takes is a quick glimpse at our dwindling race calendar, to know what's just around the corner in a few short months. But there are sti ll LOTS and LOTS of great events remaining on the schedule. So while the getti ng is good, git yourself out to the tracks and spend some ti me with your D14 family! To this month's contributors... You all ROCK in my book! You are a great example to others. Thanks for all you conti nue to do for District 14 and your division!

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Michigan’s Motorsports

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JULY 2014 - D14 NEWS

Bring your copy of this completed form with you to EVERY race until you receive your card!

To this Month’s Rockin'

Contributors

‘Til next ti me . . . take care, STAY cool, but mostly, be sure to enjoy the ride cuz it all goes by in a blink.

– In order of appearance – Dave Moret�zzo, Thomas Dunn, Dick Ranney,

Nick Fisher, SpeedPunksImages.com, Kenneth King, Shan Moore, Steve Beane, Team Freelin, Mark Becker,Steve Baginski, Ken Baginski, and last, but cer�ainly,

not least ... Melanie Poirier


2014 District 14 Board of Directors & Division ChairsPRESIDENT

Thomas Dunn [email protected](517) 896-9757

VICE PRESIDENT Neal [email protected](313) 244-6827

SECRETARYHeather [email protected](517) 775-5897

TREASURERSteve [email protected](313) 805-2285

LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORThomas Dunn [email protected](517) 896-9757

AMA CONGRESS – OFF ROADDick [email protected](586) 677-0456

John Zwerican989-871-3008

AMA CONGRESS – ROADKaye [email protected] (517) 546-4838

RIDER REPS – OFF ROAD Tim [email protected](989) 751-8073

Brian Kidner(231) 670-7418

RIDER REP – ROAD Laney Johnsonphone & email – not provided

ATV CHAIRPERSONRobert [email protected](517) 282-4373

VICE CHAIR – ATV MXNeil Sutfin (989) 223-7890

POINTS KEEPERTerri [email protected](517) 719-6264

RIDER REPS - XCLarry Seeley(269) 986-2197

ENDURO CHAIRPERSONBill [email protected](248) 891-1400

VICE CHAIRMark [email protected](517) 304-0726

POINTS KEEPERTom [email protected](989) 245-6812

RIDER REPSA/AA CLASSScott [email protected](248) 925-6468

B CLASSFred [email protected](586) 246-3156

C, 60+ & WOMEN'S CLASSESTina [email protected](989) 875-8186

FLAT TRACK/TT CHAIRPERSONRobert [email protected](248) 763-3623

VICE CHAIRAndy [email protected]

POINTS KEEPERJanet [email protected]

HARE SCRAMBLE CHAIRPERSONMark [email protected](248) 672-1224

VICE CHAIRNeal [email protected](313) 244-6827

VICE CHAIR – ATV-XCDan Brendel [email protected](810) 217-7404

POINTS KEEPERMark [email protected](248) 672-1224

RIDER REPSJames Cook (ATV)[email protected](586) 855-7827

Rudy Richardson (HS)[email protected](616) 422-1094

Kevin Fleszar (HS)[email protected](734) 735-3717

HILL CLIMB CHAIRPERSONTom [email protected](616) 813-7322

VICE CHAIRRoger Bibbler(616) 813-0646

POINTS KEEPERSeth [email protected](616) 902-7110

ICE RACE CHAIRPERSONJeremiah [email protected](989) 621-8701

VICE CHAIRPatty [email protected](810) 327-1062

POINTS KEEPERPatty [email protected](810) 327-1062

MX CHAIRPERSONKreg [email protected](810) 965-8764

VICE CHAIR - VINTAGE MXSteve [email protected](586) 321-5680

POINTS KEEPERJenny Johnson(989) 871-3356

ROAD CHAIRPERSONTerri [email protected](517) 719-6264

VICE CHAIR Jim Charleboisphone & email – not provided

POINTS KEEPERDon [email protected]

VISIT US AT WWW.AMA-D14.ORG


33 Motosports Pk .................989-889-1785Baja MX ......................................989-871-3356Battle Creek MC................... 909-806-5149Bent Wheels CC .................... 248-626-3140BigAir Motocross ..................231-578-3828Boulis Racing ......................... 810-686-7083Bulldog Riders MC ............. 248-284-5570Cadillac MC ............................ 231-884-0996Flint MC .................................... 810-687-4284Freelin MX ................................ 989-761-1301Goshen IronHorsemen ... 574-514-1894Grand Kankakee TR ............ 219-221-0900Grattan Raceway ................. 616-788-4454Hill & Gully Riders ................708-261-3433H&L Racing ............................ 989-415-2808I-96 Speedway ...................... 616-642-0555KnuckleBusters Rider’s Club ...... 989-287-0120Lansing MC ............................. 517-763-9406Lucky Thumb MC ................ 810-404-2895

If your Charter is not listed, you need to submit a Charter Application and $25 Charter Fee. If your application is

currently pending, your listing will appear once your status has cleared. If you believe this information is incorrect, please verify your status with the D14 Secretary, Heather Soenksen at 517-775-5897 or via email [email protected].

2014 DIRECTORYCHARTER CLUBS & PROMOTERS

All D14 membership and charter registrations/renewals, address changes,

card replacements, missed newspapers and other membership related issues

should be directed to the MEMBERSHIP ADMINISTRATOR:

HEATHER [email protected]

3155 Prescott Dr, Howell MI 48843 • 517-775-5897

MI Off Road Events ............ 517-896-9757Muskegon MC ....................... 231-733-9856NAAS ...........................................989-871-3356Ogemaw Hills Bike Week .......989-312-1312Owosso Kart Speedway ... 810-691-5781Plymouth Blackhawks .......574-904-3006Para-Dice M/C ........................616-893-3542Polka Dots MC ...................... 989-205-8807Port Huron MC ...................... 810-327-1062Portland Trail Riders........... 517-294-6161S.O.R.E. ....................................... 989-370-6791Tri-City Motor Speedway ..... 989-550-8403Tri-City Travelers ................. 989-501-0911Twin Bay Trail Riders ......... 231-645-7905UP Sandstormers ................ 906-228-7010Valley Motocross ..................517-881-8756Valley Trail Riders ................ 989-890-1411White Lake Racing .............. 989-621-8701White Trash Racing ............. 989-274-7243

4185 Blood Road, PO Box 65 • Metamora, MI 48455

810.678.2617

MATT CROWN RACING{ Suspension + Performance }

Over 25+ Years Providing Support to Local & International Riders!

Over 30+ Years Racing Experience!

Complete Line of SUSPENSION SERVICE

from Beginner to Pro!

PRIVATE & GROUPMX TRAINING!

UPS DAILY ... Quick Turn Around!!

MCRSUSPENSION.COM


Summer!Summer has come and with it comes our race season in full swing!

• Multi ple Championship Series are coming to Michigan.

• AMA Motocross outdoor Nati onals come to Michigan!

• AMA Nati onal Enduro Championship hits its stride in Marquett e!

• AMA Hare Scrambles comes to Batt le Creek!

• Flat Track Events

• Lorett a Lynn’s and ISDE qualifi ers.

Michigan is the premier Off Road riding and racing District of the AMA.Whether using the 3600 miles of State O.R.V. Trails, coming here for a Nati onal race or supporti ng your favorite local Mo-tocross track, Half Mile, Hare Scrambles or Enduro course, Michigan and District 14 has something for everyone.

Each discipline has classes for ALL ages, from the very young to the most “experi-enced” of riders.

Come out and enjoy the riding opportuni-ti es that we off er no matt er what or how you like to ride!

AMA District 14 is here for you!

Visions by Thomas Dunn, 2014 District 14 President

I remember the day as if it were yes-terday. We were at a professional dirt track event not far from Lansing, it was in the early sixties, our attire was Tuff-ie’s, white t-shirt and Bates leather jack-ets and of course, spade shoes. We got there plenty early and decided to grab a bite to eat at a nicer restaurant in town. You got it, we were refused service!

None of us needed a shower, we all had clean clothes on and we pooled up and drove current model automobiles there. Every one of us had a job, some were even professionals. To this day, I have not set foot in that restaurant chain and little by little, they are fading away. Not surprising.

Just a few weeks back, a group of ORV users had a meeting with the Chamber folks of St. Ignace, Michigan. The topic of discussion was crossing the Big Mac on our ORV’s. Not a question of if we could do it, the question was when.

I participated in the second meeting of this group and another meeting is scheduled in September.

Here are some of the things I picked up at #2 meeting;

Event will be October 10th, 2015. Entry fee, looking to be somewhere between $25.-$35. To be determined.

Start time, 8:00 am pre-ride meeting, 8:30 am first riders head across the bridge. Speed limit, 20 mph, estimated crossing time, 13 minutes. Stage on south side in a gravel pit on Friday night, secured lot, 1 ½ miles from bridge. Will end up at the Convention center, 1½ miles north of the bridge. Plans are to have vendors and factories represent-ed.

