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Root River Racing

Root River Racing’s Loretta's Mtn Dew ATV MX Report
Brandon O'Neill Takes Two Overall Wins at Loretta Lynn’s

2015 AMA ATV Motocross
Round 10 - Links

La Crosse, WI (8/28/2015) - Root River Racing wrapped up the 2015 season at round ten of the Mtn. Dew AMA ATV MX National Championship. Racing was held at the legendary track on Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, TN. All together, the team seized seven podium finishes, with Brandon O'Neill being responsible for two of those after his dominating weekend in the youth classes.

Root River Racing’s Brandon O'Neill finished the 2015 season on a strong note by winning all four motos and the overalls in 90 Open Sr. and 90 Shifter. “Both first motos I was second out of the holeshot. I passed my way back up, pulled the lead, and checked out. Second motos I was around fourth out of the holeshot and worked my way back to first and ended up winning. I had a couple good battles,” stated O Neill.

Root River Racing ATV Motocross Racing
Brandon O'Neill

In Supermini, O'Neill took sixth overall, and in Youth All Star he took seventh overall at Loretta’s. “This season went really well, even better than I thought. I couldn’t have done it without Rich Gillette. I’m looking forward to next years challenges,” said O'Neill.

Megan Manshack represented Root River Racing in the Women’s class. After wrapping up the championship at round nine, Manshack finished the season by clinching both moto wins to take her eighth overall win this season.

Root River Racing ATV Motocross Racing
#1 Megan Manshack

“ I couldn’t have ended the season any better. My goal this year was just to ride a more consistent season and I’m really excited to have reached my goal. Next year I’ll be going for championship number three. I have to say thanks to Rich Gillette. He has supported me since 2013, and he’s going to continue to help me out for next year. I wouldn’t be here without him,” explained Manshack.

Sam Rowe ended the season with solid rides and two podium finishes. In Pro Am, Rowe went 3-3 for third overall and in Pro Sport Rowe went 1-3 for second. “I had all those problems in the beginning of the year but I just kept my head down and kept working at it. I closed out the season with five straight podiums, and I couldn’t be more happy with that. Next year I’m going to be jumping up to the Pro class and will continue to run Pro Am. I’d like thank the whole team at Root River Racing, I wouldn’t be here without them,” said Rowe.

Root River Racing ATV Motocross Racing
Sam Rowe

Dylan Tremellen finished fourth in Pro Am. “I had decent starts and held my own behind the leaders. I just rode my own race. Everyone in that class is fast, so being in the top five is awesome, and finishing top five in the year is pretty cool as well,” stated Tremellen. In Pro Sport, Tremellen had an incident in the first moto but still pushed through for a decent seventh overall finish. “The first moto I actually flipped in the lead and went to the back of the pack but caught back up and passed some people to get twelfth. Then I got fourth the second moto,” explained Tremellen. As he reflected back on the year and his future plans, Tremellen said, “I had a lot of stuff going on this year, so it was a tough year trying to get to the races, but we made it work. We have a lot of stuff in the works for the winter. I’ll get to ride all winter long so that will help out a lot. Next year we are going to stay in the same classes and try to get some championships.”

In the highly competitive Production A class, Haedyn Mickelson rode his Root River Racing bike to a second place overall. Mickelson took second in moto one, and third in moto two. In moto one of 450 A, Mickelson was running in fifth until the third lap where he ran into issues and dropped to seventeenth. In the second moto, Mickelson rebounded to finish third which salvaged him a ninth place overall.

Root River Racing ATV Motocross Racing
Haedyn Mickelson

Bubba Hicks also competed in the A classes, where he had strong rides to finish out the season. In 450 A, Hicks went 5-6 for fifth place overall. In Production A, Hicks finished seventh in moto one. In moto two Hicks ran into trouble on the third lap, which took him out of the race and caused him to finish ninth overall.

Tyler Mack competed in the B classes, where he nabbed two top five finishes. “Saturday in 450 B I had a good holeshot. I got passed for fourth at the end of the first lap, but got third place back at the end of the third lap. On Sunday I didn’t get the best holeshot and made a mistake to drop a position into fifth. I stayed there for fifth place overall. In Production B I grabbed the holeshot with my teammate Tommy Vossman right behind me, but I got hung up on a berm the first lap and lost the lead. I stayed in second for the rest of the race. On Sunday I had some problems with the bike and ended up sixth for fifth overall,” said Mack.

Alex Gillette competed in Production B where he took sixth place overall. “First moto I got a decent holeshot and just moved up in the pack to take seventh. The second moto I got fifth place for sixth overall,” explained Gillette. In 450 B, Gillette took third place the first moto, but issues during the second moto held him back from the finish he was looking for. “Moto two I was about to pass for the lead, but a kicker messed me up and made me fumble the corner. Since it was in the first part of the race and everyone was so close, everyone went right around me,” said Gillette, who would consequently take eleventh on the second moto for ninth overall.

Root River Racing ATV Motocross Racing
Alex Gillette

According to Gillette, it was a fun season and he looks forward to next year, “I tried my best, and I didn’t really plan on doing anything spectacular because I missed some rounds with an injury. I haven’t really gotten my full speed back but I’m still getting faster. This winter I’m moving to Texas, and next year I’m doing college and an A class.”

Tommy Vossman went 3-7 for seventh overall in Open B. “I had a pretty decent start and got third the first moto. Then on Sunday I didn’t get the best start, and I made some mistakes to put me back in seventh,” explained Vossman. In Production B, Vossman went 5-9 for tenth overall. “It was a wild year with a lot of ups and downs, but I put my head down and it was fun. I appreciate everything the Root River Racing team has done for me, and I’m ready to get working for next year in a couple weeks,” said Vossman.

Root River Racing ATV Motocross Racing
Tommy Vossman

Johannah Vossman made her big return to the Mtn. Dew ATV Nationals at Loretta Lynn’s after she had been sidelined with an injury she sustained in a crash earlier this season. Vossman put in a solid ride, going 4-4 to take third place overall in the Schoolgirl class.

Root River Racing ATV Motocross Racing
Johannah Vossman

The season has now came to a close, but the Root River Racing team had a very successful year. The team will be working hard over the offseason, and will return in 2016 faster and stronger than before.

2015 Root River Racing Team Sponsors:
Rich Gillette Owner La Crescent Wine & Spirits, Race Team Specialist, RAGE ATV Racing, Motowoz, Pepsi, Rath Racing, FTR Powersports, JB Racing, FLY Racing, Fourwerx, Instituforn, ITP, C&L Powder Coating, 100%, DP Brakes, Yoshimura, Racedaypix, Glann Innovations, Thorson Graphics, Trimble’s Cycle Center, Moto Hose, RPM, Rod’s Powersports, Streamline, Racing for Cancer, Severson Oil Company, DWT, Powermadd, PT Welding, WORKS Connection

Root River Racing

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