M2X Racing/ Motocrossgiant.com Winter Cup Motocross Series
Round 2: A.V. Motoplex Ride Park
Story by Greg Robertson
Photos by Greg
Brandon Kaupp split moto wins with Brandon Jennings to emerge victorious in the 250cc Novice class at the A.V. Motoplex Ride Park during round two of the M2X Racing/ Motocrossgiant.com-sponsored Winter Cup Motocross Series.
Kaupp got things started off in his favor by putting his Kawasaki into the point position on the opening lap in first-moto action. Austin Thompson settled into second place, ahead of Corbin Reinhardt, Saydge Walker, Jared Reid and Jennings. Kaupp put a couple of seconds on Reinhardt, who did the same over a good battle for third place among Thompson, Reid and Jennings.
Kaupp motored away unchallenged for the win, with Reinhardt a safe second. Jennings came out on top of the heated battle for third, over Thompson; Reid had troubles and fell back to an eventual ninth-place finish.
Thompson had his Honda running out front for a lap in moto two before Jennings pushed him back a spot. Kaupp overcame his fifth-place start to get around Thompson for the runner-up position a lap later.
Kaupp then set out after his fellow Kawasaki pilot, but there just was no catching Jennings this time out. Jennings took the second-moto win, but it was the 1-2 punch of Kaupp that claimed the overall honors. Reinhardt kept his YZ125 screaming right along to finish in fourth place for third in the final standings, over the 4-3 tally of Thompson and the 5-5 finishes of Brian Williams.
Longtime Cobra rider Slade Varola went from a yellow machine to an orange one and bumped up the displacement 15cc and proceeded to win four out of six motos entered.
Varola started things off with a double-moto romp in the 65cc (9-11) class, aboard his new KTM. Jacob Brown (2-2), Peyton Marks (4-3) and Rocco Studer (3-4) made it a KTM sweep of the first four positions.
Varola returned to run away with both moto wins in the 65cc Open class, leaving everyone else to fight over the second-place trophy. Marks, Studer and Brown mixed things up pretty well over the runner-up position in both races, and when the dust finally settled, it was the 3-2 tally of Marks topping the 2-4 score of Studer. Brown went 4-3 for fourth, over the 5-5 efforts of Nathan Callahan and the 6-6 score of Jackson Ivie.
Varola entered the 85cc Open class on his 65cc KTM and did surprisingly well against the bigger machines. Tyler Colvin absconded with the holeshot in both motos and would leave no doubt as to who was the fastest rider in the class, as he posted a perfect 1-1 showing for the win. Varola gated near the front of the pack and finished an impressive second place in both motos. Kyle McCrea rounded out the top three with a nice 4-3 tally, over the 6-4 score of Mikey Lundin and the 5-5 finishes of Jake Keiffer.
Nathan Abbott had a day he soon won’t forget, as he claimed overall wins in the 50cc (7-8) A class, the 50cc Open class and the 65cc Beginner class.
Lux Turner was well on his way to winning the first 50cc (7-8) A moto until he pulled off the track with undisclosed problems, handing Abbott the victory, over Cooper Ivie, who recently put in a good showing at the KTM Junior Supercross Challenge at the Phoenix Supercross. Jesse Lapore was third and Nathan Jackson finished fourth.
Abbott ran away with the second-moto win, with Ivie getting another second-place finish, ahead of Lepore and Jackson.
Turner got to the checkers first in the first 50cc Open contest, ahead of Abbott, Ivie and Robert Hoskins.
Turner didn’t make the gate for moto two, in which Abbott led every inch of the race to go 2-1 for the overall win. Ivie and Hoskins battled it out over second place, with Ivie prevailing to take home the second-place trophy. Hoskins’ 4-3 score topped the 5-4 finishes of Dave Walters Jr. for third. Lapore (6-5) rounded out the top five finishers.