Included in your entry will be the bridge

toll and a free lunch.You will be able to park tow vehicles and/or trailer in a field adjacent to the airport, 1 mile from Convention Center. 240 road from Center to parking area.

With your entry, you will have free shut-tle service Friday and until 6 pm Satur-day any place in St. Ignace. Restaurants, motels, bars, casino.

With your entry you will get a “Money bag” of discounts at numerous estab-lishments in St. Ignace. Good forever they say.

Lots of details have to be worked out, one is number of entries. The Guinness Record is 1,870 for a parade and there are a lot of hoops to jump through to try and change the record.

One bit of advice, there is discussion of capping entries, when the tickets go on sale, order immediately if there is a cap. Already, we have a lot of discussion of groups of people starting from down-state and riding to Mackinaw, doing the bridge ride, getting up Sunday morning and riding to the Soo, heading home from there.

Little doubt, this event could be one of the premier ORV events in Michigan with a vast cross section of participants. Add in those starting from downstate and ending up at the Soo, 5 full days of awesome ORV pleasure, right here in our own state. It could be a tough act for anyone to beat anyplace in America.

Wow, wonder where I might find a pair of Tuffies, size 34-32, because our mon-ey as ORV users is far better today than it was in the sixties. The Bates jacket I still have, lining is gone, zipper still works, it is far too small, but I will wear it anyway.

Be sure to visit these websites often during the season and o -season to make sure you’re up to date on the latest and greatest!

AMA – AmericanMotorcyclist.comD14 – AMA-D14.org

D14 News – D14News.netENDURO – D14Enduro.org

MX – D14MX.comICE – ICE.s3webcenter.com

_______________________33MotosportsPark.com

BajaMX.com BattleCreekMotorcycleClub.com

BentWheels.comBigAirMotocross.com

BullDogMX.comBundyHillO� Road.com

CadillacMC.comFlintMotorcycleClub.com

FreelinMX.comGKTrailRiders.com

GrattanRaceway.com I96Speedway.com

LansingMotorcycleClub.orgLuckyThumbMotorcycleClub.com

MidwestEnduros.com (Hill & Gully)MichiganVintageMotocross.com

MuddobbersMC.orgMuskegonMotorcycleClub.com

NAActionSports.comPHMC-USA.com

PolkaDotsMC.netPortlandTrailRiders.com

RidersMC.orgTheValleyTrailRiders.org

ValleyMotocross.comUPSandStormers.comWhiteLakeRacing.com

Club wEb

WOW...Times have

changed!Story by Dick Ranney


BULLDOG RIDERS MC (Millington, MI) | May 18Story and photos submitt ed by Dave Moretuzzo

The May 18 race day had a twist that we haven’t heard in quite some ti me. “BRAAAAAAAP” was the sound as 32 two-stroke motocross bikes launched off of the start gate for the Bulldogs Red Max 2-Stroke Challenge. I have to say the sound and smell sent us back to a ti me when two-strokes ruled the race scene, and four-strokes were just hobby bikes. Timmy Badour took the checkered fl ag in the 20+ minute moto of screaming 2-strokes. Thank you to all off our sponsors for the support for our race weekend, it wouldn’t be possible without them! Remember, Bulldogs has an open practi ce on October 11, 2014, the Saturday before our next race day on October 12, 2014. We hope to see you all there.

LUCAS LOWEGRANT RIVARD

DEAN TAYLOR

ADAM MORETUZZO CHRIS LUETH


The month of June saw the Family Enduro Series go to its farthest reaches of its series to the south, Greenville Ohio, and then the farthest reaches to the north, Marquette, Michigan. With the events at both ends of Ohio and Michigan, and only two weeks apart there had been some concern on the attendance of them. With the FES setting up 11 events this year and 5 drops, it gives the families a chance to miss an event that may be out of their comfort range. Those fears were not to materialize, Greenville 120 riders and 150 for U.P. Sandstormers Mini Moose set a record for the them with 150 riders.

Round 3 TReaTy CiTy MoToRCyCle Club (Greenville, oH) | June 14

The Treaty City Motorcycle Club put on their very first Family Enduro. The Club, known for its Adult Enduro in November, has had several members over the past few seasons that have trekked north to participate in the Family Enduro Series. Seeing and having family fun on motorcycles is what the Treaty City Motorcycle Club likes to do, so the next logical step was to join up and put on an event. The Club procured the extra property from the families around the club grounds and set a date in Mid May. Then the winter that would not end hit Michigan and the event had to be rescheduled due to high water problems on the course. June 14 the Treaty City's 1st annual Family Enduro finally took place. 120 riders with almost 50% of them being new to the FES came to ride the course that included some motocross, tight woods, open fields and one really long bridge to get over the river.

FESNewsFAMILY ENDURO SERIES

story and photos submitted by Thomas Dunn

The A Buddy Class, which has been very competitive this year, had the top 3 within 4 points for the day. 1. Lydia Hopkins; 2. Trevar Martin; and 3. Jacob Harter.

Our B class, 4-6 year olds has been pretty light this season so far but Hunter Harter did show up and took a first place!

C class had the Kaylee Krumaneker and Wyatt Krumaneker sandwiching Levi Gasperfor the top 3.

The D Class 9-1 year olds, which has been some our best timekeepers under 16 year old group this year, had 10 riders

Cadin Alcorn, Brett Krumanaker and Jimmie Adams were 1,2 and 3 respectively!

Race Vollmar has topped out the E Class for the first three events, but has Dawson Vandecar and Joseph Kraemer hot on his heels, and will have to keep pushing to win

the series.

We are looking forward to adding Treaty City Family enduros to part of our regular schedule. For all the results from Treaty City FES see www.d14enduro.org

Round 4 - Mini Moose FeSuP SaNDSToRMeRS (Marquette, Mi) | June 28

The next stop on the Series was the furthest most north point, Marquette Michigan. Marquette sits on the upper part of the Upper Peninsula, along the beautiful shores of Lake Superior.

The U.P. Sandstormers have been putting on events for a long time and have had one of the longest Family Enduros in Michigan.

The Mini Moose Family Enduro is laid out on some of the very best and versatile land in our State, with sand loamy dirt, rocks and elevation changes. The U.P. Sandstormers laid out a course with the youngest members in mind, especially for the first 12 mph loop. Set up to be just challenging enough to make the younger children think to keep time and work on their riding skills, the club does an excellent job of keeping them working and having fun all day! They do not forget about the older riders though either, increasing the difficulty to accommodate them also, as some try to become skillful enough to move to Sunday’s events and those that have long since retired from the Sunday’s Series to relax in some good competition without the tension but all the bragging rights!

The K Class our +55 year olds winner and long time AMA D14 member and former Enduro rider Deny Vandecar, Denny still enjoys the competition and graciously donates his trophies back to the series. FMF Floyd Allen put in his normal solid performance, for 2nd place. Alex Shull finished the Ol’ Guy class! On the younger side of the event the always competitive A Buddy Class the top 4 riders were separated by 2 seconds. Emma Coughlin piloted by her won the class with 1

8 time National enduro Champion Dick burleson gives final instructions to his 3 grandchildren


3747 S. 39 Road, Cadillac, Mi. 49601 Email – [email protected] Web Site - www.cadillacmc.com

August 17th $800 To Win!!

Total Purse $2980 Guaranteed payout schedule through 12 places Entries limited to the first 30 sign-ups Entry Fee - $30 Must also sign up

for another race class

emergency point, or 1 second. Ethan Davis and Reese Rasmussen ti ed for second with 2 emergency points. Lydia Hopkins with Grandpa as her pilot came in 3rd with 3 emergency points. What a great way for families to interconnect with each other! The B class has been a bit thin this year, but the parti cipant’s at the Mini Moose were bett er with 6 riders, most of them new to our events. Ian Sheltrow was class winner, Kia Burleson took 2nd place and Luc Gervias, fi nished on the Podium in 3rd. D class 9-11 year old Justi n Kurncz, won soundly with a 9 minute lead. Joseph Kraemer broke Race Vollmar’s Strangle hold on the class and George Deveau was able to sneak in between them for a solid 2nd place. Race missed a turn but sti ll came back for 3rd place points to grow his series lead. In the Women’s Class, Heather Soenksen won the the trophy and and moved up on Series leaders Susan Fisher and Stephanie Williams This looks like one of the Classes to watch! 8 Time Nati onal Enduro Champion Dick Burleson was doing Grandpa Duty taking Kia, B Class, Gavin, (D class) and Kierin (E Class) for a nice ti me keeping Event. In the F Class 14-15 year olds: 3 young ladies from Quebec, Canada come to northern Michigan, when asked what class the wanted to ride, they quickly said, “Against the boys”, Which they handily trounced all but 1, Congratulati on to all 3 young ladies, and to Gage Fedewa for being the only guy in the F class to not get beat by the “ladies from Quebec”! The next FES will be at Lawton Michigan on Saturday July 19, 2014. The Grapevine Enduro, brought to you by the Long Haired Jesus Freaks! For all the FES news visit: www.d14enduro.org or Michigan Off road Events LLC on FB.

