Offroad Motorcycle and ATV Nationals 2008 OMA Racing Series Round #9 - Memphis, Missouri Moonshine XC October 4th, 2008

Photos and Story By: John Gasso

OMA ATV Racing Links Round 9 - Moonshine XC Race Results

Bryan Hulsey blasted through the creek at Memphis, Missouri headed for his third consecutive OMA Nationals victory. The Washington, Missouri racer finished just six seconds ahead of series championship rival Rob Zimmerman.

Memphis, MO - Mid America MX Park near Memphis, Missouri was the site for round nine of the Parts Unlimited OMA Nationals Series. Racers were presented with near perfect conditions in the woods for the Maxxis Moonshine GP. The PJ-1 K&K Honda of St. Louis racer John Pitts blasted off the starting line to capture the holeshot on his first foray in the OMA pro ranks. Pitts wrapped up the A Class championship at the previous event, so he chose to run the final two races as a pro. Fellow Dirtworks Performance racer Bryan Hulsey chased Pitts for two laps before taking over the lead. Hulsey finished the race with his Duncan International EBC Brakes Honda just six seconds ahead of the Team Honda Research machine of Rob Zimmerman. Pitts rounded out the all Moose Racing podium with third place. Curt DeMay picked up fourth place aboard his Gieson Motorsports Moose Racing Yamaha and Plus Thirty privateer racer Thryce Hathcock picked up fifth overall with his Fenton, Missouri based Honda.

Former OMA Nationals series champion Rob Zimmerman was hanging it out all day in an effort to defeat Bryan Hulsey at the Maxxis Moonshine GP. Zimmerman finished the race with a six second deficit.	John Pitts paid a visit to the OMA Nationals pro class at the Moonshine GP. The A class champion is moving to pro for the final two events and came away with third place at this race.

Bryan Hulsey had another solid ride at the Moonshine GP. He said “It was a good ride. I got out behind John right off the start. He was riding a really good pace. We came in to a field section and he kind of moved over and let me have it there on like the third lap. He led the first two laps. He was really riding good, riding hard.” The Missouri Hare scrambles champion picked up the pace aboard his Duro Tires UM Performance Honda in an effort to put some time between Pitts and Himself. The pace was quick, but Hulsey admitted “I guess I settle in to too slow of a pace sometimes, because Rob caught me. He put a good pass on me in a field.” After the hard charging Honda of Zimmerman caught him off guard it was time for Hulsey to step it up or finish second. He said “about half a lap later I knew if I was going to get him back I had to get him right away. So, I out-broke him in the next field. I started riding pretty hard after that. I stretched out a little bit of a lead. I knew at the end there I needed not to throw it away, so I backed down and just made sure I made it to the finish.”

The racing was tight at the OMA round nine event. This late race image shows Rob Zimmerman barely trailing winner Bryan Hulsey.

Former series champion Rob Zimmerman had a poor start and played catch up all day. Zimmerman discovered his kill switch was off while trying to start his race. “I turned that on, and it starts now,” he admitted. With the start behind him it was time for the man from Ohio to get to the front of the pack. “I used a passing line right after the finish line to pass Curt DeMay” recalled Zimmerman. “We got out on the first straightway and I passed Kyle Turnis there. I got up on fourth place and went to pass him and Shane (Gaunt). Some stick or something hit me and threw me right in a tree. Everyone went by me again,” so it was catch up time again for Zimmerman. He managed to get around most of the pack again when another stick tried to ruin his day. According to Zimmerman “I went to take a different line around the mud hole. The next thing I know, there’s a stick about three inches in diameter sticking out of the front of my quad. It caught a tree and sucked me right in to the tree.” Another recovery had Zimmerman through the pack and hot on the rear fender of Hulsey blasting across a very fast grass track section. “We contacted, my quad came up in the air a little bit. He let off just a hair and I just kept it wide open.” The pass stuck for a while but. Zimmerman lamented, “I bobbled a little bit.”

::CONTINUED::

::Page 1:: 2