It was all Abbott in both 65cc Beginner races, as he jumped out to a pair of early leads and continued on uncontested for the wins. Callahan was runner-up in both motos, over Jackson Ivie. Ashton Smoot carded a pair of fourths, over the 5-5 finishes of Connor De La Tora.
KTM-mounted Timothy Delgado was perfect in the 50cc Beginner ranks, going 1-1 for the victory. Jesse James Shedden had a pair of runner-up showings, over the 3-3 tally of Zane Smith and the 4-4 score of Owen Smoot.
When the Quads took to the track, it was Bill Markel running away with the opening-moto win, over Travis Work and Jon Madden.
Work made it more of a race in moto two, but it was still Markel who greeted the checkers first for a sweep of the class.
A.V. Motoplex Ride Park
Lancaster, California
Results: January 19, 2014 (Round 2)
50 BEG: 1. Timothy Delgado; 2. Jesse James Shedden; 3. Zane Smith; 4. Owen Smoot; 5. Jaymes Yanez.
50 (0-6) A: 1. Dave Walters Jr.
50 (0-6) B: 1. Robert Lundin.
50 (7-8) A: 1. Nathan Abbott; 2. Cooper Ivie; 3. Jesse Lapore; 4. Nathan Jackson; 5. Lux Turner.
50 (7-8) B: 1. Ryder Garcia; 2. Robert Hoskins; 3. Riley Drickersen; 4. Brayden Tharp.
50 (9-11): 1. Isabella Herrera.
50 OPEN: 1. Nathan Abbott; 2. Cooper Ivie; 3. Robert Hoskins; 4. Dave Walters Jr.; 5. Jesse Lepore.
65 BEG: 1. Nathan Abbott; 2. Nathan Callahan; 3. Jackson Ivie; 4. Ashton Smoot; 5. Connor De La Tora.
65 (0-8): 1. Lux Turner.
65 (9-11): 1. Slade Varola; 2. Jacob Brown; 3. Peyton Marks; 4. Rocco Studer; 5. Erik Roder.
65 OPEN: 1. Slade Varola; 2. Peyton Marks; 3. Rocco Studer; 4. Jacob Brown; 5. Nathan Callahan.
85 BEG: 1. Jake Keiffer; 2. Brian Nolind; 3. Cassidy Mitchell; 4. Ashton Ahr; 5. Hayden Rice.
85 (7-11): 1. Tyler Colvin; 2. Matthew Hammer.
85 (12-13): 1. Kyle Paschal; 2. Mikey Lundin; 3. Jarod Harris; 4. Matthew Malpartida.
85 (14-16): 1. Kyle McCrea.
85 OPEN: 1. Tyler Colvin; 2. Slade Varola; 3. Kyle McCrea; 4. Mikey Lundin; 5. Jake Keiffer.
250 BEG: 1. Dayton Mante; 2. John McDonough; 3. Ryan Ebersbacher.
250 NOV: 1. Brandon Kaupp; 2. Brandon Jennings; 3. Corbin Reinhardt; 4. Austin Thompson; 5. Brian Williams.
450 BEG: 1. Trent Morley; 2. Keith Lofton.
450 NOV: 1. Troy Seeger.
450 INT: 1. Scott Winslow.
450 PRO: 1. Derrick Hernandez.
BIG BIKE OPEN: 1. Derrick Hernandez; 2. Brandon Kaupp; 3. Austin Thompson; 4. Corbin Reinhardt; 5. Daniel Lundin.
WOMEN AM: 1. Mary Ann Seevers; 2. Madison Fletcher.
30+ AM: 1. Rodger Marks; 2. Dorsette Jackson.
30+ PRO: 1. Brandon Doll.
40+ AM: 1. Mark Bowen; 2. Derian Drickersen; 3. Paul Harris; 4. John Marshall.
50+ AM: 1. Denny Ryan; 2. Lonnie Paschal; 3. Troy Seeger; 4. Randy Winslow; 5. Gary Doll.
50+ MASTERS: 1. Garry Conner.
QUADS: 1. Bill Markel; 2. Travis Work; 3. Jon Madden.