Joey Pabian 6th place A buddy Class


Andrew DeLong puts Husqavarna on top for the fi rst ti me this season at the Loose Moose Kenda/AMA Nati onal Enduro with over 1 minute lead over 2nd

place fi nisher and former Nati onal Enduro Champion Steward Baylor, while Nick Fahringer quietly moves into the Series lead with a 3rd place fi nish!

The District 14 Club laid out 77 miles of trail Michigan sand and the rocky terrain of the Upper Peninsula , fi nishing up with the dreaded mountain.

The Mountain claimed it’s share of victi ms again this year. Being the A-AA and last secti on of the day, the mountain proved again why riding the Loose Moose is always a test of endurance and skill, ruining many rider’s day!

Aft er heavy downpours early on the morning, 393 riders lined up to att ack the fi rst Test Secti on of the Loose Moose Enduro.

Cody Masti n Performed his normal “Slow Start” in Test 1 of the Event but slowly picked up the pace to earn a 22nd overall and top spot in the D14 as he picks up where he left off last year as he defends his D14 Enduro Championship Title.

D14 Champion Cody Masti n on his way D14 win


Known for his “catch up” riding all day, Masti n actually was the fastest D14 rider in the 30mph secti on. Kiel Mueller and appeared to round out the top 3 for the district.

The B Class had Women’s Champion Mandi Masti n leading the future D14 Champions Alex Good and Talon Soenksen by a second. Mandi would pick up the pace like her brother to end the day with a Class win and a 3rd Overall B. Talon would end the Day 4th overall Band 1st B200 and Alex slipped back to 14th

wit h a 4th in B200 Class FES champion and new Sunday rider Race Vollmar took 1st C200 and 4th C overall. Asa Abel one the C open and ended 8th overall C. Enduro Chairman Bill Smith came out of the Moon Rocks of Secti on 5 and happily announced he was in “B Heaven.” Bill was 6th in B 45+ class behind Fred Kraemer’s 4th place fi nish. Aaron Foy of Grand Ledge Michigan picked up D14 fi rst place points in the B open class with a 4th place in the Nati onal. Ben Yelle, a nati ve of the Marquett e area, pulled his bike out of mothballs and took a fi rst in the A 30+ class.

All and all the D14 riders fared very well on the tough course of Marquett e.

Loose Moose Kenda / AMA Nati onal Enduro

UP SANDSTORMERS (Marquett e, MI) | June 29story by Thomas Dunn | photo by Kenneth King

July 2014 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 11 July 2014 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports NewsJuly 2014 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports NewsJuly 2014


Story by Nick Fisher | photos by SpeedPunksImages.com and Nick Fisher

PORTLAND TRAIL RIDERS (Portland, MI)

Ok I am sorry I did not get my story into Linda in ti me for last month's D-14 paper. Yes I want to thank

Linda for letti ng me turn this arti cle in very late to the presses. As most of you know I sell real estate for a living which keeps my-self and my kids at the track, horse shows, travel hockey, competi ti on cheer leading, dance, football and I am sure I am forget-ti ng something else, well it is a good thing I have been busy. As I am setti ng here at 11:54 pm writi ng this, I have just sent Alli to Put ti n Bay for a week on her friend's family yacht a 60 footer where they are going to Cedar Point for two days then over to the island. BA and Cody are going to REDBUD with the Pete and Heather Hansen. Thank you for taking them. This is really a two sto-ry arti cle part of which I had writt en before Memorial Day and part I am writi ng tonight. I am going to take you back to the arti cle that covered Memorial Day.

Memorial Day. This is a day of remembrance for us as a country to remember those that

have fallen in batt le defending the principals of this Great Nati on. To thank those that have fought and survived and to thank those who have volunteered and said yes I am willing to put it all on the line for you. That last statement does not just include our military personnel,

but our law e n f o r c e -ment, fi re-man, para-medics, and even Joe Civilian that stepped up and said NO. The people that risk ev-erything for us.

This is also a day that we remem-ber family. Those lost. In the moto-

cross family we seemed to be losing a lot. I want to keep their memories and numbers in the fore front. I know I can only menti on a few we have lost due to space and please for-

give me if I do not name your rider in this arti cle. I have been announcing at PTR for the last 10 years and I did not know the 316 of Ashlee Sokalski personally who we lost at Lorett a's. I have gott en to know her through following her sister Amanda on face book. (Which by the way as of this writi ng she is going to the Ricky Carmi-chael racing school at REDBUD.) The 811 of Josh Lichtle who we lost to heat stroke at REDBUD. My heart goes out

to the families. Being a parent I cannot even imagine the anguish of losing a child. Be-

PORTLAND conti nued on page 20


Marquett e, MI (June 29, 2014) – Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Andrew DeLong claimed his fi rst win of the season this weekend at the Loose Moose Nati onal Enduro in Marquett e, Michigan, fi nishing the 77-mile race with a one-minute-and-four-second advantage over runner-up fi nisher Steward Baylor for round six of the Kenda AMA Nati onal Enduro Series, presented by Moose Racing.

DeLong got off a quick start on the sandy Michigan trail, winning the fi rst three tests as a light rain fell over the event. FMF/KTM teammates Mike Laff erty and Steward Baylor Jr. were among DeLong’s early challengers, with AirGroup Racing’s Nick Fahringer also making a move to the front by posti ng the second-fastest ti me in test three aft er getti ng off to a slow start in test one.

Jesse Groemm joined the front-runners at the midway point of the race, tying DeLong for the fastest ti me in test four, and then posti ng the second-fastest ti me in test fi ve. A crash in the fi nal test, however, dropped the Maxxis/Klim/Dirtwise/KTM rider all the way down in eighth in the fi nal results.

Fahringer appeared to be making a move when he won test fi ve, however, Baylor was fastest in the fi nal test, giving him a leg up over Fahringer and Baylor in their three-way batt le over second.

When all was said and done, DeLong fi nished up the race with a well-deserved win, while Baylor grabbed the second place spot ahead of Fahringer to round out the podium.

“It was prett y much a perfect day,” said DeLong. “I’m meshing with the bike now and that’s the big diff er-ence. The team has been putti ng in a lot of hard work and it’s fi nally paying off .”

Baylor’s runner-up fi nish was impressive, considering he missed the last two races due to a concussion.

“I started off kind of slow,” said Baylor. “I ate something this morning that didn’t sit well with me and I was puking aft er the fi rst test. I was struggling out there and then I kind of got things going in the third test and I just rode as hard as I could the rest of the day and it paid off .”

Meanwhile, Fahringer’s podium moves the Ohio rider into the series points lead with four rounds remaining on the schedule.

“The fi rst secti on was really over-grown and I was really uncomfortable riding race-pace and not being able to see and I ended up going down and I was sitti ng around 10th head-ing into the second test,” said Fahringer. “We made a few adjustments and started to get back into a groove and in the fourth test I started to work my way back up.”

Fourth place went to the younger of the two Baylor brothers, Grant, the KTM support rider topping N-Fab/Am Pro Yamaha’s Brad Bakken by just 15 seconds.

Aft er starti ng the event in the top three, Laff erty ended the day in sixth overall, with Beta USA’s Cory Butt rick fi n-ishing seventh ahead of Groemm.

Virginia’s Paddy Holloway cracked the top 10 for the sec-ond race in a row by grabbing a ninth place fi nish. Mean-while, AirGroup Racing’s Ryder Laff erty rounded out the top 10, fi nishing 22 seconds behind Holloway.

Craig DeLong is starti ng to stamp his name on the Rekluse AA-Expert class championship, the Husqvarna

rider grabbing his fourth win of the series. DeLong topped Drew Higgins by one-minute-and-44 seconds. With Thom Devlin fi nishing third another two-and-a-half minutes back.

The Kenda AMA Nati onal Enduro Series now moves to Cross Fork, Pennsylvania on July 27thfor round seven of the 10-rounds series. For more informati on on the Kenda AMA Nati onal Enduro Series, powered by Moose Racing, please go to www.nati onalenduro.com.

RESULTS – 1. Andrew DeLong (Hsq); 2. Steward Baylor (KTM); 3. Nick Fahringer (Hsq); 4. Grant Baylor (KTM); 5. Brad Bakken (Yam); 6. Mike Laff erty (KTM); 7. Cory Butt rick (Bet); 8. Jesse Groemm (KTM); 9. Paddy Holloway (KTM); 10. Ryder Laff erty (Hsq).

