| ATVA
ITP Moose Racing
National Motocross Series
Round #14 - Ballance Moto X
September 2-3, 2006
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By:
David Screws - ATV Racin' Extra
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"Running
Ragged"
| ATVA
Motocross Nationals
Round #14 - Links |
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Bowling Green, KY - A commitment is a
commitment. Some racers commit to a series but have no
intentions of running all the rounds. Others make a commitment
and thru persistence and perseverance somehow manage to
make all the rounds of a series. Even when that series
is spread from the West Coast to the East Coast and all
points in-between and consist of a grueling, grinding,
wallet gouging, weekend after weekend, month after month,
seemingly endless wave of highways, fast food, and the
best racing in the nation. You, as well as I know that
by the end of the season they’re not only running
on empty but running ragged as well. Below we pay homage
to the few, the proud and the brave amateur and youth
class racers who made every round of the 2006 ITP/Moose
Racing ATVA National Motocross Series. They were a mere
handful of amateurs, only 5 people in 5 separate classes,
two of which ran two separate classes. There are a total
of 19 amateur classes. (This excludes the Pro, Pro/Am
and Youth classes.) There were also five in the youth
classes. Out of the eight youth classes run at the MX
Nationals, only five youth racers participated in every
round in a total of four different classes.
AMATEURS
Ryan Sowers of Zanesville, Ohio didn’t finish
first in the 265-A class. He took an overall 4th in
the points standings when the season came to an end.
One thing he didn’t do was quit, give up, or miss
a round. Gazing down his finishes on the season, he
consistently finished within the top ten in the class
at each round and managed on three occasions to round
out the top three in the class.
One would never expect to see a couple of guys by the
same first name meeting and greeting each other every
time they opened the gates to an ATVA National MX event
all season long. But, Matthew Bremer and Matthew Butler
did. Running in the 4-Stroke B and Production B classes
(these are the two who ran two separate classes all
season long at each and every round), Bremer took back
to his home state of Florida a national championship
in both classes. Butler, a Virginia based racer, held
consistent with numerous top five and podium finishes
in the 4-Stroke B class and finished up the season in
4th overall in the national standings. His performance
in the Production B class clicked his ranking up a notch.
Butler finished 3rd overall in the standings when all
14 rounds were tallied and all throw outs were out the
door.
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#111
Matt Bremer |
#51
Matt Butler |
Most guys who run in the Plus 25 class have jobs, families
and responsibilities out the ying-yang. So does Dane
Heilman of Richland, Indiana but, be that as it may,
he was the only racer in the 25 Plus class to make all
the rounds. His record of wins in this year’s
MX Nationals would impress any would be racer approaching
the Plus classes. With wins in all but three of this
year’s events, Heilman will step up tall and proud
at the banquet to accept his national championship trophy.
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| #7
Dane Heilman |
#1
Heather Byrd |
Heather Byrd, wife of 2006 ATVA National Motocross
Champion Joe Byrd, was not only right by his side all
season long as he struggled to win his first ever championship,
but, she was on a championship mission herself. After
claiming the National Women’s MX title in 2005,
she battled all season long with Angela Butler to see
who would nab the Women’s crown this year. Byrd
fell short by a few points but rallied in the glory
of her husbands championship.
YOUTH
Neal McGrath of Bradenton, Florida came so close to a
Youth Production (13-15) championship he could not only
smell it but he could almost taste it. Losing the top
overall series position by two points, yes, two points
to arch on-track rival Richard Lindsay, McGrath proved
that persistence and consistency can and will put you
on the podium if you’ve got the race stamina and
parents who are willing to sacrifice.
In his inaugural debut on the national circuit, Bren
Marra of Bordentwon, New Jersey had great runs at the
MX Nationals and a few not so great runs. When the tallies
were all said and done, he’d netted eight wins
in the 90 Production Senior (12-15) class and had won
a national championship for himself and his family in
what proved to be a competition escalating experience
for Marra and the other competitors in the 90 Production
Senior brigade.
Marra wasn’t the only one on a crusade in Production
Senior as he was joined by the Laurine Sister’s
(Kristy & Kelsey) from Amity, Pennsylvania. These
young ladies weren’t going to be intimidated in
a male dominant class as they put in consistent finishes
race after race with Kristy securing a fourth place
finish and Kelsey finishing out the year also in the
top ten with a ninth place finish in points.
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| #68
Kristy Laurine |
#281
Kelsey Laurine |
What can you say about a youngster who runs two classes
in the MX Nationals and brings down a fourth place finish
in one class and a second place finish in another class.
The only thing you can say is that Jeremy Ledonne of
Glenshaw, Pennsylvania and his parents made one heck
of a commitment to the MX Nationals and followed through.
Ledonne finished 4th in the highly competitive 70 Production
(6-11) class and 2nd in the 50 Production Auto (6-8)
class.
So there they are, the few, the proud, the weary five
who made them all. Our helmets are off and we salute
Ryan Sowers, Matthew Butler, Matthew Bremer, Dane Heilman,
Heather Byrd, Neal McGrath, Bren Marra, Kristy Laurine,
Kelsey Laurine, and Jeremy Ledonne.
They are true...ATV troopers.
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Fighting for your
Rights
All Terrain Vehicle Association
P.O. Box 800
Pickerington, OH 43147-0800 |
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