Andrew Delong puts Husky on Top at Loose Moose Enduro

Andrew DeLong Wins Loose Moose Nati onal Endurostory by Shan Moore | Photo by Kenneth King

“ It was prett y much a per-fect day. I’m meshing with the

bike now and that’s the big diff erence. The team has been

putti ng in a lot of hard work and it’s fi nally paying off . ”

~ Andrew DeLong


BEANE continued on page 21

The Beane ReportStory and photos by Steve Beane

Shoot-Out at the OK Corral – GasGas & Beta 250s go Head-to-HeadNow that I have your attention, let me acknowledge that the back-to-back com-parison of two of Europe’s finest off-road bikes did not happen at the OK Corral. The test location was representative of much of what we find at D14 race venues, with sandy and loamy whoops, log crossings, slick mud and ruts and tight trees, but no cowboys were present. Neither were there any mem-bers of the KTM (or Husky) family …

The bikes them-selves were not fresh-from-the-box as is some-times the case in shoot-outs. Rather, the 2013 Beta 250RR and 2014 GasGas XC250 were set-up the way that you would want to set a bike up for our trails - with handguards, Michelin S12XCs front and rear, 13/50 gearing, and PlusOnePerformance-tuned suspension. The Beta had Flexxbars fitted, while the GasGas sported an Ohlins steer-ing damper.

SuspensionThe suspension action on both bikes was near-ideal for the trail we encountered. The KYB forks on the Beta (personal pref-erence) performed on par with the Mar-zocchi 48s on the GasGas. Both soaked up log crossing and allowed confident pas-sage over angled branches encountered on the trail, while being equally adept at tackling high-speed whoops.

The purple Reiger shock on the rear of the GasGas allowed the bike to track straight in the whoops and over trail chop. The Sachs shock on the Beta was decent as well, aid-ed perhaps by the externally-adjustable high-speed compression the GasGas lacks.

HandlingThe GasGas was a freight train, the Beta a slightly high-strung sports car. As is char-acteristic of the newest generation Gas-Gas chassis, the latest edition of the steel perimeter frame on the Spanish bike had a long and unflappable feel to it. Noth-ing seemed to disturb the course of the

GasGas after the rider chose a line. Hav-ing ridden recent Gassers without steering dampers, it’s my opinion that this is a char-acteristic of the brand and not a function of the gold hardware on the steering head.

The Beta was noticeably more nimble in the woods, demanding more attention from the rider, but paying back with a

fun, easy-to-ride feel in spades. On high-speed whoops and in bowl turns the Beta seemed to look to the pilot for more di-rection, but once given it could be made to work in any line. The 250RR was easiest to bend around the tight trees, although GasGas steering lock is markedly improved for 2014.

PowerComparing the bikes in standard trim, it’s

hard to say which had more absolute pow-er. Given that horsepower alone is hardly ever the limiting factor in the woods, this could be called a draw. Subjectively the Beta had a snappier, more responsive feel, with decent power right off the bottom and the ability to spool up quickly with a fan of the Brembo-actuated clutch. Log crossings were a snap with the Italian bike.

The GasGas 250 has a very delib-

e r a t e p o w e r d e -l i v e r y – that is to say extremely linear and pre-cisely metered out. The AJP controlled clutch was smooth as glass at the lever, but threatened to squawk when abused, and less adept at lofting the front end. A different jetting spec may introduce more pop into the XC250s power, but for now

the power is drawn-out. The GasGas has a noticeably deeper exhaust tone than the Beta.

BrakingBoth the GasGas and Beta employ Nissin calipers front and rear, so it could be ex-pected that braking performance would be similar. On this day however the Beta exhibited better braking feel and power. Four factors contributed – first, the Beta

has a 240mm rear brake rotor compared to the 220mm disk on the rear of the GasGas. Second, the Beta rear disk had been replaced with a Dirttricks solid rotor, which combines good friction with high-heat-rejection, something both bike could benefit from. Third, the pads on the Beta were well bedded, while the GasGas pads were still getting acquainted with their respective rotors. Finally, the GasGas was still sporting the front brake switch on the master cylinder while the switch on the Beta had been replaced with a straight banjo for much improved feel.

ErgonomicsThe Beta has a decidedly lower seat height than the GasGas – your in-seam will dic-tate if this is a good or bad thing. On the trail neither bike was unwieldy but you could definitely feel the back of the Gas-Gas seat contacting your own more easily as the bike worked underneath you.

Riders coming off other brands will initially feel more comfortable on the Beta – that sensation may or may not persist. Having ridden my share of GasGas’ over time, it

GasGas vs Beta Cockpit Layout


2:14 AMA D14 EVENTSatv MX

CHAIRPERSON ....................Bob MillerVICE CHAIR – MX................ Neil Sutfin = Michigan State Championship RaceJULY

05 Valley MX ......................Stanton 06 Valley MX ......................Stanton 19 Grattan Speedway ........... Belding 20 Grattton Speedway .......... Belding

AUGUST 09 Battle Creek MC .......BattleCreek 30 M33 Motosports Park ............ Mio 31 M33 Motosports Park ............ Mio

SEPTEMBER 07 Battle Creek MC ........BattleCreek 13 Open Practice................ Portland 14 Portland Trail Riders ....... Portland

enduroCHAIRPERSON .................... Bill SmithVICE CHAIR.................... Mark Beltinck

JULY13 Knuckle Buster ............Greenville

Knuckle Buster Enduro Riders 19 Grapevine FES ................Lawton Hard Core Jesus Freaks 26 Matthews FES .........Matthews, IN Muddobbers MC 27 Muddobber Dual Sport Muddobers MC ........Matthews, IN AUGUST

02 Weed Wacker FES .......... Bentley Valley Trail Riders 03 Bark Buster .................... Bentley Valley Trail Riders 10 Summer Bummer #1 ....Roselawn, IN Hill & Gully MC 23 Pine Cone FES ......... Moorestown Lansing MC 24 Jack Pine Enduro ........Morestown Lansing MC

SEPTEMBER06 Baby Bear FES .............. Fairview

Singletrack Off-Road Events (S.O.R.E.) 07 Grizzly Enduro ..................Fairview Singletrack Off-Road Events (S.O.R.E.) 14 MUDDOBBER NATIONAL ENDURO Muddobbers MC .........Matthews, IN ?? Loose Moose TrailFest .... Marquette UP Sandstormers ?? Loose Moose TrailFest .... Marquette UP Sandstormers

28 Travers City FES ........Traverse CityNOVEMBER01 Turkey Gobbler FES ...New Paris, IN

Riders MC (Backup Date) 02 Turkey Creek ......... New Paris, IN Riders MC (Backup Date)

flat track CHAIRPERSON ..............Robert Brinker

VICE CHAIR.....................Andy Nichols

JULY 05 ST .......... Owosso Kart Speedway 06 TT .......... Owosso Kart Speedway 12 ST ................. Tri-City Speedway 13 TT ................. Tri-City Speedway 19 1/2 Mile..............Croswell–PHMC 26 ST .................. Lucky Thumb MC 27 55 .................. Lucky Thumb MC AUGUST 02 ST ......................Polka Dots MC 03 TT ......................Polka Dots MC 09 ST .................. Lucky Thumb MC 10 TT .................. Lucky Thumb MC 16 ST ................. Tri-City Speedway 17 TT ................. Tri-City Speedway 23 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP 1/2 Mile..............Croswell–PHMC 24 RAIN DATE – State Championship 1/2 Mile..............Croswell–PHMC

SEPTEMBER06 ST ..................... I-96 Speedway13 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

ST .......... Owosso Kart Speedway 14 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TT ......... Owosso Kart Speedway

15 RAIN DATE – State Championship ST ...........Owosso Kart Speetway

21 RAIN DATE – State Championship TT ..............Owosso Kart Speedway

hare scrambles

CHAIRPERSON ................ Mark BeckerVICE CHAIR..................Neal Soenksen

VICE CHAIR (ATV) ............ Dan Brendel

JULY13 NATIONAL HARE SCRAMBLE

...............................BattleCreek 20 Valley Trail Riders ........... Bentley

AUGUST15 PolkaDots MC ................MidlandSEPTEMBER21 Valley MX ......................Stanton

28 BattleCreek MC ........Battle CreekOCTOBER05 Portland Trial Riders ........Portand

12 33 Motorsports .................... Mio NOVEMBER

09 Plymouth Blackhawks ....Culver, IN

hill climb CHAIRPERSON .................... Tom Ruid

VICE CHAIR....................Roger Bibbler SEPTEMBER 13 Timber Ridge (tentative) .....Gobles 19 Muskegon MC ..............Bridgeton 20 Muskegon MC ..............Bridgeton 21 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Muskegon MC ..............Bridgeton

motocross CHAIRPERSON ............... Kreg Bigelow = Vet Series - Max Points All Vet Classes

= Fall Series – Max Points All Classes JULY 05 Valley MX ......................Stanton 06 Valley MX ......................Stanton 13 Cadillac MC ...................Cadillac 19 Grattan MX .................... Belding 19 Freelin MX .................Brown City 20 Freelin MX .................Brown City 20 Grattan MX .................... Belding 27 Polka Dots MC ...............Midland AUGUST 02 Big Air MX .................... Newago 03 Big Air MX .................... Newago 09 Valley MX ......................Stanton 09 Battle Creek MC .......Battle Creek 10 Valley MX ......................Stanton 10 Battle Creek MC .......Battle Creek 16 Freelin MX .................Brown City 16 Cadillac MC ...................Cadillac 17 Freelin MX .................Brown City 17 Cadillac MC ...................Cadillac 23 33 Motorsports Park ............. Mio 24 33 Motorsports Park ............. Mio 30 Baja Acres ...................Millington 31 Baja Acres ...................Millington

SEPTEMBER 01 Baja Acres ...................Millington 06 Big Air MX .................... Newago 07 Big Air MX .................... Newago 07 Battle Creek MC .......Battle Creek 14 Portland Trail Riders ....... Portland 14 Cadillac MC ...................Cadillac 21 Polka Dots MC ...............Midland 27 Freelin MX .................Brown City 27 Big Air MX .................... Newago 28 Freelin MX .................Brown City 28 Big Air MX .................... Newago

OCTOBER 04 Great Lakes Grand Prix ....... TBA 05 Great Lakes Grand Prix ........ TBA 11 Valley MX ......................Stanton 12 Valley MX ......................Stanton 12 Bulldog Riders ..............Millington 18 Freelin MX .................Brown City 19 Freelin MX .................Brown City 25 Baja Acres ...................Millington 26 Baja Acres ...................Millington

vintage mx CHAIRPERSON ............. Steve Baginski

JULY06 Valley MX ......................Stanton

20 Freelin MX .................Brown CityAUGUST03 Big Air MX ...................Newaygo

17 Cadillac MC ...................Cadillac 31 33 Motorsports .................... Mio

SEPTEMBER20 Polka Dots M/C ..............MidlandOCTOBER11 Bulldog Riders ..............Millington

26 Baja MX ......................Millington

roadCHAIRPERSON ..................Terri SweetVICE CHAIR ................. Jim CharleboisJULY

26 Lucky Thumb Ride ........... DefordSEPTEMBER

20 Toys for Tots ABC Harley ................. Waterford 28 Tri City Turkey Run Crump Fox ...................... Linden

OCTOBER 05 Color Tour & Steak Fry Para Dice ..............Grand Rapids


POLKA DOTS conti nued from page PB

ATV SCENE

FreelinMX – M&M Weekend (August 16/17)

Get Ready,Get Set…

GO!!!Story by Team Freelin | Photos by SpeedPunksImages.com

FREELIN MX (Brown City, MI) The M&M Weekend will be here before you know it! See two shows for the price of one! If you’re unsure why it’s called “M&M” it’s because Motocross & Mudbog races in one weekend. Of course the motocross racing acti on is sure to be spectacular. But for all those race fuel buff s, the competi ti on mudbog truck racing event Saturday (8/16) evening is sure to thrill as well. These high horsepower 4x4 Extreme Mud! trucks try to make it through the 200’ mud pit. The mud is fl ying and the excitement is high as these championship trucks, buggies and jeeps give it a swirl. This is a very diff erent type of extreme speed event. For those who have never seen a competi ti on mudbog race, you will want to make sure to mark your calendars to att end this event. There is nothing additi onal for a spectator/racer to do or pay. You pay once and get to see TWO shows (motocross and mudbog racing). Enjoy Saturday all day watching and/or racing motocross on both the PW and Main tracks. Once motocross racing is complete, expect to hear some loud motors starti ng up. Get a quick bite to eat and head on over to the mudbog grandstands to watch the evening show. It’s live acti on along with play-by-play announcing. For those who come to spend the weekend it’s up again Sunday morning for another round of live motocross acti on all day. It’s double the entertainment and it’s all at FreelinMX. For additi onal informati on visit us online at www.FreelinMX.com and on facebook. Or call 989.761.1301. See ya at the track!

FreelinMX – 8395 Cargill Road, Brown City, MI 48416 (located SW of Marlett e, W off M-53/VanDyke, between Cliff ord & Barnes Roads)

Adrenaline green monster

red eye devil

hillbilly stomp


red eye devil

the riders and those that put the ti me in behind the scenes. Shift ing up and moving forward…

bent wheels

Bent Wheels (Rose City, MI ) | June 22

This has always been a hare scramble that I have struggled with. The club has an extremely tough challenge of setti ng up a course on the same piece of real es-tate that has been beat to death for de-cades. In years past it has been known as a slopfest of mud or a blinding storm of dust. This property in Rose City is unique in that it is a clay based soil centered in the sandiest part of Michigan. It must have a high water table or artesian wells throughout.

This year we were favored with ideal race conditi ons. The area received the right amount of rain days prior with the right amount of ti me to soak in. Sunday pre-sented itself overcast and much cooler than the heat of Saturday. I stopped in at the local fast food choke and puke to get my morning coff ee. I was not able to camp at this event and made the early drive up in the morning. I did my usual introducti ons with the club. I enjoy the Bent Wheelers since they have inspired me over the years. This crew like many clubs have an odd assortment of charac-ters that can deal with my weird sense of humor. All the scoring equipment was set up the night before. That allowed me to relax and survey the course. The ru-mors turned out to be true. The club put forth a concentrated eff ort to improve the course this year. They pulled it off . They managed to avoid the bott omless mud secti on in the southwest corner and put in a new singletrack that snaked its way through an off -camber secti on. This short piece of trail was contaminated with roots and rocks that snatched all your momentum. It was fun.

My only gripe about this track (same one every year) is the odd moto track. It lacks

Valley Trail

ridersValley Trail Riders (Bentley, MI ) | June 15

This is an event that I always look forward to. Located near Bentley, it is a course that suits enduro riders well. No jumps, no bermed corners, and no excuses. This is a track that requires a positi ve atti tude and soft suspension. The club promised a new lay out this year. They delivered. They gave us a more open and fl owing trail while sti ll retaining that ti ght technical aspect that I love. Tight means slow and that means less injury (at least the sever-ity goes down). We all crash, but eati ng dirt at 18 mph is easier than turfi ng at 30. Although the club did give us a high speed secti on that transferred into an abrupt hard right into the woods. That was a bit sketchy but aft er a lap or two I was ready.

This was a race that was almost cancelled. The month before it had rained so much that the mile and a half of the new course was under water. We all know inti mately what it’s like to ride here in the mud. The trenches are sti ll there but the club did an excellent job of redirecti ng our knobbies away from last year’s carnage. This club always tries to give it’s customers a qual-ity event.

I set up camp the day before and rode the course on my fat ti re bike. I was con-cerned about staying on course. I would have preferred more arrows and espe-cially more ribbon to guide me. The new course crossed old trail frequently which distracts panicked racers going full throt-tle with no clue as to where to go. My concerns turned out to be over-hyped and unnecessary. My acti ng rider reps did a few impromptu trail mods to keep us on track Sunday morning. My reps don’t get the proper acknowledgement they deserve. Speaking of panic situati ons, I pulled the bone head move of the month. As I awoke early Sunday morning, my rit-ual of dental hygiene took an unexpected turn into crazy town. I can skip a shower on my camping expediti ons but my teeth get cleaned regardless of weather and/or

locati on. So, as I reach in my gear bag for what I thought was toothpaste was actu-ally hydrocorti sone (anti -itching cream). My enti re mouth went numb before I re-alized my coff ee-less sunrise. No matt er how smart you think you are, I can’t spin this any way to sound positi ve. You can’t be a tough guy when you smear hemor-rhoid cream in your mouth. Moving on.

We had another Epic weekend of perfect weather, cool in the morning and warm in the aft ernoon. There was some dust in the more open areas but the woods were primed for perfect tracti on. We had 6.4 miles to play with. My problem with this track is I remember certain secti ons and want to follow them. However, with a new layout a rider must follow arrows and not memories. The trail quickly became rough and choppy (soft terrain). The whoops kept my speed to a reasonable level but did not seem to phase most everyone else. I did fi nd the one and only mud hole and buried my 250 lb yellow tank up to the axles. Aft er spiking my heart rate sev-eral ti mes during the extracti on process I vowed to fi nd an alternate line. No need, the club had it re-arrowed on my next lap. Again, this club always does a great job.

Starts. They can be super fun or set the tone for a bad day. My four stroke refuses to cooperate in any way. My bike has such an awkward starti ng process. The cams have to be in alignment with the rider adjacent to me and my truck has to be parked facing north if it is to fi re on the fi rst kick… only if it’s an even day on an odd month. Suzuki needs to rethink this. Enough said.

We had a total of 129 riders that day. 60 (2) hour and 58 (3) hour leaving only 11 minis. I would like to see our mini numbers im-prove. Special menti on to Brandon Rose that rode the big wheel class in the morn-ing and the C Jr class in the aft ernoon. That is the kind of racing spirit that makes me proud. As always, go to the Moto Tally results for the lap ti mes and numerical drama. It is prett y cool to view the batt les as they unfold by the stop watch. So far this season I have been running a smaller crew than usual but sti ll able to get the job done. I am lucky to have the right people working hard for our benefi t. Thanks to

THE BECKER CHRONICLESby Mark Becker #184, Hare Scramble Chairperson

any “fl ow or rhythm”. However, I admit that this is nit-picking. I liked the secti on that off ered multi ple lines on the rocky uphill. The inside line over the biggest rocks seemed to be the fastest. I used it to pass one rider. The northwest secti on was slightly diff erent but sti ll crazy fast. I am impressed at the speed of our rid-ers that can turn and burn through that. I normally don’t like fast tracks but the club must have cleared trail. I was able to see well in front of me so nothing took me by surprise. That is the secret to good track layout. Make sure the riders can see what’s coming. Of course there was that one excepti on. We came blitzing down a straight that dropped slightly to reveal a hard right turn. That spot had crazy over-shots well past the berm. The sad part is it took me 3 laps to fi nally remember it and slow down enough to make the corner.

The baseball diamond was a surprise. As I rode along side my natural point of vision had me ride along side the dia-mond as it has always been done. The club threw a curve and directed us into the fenced diamond. Those steel posts kept me alert. Now the cool part was the ditch crossing aft er. I would slow down enough to power a high wheelie through. I was informed aft er the race that most riders simply rode through with no prob-lems and no crazy wheelies. The secti on of trail aft er that was the toughest for me. It was singletrack that was trenched with roots and rocks. 2nd gear was the best I could manage through there. My last lap I noti ced a sweet cheat line that bypassed most of the harshness. The guy that made that line is a genius. It took me 8 laps to see it and only used it on my last lap. Typical.

We had a low turnout at this event which I expected. I heard rumors that riders stayed home to catalog their doll collec-ti ons. The threat of rain must have thrown their estrogen levels out of whack. My take on this… Forget how much it hurts and keep trying.

I have to say the club did their best work ever that weekend. The track was an ab-solute blast to ride. There were no inju-ries and no drama. It was the best pos-sible way to spend a Sunday.


BATTLE CREEK MOTORCYCLE CLUB (Batt le Creek, MI) | June 08Story by Steve Baginski | Photos as noted

Well unfortunately it happened once again! It seems that whenever we head to Batt le Creek it is either 100 degrees and humid or pouring rain. This ti me was more of the latt er. It started raining early Sunday morning and stopped just before practi ce should have started. They delayed the program an hour and started working on the track. Some riders decided to stay home, some packed up and left , while the rest of us waited. They workers did a good job with what they had to work with and racing started. I for one was not the most happy but went out anyway. Racing was interesti ng to say the least.

The Iron Man class was fi rst in a moto all by themselves. Unfortunately there were only two riders with Randy Stone taking the holeshot. Dale Darling was having some bike issues and stalled in turn one. He would restart and make a few laps before suff ering a DNF. Randy rode smart and completed all of the laps which would pay out big for moto two. As the gate fell for moto two, it looked to be a good race. They would both make the fi rst lap but then disaster. Dale didn’t make much of lap two before suff ering another DNF and Randy made about three quarters of the lap before suff ering his own DNF. But since he won the fi rst moto and lead lap one, he was credited with his fi rst overall victory.

The Transiti on racers and lone Evoluti on rider Ray brooks took to the track next. Tom Claerhout took the holeshot with Mark Cook sliding into second with Brad Bolzman a close third. Joe Sangster was a wheel behind followed by Ray. Joe would make an early fall letti ng the pack get away. Tom pulled a gap and was pulling away. Mark gave up second early but was able to retake the spot later on lap one. Joe was back on the

BATTLE CREEK MOTORCYCLE CLUB (Batt le Creek, MI) | June 08

VINTAGE MX

MOTHERNATURE

WAS NOT KIND AGAIN AT BATTLE CREEK MC

Brad Bolzman had a second moto fi ght for third overall ~ photo by Steve Baginski

Randy Stone on his way to his fi rst ever overall victory~ photo by Steve Baginski


move and catching Brad when he went down again. Mid race Tom almost went down but stopped to collect himself but gave up the lead to Mark. He was back on the move quickly and regained the lead later that lap. He would put in a few more fast laps and take the moto win. Mark rode strong holding onto second as Brad rounded out the podium. Ray had fun doing battle with the other class knowing as long as he finished, he was going to win. Joe was getting back up to pace but with two falls, a fourth was all he could do. For moto two, Tom barely edged Mark for the holeshot with Joe running up the inside of Brad. Ray settled in behind knowing he was going to win. Tom jumped to an early lead and never looked back. Mark picked up the pace and pulled away from the battle between Joe and Brad. As the track shaped up, Tom was putting in good laps out front with Mark keeping the gap the same in second. Joe gave up third to brad but was hounding him all the way to the checkers. Joe nice a nice pass just before the white

flag came out retaking third. At the finish, Tom had a little more than a ten second lead over Mark. And then the next rider to clear the big jump was Brad with Joe and Ray right behind him. Joe was close with a few turns to go but just ran out of time and settled for fourth. Ray had fun keeping up with the Transition guys as he went 1-1 in Evolution.

The Innovation racers were next with Chad Morehouse coming back after an early season knee injury and grabbing the holeshot. Colin Cook was second as I almost crashed on the inside of turn one. Jeff Doneth was fourth and was seeing the track for the first time as he sat out practice. Chad was on the gas but by the end of lap one, Colin was into the lead with Chad keeping the gap small. I was struggling in third and just trying not to crash! Colin had to ride smart as Chad was riding awesome and looking extremely smooth every time I saw him on different parts of the track. At the finish though, Colin was riding great and took another moto win with Chad a deserving second. I was way back in third as Jeff was waiting at the finish to cross in fourth. Moto two was a little better for me but it was Chad again with the holeshot. Colin quickly took the lead and I was following Chad. Jeff decided to sit this one out and take his fourth place from moto one. After lap one, Colin continued to lead as I was still chasing Chad and keeping him close. Then on lap three, I made a few mistakes and slowed way down and let Chad concentrate on catching Colin. He made a great effort but Colin was on the gas and earned his second 1-1 in a row. Chad was not far behind in second as I coasted in third.

So overall it was a decent day of racing as nobody was hurt, just some bike issues. So now we are also finished with Freelin and we are preparing to make our long overdue return to Valley MX on the Fourth of July weekend. After that we are headed back to Freelin MX on June 20th. Then we make another overdue return to Big Air on August 3rd. After that most of us will be putting on the miles as we head to Cadillac on August 17th

then up to our first trip to 33 Motosports park on the 31st. I have the points updated and feel free to contact me with any problems you might find. As always for any other information, be sure to check out www.michiganvintagemotocross.com. Thanks for checking in and I hope to see you at the races.

Results Battle CReek (06.08.14) – Iron Man: 1. Ra. Stone (Kaw); 2. D. Darling (Kaw) evolution: 1. R. Brooks (Suz) Innovation: 1. C. Cook (Kaw); 2. C. Morehouse (Hon); 3. S. Baginski (Hon); 4. J. Doneth (Hon) transition: 1. T. Claerhout (Suz); 2. M. Cook (Hon); 3. B. Bolzman (Ktm); 4. J. Sangster (Hon)

Chad Morehouse was on the gas and showing some style all day long ~ photo by SpeedPunksImages.com

Ray Brooks toughed out the conditions with a 1-1 in evolution~ photo by Steve Baginski

Mark Cook was on the gas and led for a while in moto two taking second overall ~ photo by Steve Baginski


ing a brother I do not know the emptiness of losing a sister or brother. It does make me proud of our youth today, that they keep the memories of our fallen alive. I see Josh's and Ashlee's number plates on their friends face books. Amanda what a tribute to Ash-lee by keeping on racing. I was asked once why I allow my children to participate in such high risk sports? Now my kids obviously race motocross, play travel hockey, ride show horses (which have a mind of their own,) play football, and Alli is a flyer for a competition cheer team. My reply to them was; life, if you are going to live it, be a participant, and not a spectator, life is high risk. If I was to put them in some kind of protective bubble, I will have already lost them. This is the essence of who and what they are.

These last two paragraphs, as heartfelt as they are, is not the end of the story for Josh and Ashlee. This is not even the beginning of their story. It is Memorial Day. The day we celebrate their lives, the day that keeps their memories alive and their stories going. I am hoping that Ashlee's and Josh's friends will post their stories, on the PTR face book page so we all can get to know them better.

I cannot believe I have writers block considering all of the excitement and good racing we had at our last races. I guess the first person I want to immortalize would be a quad

rider the 701 Brenden Holtz. Now for those of you that don't know Brenden, he is really an all around, do anything for you, good guy. Even though he still can't keep his balance and has to ride a bike with two extra tires. Brenden did have a miscue. We all know that when a quad rider crashes, they always seem to throw themselves out in from of the quad so the can get themselves ran over. Even before the yard sale began. I watched Brenden come off the step up from the golf course and not only fling himself in front of his quad once, for the traditional (running of myself over) but no less than three times. It was like he got ran over once, which started the whole cart wheeling thing and then again out in front he was and again the quad did its job and ran him over for the second time. So what happens, here comes Brenden flying through the air over his quad again, landing just in front of the tires. The quad with a mind of its own, was like a dog chasing a ball, OH my Master wants run over again and complied with Brenden's wishes and ran him right over. But what was really amazing was how flexible a man as big as Brenden is. At one time he had not just one boot over his ears, but both boots. Then coming out of whatever move that one would really call that, belly flop right on the hard pack dirt. You know what it reminded me of? Yep you guessed it, some of Luke Adam's (now retired) crashes. Fortunately for Brenden he did not have to take the Luke mobile to the hospital. But he did have to come back to the starting line with a handy capper's quad. One with a roll cage and five point restraints (his Razor). But on the line waiting for the gate to drop,

PORTLAND continued from page 11

July 2014 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports News 21 the starter dropped the hammer on Brenden and his handy capper machine and would not let him race the next moto and shoved him off the line.

Ok, so far I have not thrown in some shameless type of advertising. Until now. Saturday September 19th is our next practice day. BUT after practice is our 2nd Annual (this year) Fierce Power Sports Hole Shot Contest. If you were not at this event last year, well let's just say you missed a great show and one of the best times I have had. Here is just a memory of last year.

So now it was time to see who the fastest hole shotter of all times was going to be. It was quad against bike. Merrill against Blanchard. Two wide traction tires against one. Out of the gate it was dead even. At one hundred feet it was still dead even. Time to shift for Blanchard, Merrill pulls ahead by a full bike length. One hundred and fifty feet, now time for Merrill to shift. Blanchard closes the gap, Blanchard now right on Merrill's back tire. Into the hard right Merrill slides in front of Blanchard's Quad closing the door and rolls on the throttle. Blanchard letting the momentum of the quad take him to the outside of Merrill with the hammer down, now out of the corner Blanchard pulls up even with the back wheel of Merrill and Blanchard coming on strong. It is a drag race now, motors screaming, finish line coming in less than two hundred feet, and the win goes to.....

If you have not signed up yet it is only $15 pre entry with a free T shirt or $20 the day of the show. You can contact Brandy Miller via face book or at the track. On Sunday Sep-

tember 20th is our last Motto Cross of the season with a MONEY MOTTO!!!!! Braaapp. Pay out to come watch our face book page.

As most know I like to poke fun at different riders salute other riders and that I am an all around softy. But while I have been poking at certain quad rider. I have to pay homage to another the 311 of Young Blair Miller. Notice the tie in from above. Well, I guess you can call me an adult. I am 50 but as my ex wife says she actually has five kids even though we only really have four. I think she is inferring that I am either the first kid of hers or the fifth, I have really never figured that out. But any way it is 2:16 in the morning and I have to get this article in to Linda, Young Mr. Miller was having a difficult time of jumping the high speed double right before the Lunar Launch. I happen to be up at the starting line listening to Young Mr. Miller and BA (my little motto crosser) talking about the jump. I have to admit at the time of their conversation BA

has never jumped the high speed double. But, it did not stop him from giving Young Mr. Miller advice on how to make the jump. So here is where the big softy part comes from, I told Blair that I will be at the high speed double and if he doesn't make it I will catch him. It must be a thing that quad peoples learn at an early age, anything is possible. Reference Luke Adams. LOL just kidding. No the second part, I really did tell him I would catch him. So here he comes off of spectator hill. I was giving him the increase your speed sign. Well he followed my direction. I am not sure if he will ever follow my direction again, because the first time around he not only cleared the high speed double but he also hit the Lunar Launch in third gear pinned and cleared it also. I know you are saying Nick, why are you telling us this. Well here you go. I am calling Young Mr. Miller out. Yes I am 50 years old but I am going to hit the double off of Spectator Hill before Young Mr. Miller which is his next jump to master.

Well I guess at 2:39 in the morning I could tell you the story about Brian Heightchew's dog choking incident but I will let him tell you that story. I guess at this time you read this RED-BUD will be over and I want to wish all of you that are racing a Loretta's the best of luck. I hope to see all of you at our next event week end September 19th and 20th.

didn’t take very many corners before the bike felt completely natural. The latest alteration of the GasGas frame has nar-rowed it slightly at the ankles while pre-serving the long, smooth feel to the seat and body-work. On occasion my left heel caught the kickstand.

The Beta is the more compact of the two with a lower seat height, shorter peg to seat dimension, and overall shorter-in-length feel. It’s easy to get over the gas cap on the Beta as is sometimes warranted to make it stick to the trail. The left airbox cover makes sure your calf knows it’s there … we’re currently working on fix.

Overall ImpressionEven though they were ostensibly de-signed to perform the same task, the Beta 250RR and GasGas XC250 go about their jobs in a very different manner.

The GasGas is a deliberate bike, and will perform at its best in the hands of a de-liberate rider. The front end is very plant-ed on the trail meaning it will go exactly where it’s pointed. The bike tends to plow through obstacles rather than lofting over them, but when tuned the suspension is more than capable of absorbing every-thing from trail trash to big whoops. It feels like a long and tall bike, but changes to the steering stops in 2014 mean that it will still maneuver through trees with the best of them.

The Beta 250RR might best be described as nimble. Its power is quick to build, and the bike hops like a billy-goat on the trail, de-manding the rider’s attention but reward-ing him with lightning quick response. This combination is without a doubt very fun to ride.

ConclusionsBoth the Beta 250RR and the GasGas XC250 offer a refreshing and competitive change from the ubiquitous KTM offer-ings, but they are very different motorcy-cles. A review of where and how you ride can easily point you in the right direction when it comes to picking your next woods-weapon.

At PlusOnePerformance we’re dedicated to helping you get the most out of your machine in order to maximize your riding experience. We sell both Beta and GasGas off-road bikes and provided suspension tuning and general set-up on both motorcycles in this test.

BEANE continued from page 13


FREELIN MX (Brown City, MI) | June 22Story by Steve Baginski | Photos by as noted

What a great day of racing! The weather was perfect and the track was awesome for round six at Freelin MX. They had received a quick shower early in the morning but it had no eff ect on the track. We had an above average turnout with some returning racers, new faces and great racing. They always do a great job with the track and treati ng everyone like family. Anyone who does not att end is truly missing out on a great experience.

The Evoluti on guys were out fi rst with Bryan Hoeldtke taking the fi rst holeshot. George Mekjian was a close second with last race winner Ray Brooks a close third. Tom Lee, Joe Sangster and Randy Stone were all close as Mark Havalda narrowly missed the fi rst turn crash with another class. Mark Nelson unfortunately was not so lucky. He would get going quickly with no issues. Bryan jumped out to the early lead and left everyone fi ghti ng for second. George was the guy for that spot and Joe

took over third. Tom was fi ghti ng in fourth as Ray was staying close and making the pass at the start of lap three. Havalda was holding down sixth as Nelson made the pass on Randy for seventh. With the white fl ag waiving Bryan took a look back to see where second was. George was a solid second about fi ft een seconds back. Joe was starti ng to slow a bit and that was all Ray needed to take over third. Tom and Havalda were staying strong but Nelson was on the move with one lap to make his charge. At the fi nish, Bryan had a nice lead with George all alone in second as Ray held on for third. Joe was a close fourth as Tom had closed the gap on both of them. Nelson made the pass for sixth with a few turns to go dropping Havalda to seventh. Randy was getti ng used to his possible new bike in eighth. When the gate dropped for moto two, George had a great start but went a litt le wide and Bryan went by on the inside grabbing the holeshot. Ray, Tom and Joe were right there again just ahead of Nelson, Havalda and Randy. Bryan once again jumped out to an early lead with George sett ling into second. Tom, Ray and Joe were back and fourth with Ray fi nally taking over third on lap two. Joe was not going to just give up and kept Ray within a few seconds all the way to the end. With the checkered waiving, Bryan went home

Vintage MX

Great Batt lesat the Freelin Frenzy

Steve Baginski redeemed himself in Innovati on. A fresh motor helped a lot ~ photo by Ken Baginski


with another 1-1 as George rode to a solid 2-2. Ray was barely able to hold off Joe for third with Tom keeping pace in fifth. Nelson was closing on the last lap but had to settle for sixth. Havalda was the lone 125cc rider in seventh and Randy was contemplating buying this new bike in eighth.

The Innovation and Transition classes were off together. I grabbed the holeshot with Lance Shelton and Paul Gillett fighting for second. Austin Visger was in the mix just ahead of Kris Gillett and Joe Sangster. Tom Lee was back out just ahead of Jeff Doneth and new comer Gage DiFalco. Ryan Baeder snuck in just in front of Mike Poirier and returning Eli Hovorka with first time ever racer Eric Ray. A few laps in, I was out front with Trans riders Lance and Austin running second and third. Kris moved into second in Inno on his “factory” KX 125 with Paul slipping to third. Joe was holding onto a top three but Gage was closing the gap in fourth as George slipped to Fifth. Eli was on the move as he was up to fifth and catching Tom. With one lap

Steve Ellis is trying to fit in as many Vintage races while on business from California. A second in Iron

Man is all he could manage this time. ~ photo by Steve Baginski

Paul Gillett on the gas rounding out the Innovation podium~ photo by Melanie Poirier FREELIN continued on page 24

24 July 2014 – Michigan’s AMA/D14 Motorsports NewsFREELIN conti nued from page 23

to it seemed I was holding up Lance and waived him by to not mess with his race with Austi n. He didn’t take the chance so I put my head down and charged for the fi nish. I crossed the line in fi rst with Lance only a few seconds behind. He was able to hold off Austi n for his own moto win. Kris rode well to second Inno with a slight gap to his Brother Paul. Tom held on for fourth with Eli a close fi ft h in his fi rst race of the year. Joe had pressure the enti re last lap from Gage but held on for the last podium step. Gage showed a lot of promise and I am sure will be back. Jeff had a good batt le of his own holding off Ryan and new rival Mike. Eric had a hard ti me out but made big improvements with this being his fi rst race. More batt ling was in store for moto two as I grabbed the holeshot. Paul and George were next just ahead of Lance, Joe, Kris and Gage. Austi n stumbled off the start but slid in just in front of Jeff and Eli. Ryan, Tom and Mike were side by side with Eric giving chase. A few laps in, I had charged to a small gap over Lance as Kris was being pressured by Austi n. As I made the pass on Eric just aft er the fi nish, he had a slight bobble and went down. He hit the ground hard and would be seen by the medics but would be ok. Jeff and Ryan were also doing batt le all the way to the fi nish. With the white fl ag out, some riders were going a lap down by the other class. I was sti ll leading as I pulled a litt le gap on Lance. Austi n fi nally made the pass on Kris but was sti ll in second overall in Trans. Kris was sti ll a solid second in Inno as Paul held third. At the checkered, I had a decent lead as Lance crossed next taking his moto win and overall. Austi n had closed up a bit but ended with a 2-2. Kris also went 2-2 with a nice lead over third. Paul would take that spot as he had a comfortable lead over Tom in fourth. Joe would come across next taking the third spot in Trans. Gage pushed him ti ll the end but ended up 4-4 in his fi rst Vintage race. George went a lap down late forcing him to fi ft h. Eli was more comfortable the second ti me out in fi ft h again. Jeff was a consistent 6-6 has he had pressure from Ryan in seventh. Mike was caught right at the end of his lap as well placing him in eighth. Even with his crash, Eric would be scored in ninth but ready for the next race.

The Iron Man class was last out with Al Doneth taking a great holeshot. Steve and Phil Ellis were second and third with Al Doneth having some fun at the start of moto two

~ photo by Melanie Poirier

Lance Shelton dusted off his 125 and went 1-1 in Transiti on~ photo by Melanie Poirier

FREELIN conti nued on page 26


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SATURDAY 08.09 – MXSUNDAY 08.10 – Money MotoOpen MX Practice Saturday, September 06 (11am)

SUNDAY 09.07 – MX SUNDAY 09.28 – Hare Scramble

July 2014 – by Steve Beane

My hopes were dashed - and so were those of every other Yamaha fan – when the ‘major YZ 2T overhaul’ alluded to by Kris Keefer of Dirt Rider Magazine turned out to be ‘BNP’ … Bold New Plasti c.

The MX nati onals are back in acti on for the mid-season charge, and wouldn’t you know it Chad Reed is BACK! For the fi rst three rounds it looked like Ken Roczen, Ryan Dungey, James Stewart, and Trey Canard would steal all of the att enti on, but Reedy pulled a pair of hole shots at Mount Morris to serve noti ce that he intends to make it “The Big Five” upfront.

Speaking of Stewart, can you think of any other rider who seems as likely to need an att enti on-focusing medicati on? He’s got insane skills on the bike but has admitt ed that his mind wanders when he’s out there doing the incredible things that he does on a dirtbike …

Congratulati ons to the Treaty City Motorcycle Club for hosti ng a knock-out Family Enduro a couple weekends ago. Originally scheduled for May, the event was postponed when it was deemed that the river-hugging trail would have been impassible.

I have had a hate-hate relati onship with the Rose City hare scrambles event put on by the Bent Wheels club, but aft er Sunday’s race that is starti ng to change. Having raced there in years when it was too wet to walk and others when it was too dusty to see, the perfect tracti on and beauti ful weather this past weekend came as a welcome surprise. The introducti on of some new trail was welcome, and if you want to hone your grass track skills this would have been the event.

Suzuki pulled the holeshot on new model introducti ons, but by now Honda, Yamaha, Husqvarna, KTM, GasGas, and Beta have made 2015 product announcements. Unless I missed something that leaves Kawasaki and Sherco as the only ‘big-name’ manufacturers to unveil their new bikes.

If you were in Marquett e at the end of June you had a very real possibility of running into 98% of the Michigan off -road racing populati on.

Whatever you might think of social media, Instagram has a way of connecti ng you with your favorite riders like never before. Someti mes the result can be gruesome though – if you don’t believe me check out Dean Wilson’s calf shot, the glossy of Charlie Mullins’ wrist, or Jake Weimer’s well-abraded back. Ugh!

Two classic events face off in the next couple weeks – the old-school, ti mekeeper KnuckleBuster enduro in Greenville, Michigan falls on the same day that the Batt le Creek Motorcycle Club shows the world how to host a nati onal hare scrambles event.

Here’s a shout-out to our favorite editor for helping compile all of the stories I’ve penned for the D14 Newspaper over the last couple years. My wife took the arti cles and had them bound into a coff ee table book as a recent wedding anniversary gift . Thanks Linda! (Editor's Note: You are more than welcome Steve. It was my pleasure!)


DIRTWISE conti nued from page PB

Richard Stone in fourth. Kevin Stone was next with the two 125’s of Bill Belote and Randy Stone doing batt le. Al was the favorite and at the start of lap two he already had about a six second lead. Kevin made his way into third just ahead of Phil. Rick had a gap back to Bill as Randy pulled to the side to wait for the checkered with a broken shift er. As al came through to get the white fl ag, he was riding just hard enough to keep the lead. Bill re-entered the track aft er checking on Randy as he was sitti ng before the fi nish. Steve was sti ll in second with Kevin closing slightly as Phil held on to fourth with a small gap back to Rick. Bill was having some issues of his own but crossed the line in sixth. When the gate fell for moto two, Al was left behind as he waited for the rest of the fi eld to take off . Phil would take advantage and grab the holeshot. Steve was a close second and would take the lead a few turns later. Kevin was off to a good start a wheel ahead of Rick with Randy holding off Bill and his makeshift foot peg. With the green fl ag waiving, Steve was out front but Al was on the move in second. As they jumped into the fi rst turn, Al went wide and made the pass. Steve squared up and shot up the inside. Al held it on into the next turn and held the lead on the inside. As they came out of the next left hander, Al had a slight edge and started to pull away. Kevin had third and on lap two in the back must have fallen over. When he restarted his bike, it looked like a smoke cloud! He got going again in last but a few laps to catch the pack. With the white fl ag out, Al had a nice lead over Steve as Phil was losing ground. Rick was picking up the pace and Kevin was catching randy as he made the pass on Bill. Al came across fi rst with a nice lead over Steve in second. The race for the podium came to the fi nish as Rick held it on and passed Phil

George Mekjian rode well to his best fi nish of the year in Evoluti on ~ photo by Steve Baginski

FREELIN conti nued from page 24

on the fi nish jump beati ng him by a wheel for third and third overall. Randy crossed next with signs of another broken shift er going 7-5 for sixth. Kevin charged unti l the end but came up a few seconds short but sti ll went 3-6 for fi ft h. Bill rode bett er but sti ll had problems with his ti ny foot peg. I’m sure all of these problems will be worked out before our next race.

Well with six rounds over, it’s scary to think I’m going to have to start banquet planning soon!! We are off unti l the Fourth of July weekend as we fi nally return Valley MX. Then we head back to Freelin on July 20th. Then we have a busy August with three races starti ng on the 3rd as we head back to Big Air. Aft er that it’s up to Cadillac on the 17th and we make our fi rst trip to 33 Motosports Park on the 31st. For any other informati on please check out www.michiganvintagemotocross.com. Thanks for checking in and I hope to see you at the races.

RESULTS FREELIN MX (06.22.14) – Iron Man: 1. A. Doneth (Yam); 2. S. Ellis (Hon); 3. Ri. Stone (Hsk); 4. P. Ellis (Hsk); 5. K. Stone (Suz); 6. Ra. Stone (Kaw); 7. B. Belote (Hon) Evoluti on: 1. B. Hoeldtke (Yam); 2. G. Mekjian (Mai); 3. R. Brooks (Suz); 4. J. Sangster (Suz); 5. T. Lee (Ktm); 6. M. Nelson (Mai); 7. M. Havalda (Suz); 8. R. Stone (Kaw) Inno v ati on: 1. S. Baginski (Hon); 2. K. Gillett (Suz); 3. P. Gillett (Suz); 4. T. Lee (Ktm); 5. E. Hovorka (Hon); 6. J. Doneth (Hon); 7. R. Baeder (Kaw); 8. M. Poirier (Yam); 9. E. Ray (Yam) Transiti on: 1. L. Shelton (Yam); 2. A. Visger (Ktm); 3. J. Sangster (Hon); 4. G. DiFalco (Hon); 5. G. Mekjian (Hon)


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