BROUGHT TO YOU BY MOTO TASSINARI

MOTO TASSINARI IS THE PREMIER MANUFACTURER OF PERFORMANCE ENHANCING REED VALVES

DEVLIN DESTROYS THE MUDDY MOHAWK

Welcome to the first V FORCE RACE REPORT on our website – the first in a series of race reports that will be posted by Tuesday mornings after each event. This is JJ McGrath the official voice of FOX RACING J DAY OFF ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP and this report is sponsored by the wonderful people from Moto Tassinari. Steve and Scott Tassinari have a rich and long history in New England off road racing starting with their grandfather promoting some of the very first Moto Cross and Scrambles races in New England resulting in both Steve and Scott becoming successful racers and then creating jobs for themselves in the motorcycle industry. Their love of off road and dedication to perfection is what makes V Force Reeds the best in the business. We welcome them as our newest sponsor and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with the company that calls New Hampshire home.

Round 12 of the FOX RACING J DAY OFF ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP was held deep in the Berkshire mountains in an area steeped in motorcycle history in the small hamlet of Lanesborough, Massachusetts. In September of 1973 the 48th running of the ISDT , the precursor to the now ISDE, was held in these same Berkshire mountains. The Phelps family, whose land the CD DAVENPORT TRUCKING Mohawk GP is run on, were spectators for that historical 6 day event and their love of motorcycle racing took hold and four generations have continued to be enthusiasts. Many J DAY events have been run on this farm and have been supported by the Hoosac Valley Motorcycle Club that has its roots in this area since 1953 and were supporters of the ISDT. The history that has been made right here in Lanesborough has impacted the motorcycle world significantly as it was the first place a water cooled motorcycle was raced on American soil when the Honda Factory brought Ron Sun and Richie Coon out to race an NESC event at the old Lanesborough MX track. That track also saw a few National and even International stars of 1970’s Moto Cross.

The excitement I feel when I arrive in this area makes me feel like a kid again as my memory flashes back to those glory days when I was a competitor at the old MX track and my fond memory of the clipping I still have that my Grandmother gave me of the story in the Boston Globe about that 1973 ISDT with the picture of one of my heroes including “ KING “ Richard Burleson, the 8 time US National Enduro Champion. No matter how many times I go back to the Berkshires the feeling is magical.

The magic was in full effect just after 8 AM on Sunday October 18, 2021 as Michael Hupfer, JR pulled the first holeshot of the day to lead the once a day 40 minute Kenda Pee Wee Championship moto. His lead would be short lived as Landon Hedquist would make a move on the first lap for first and Grant Meacham would pass for 2nd and Trevor Harris got around for 3rd. The boys would settle in for a four-rider freight train for much of the 40 minutes. Places were challenged and passes made but 2 of the biggest were Meacham for the lead at half distance, a win in the making and Trevor Harris late in the race to get around Hedquist for 2nd. Grant Meacham was victorious with Harris 2nd, Hedquist 3rd, Hupfer 4th and Connor Cristofori 5th in the Pee Wee Senior division and the start of some great racing on this crazy wet weather day in mid-October.

Chase Eisnor ripped the holeshot from the Big Wheel/ Mini A line and set sail to lead for a lap until Ryan Amancio would make a strong move for the lead that he held for much of the 1st of two 30 minute motos that all the other classes run. Amancio’s main competition all year has been Van Gosselin who suffered from a poor start in slippery conditions from the torrential downpours the day before. Gosselin would pick his way through the crowd and pull out all the stops to make a pass late on the last lap for the win. Gosselin would make it much easier on himself in Moto 2 as he pulled the holeshot and led Amancio home for the win yet again. In Mini A action Kamden Krause would make a move in Moto 1 on early leader Eisnor and bring home the win with a 2nd Moto victory. Colton McQuarrie competed for the first time in the A division and would come away with 3rd overall. The young rider from New Hampshire on his Freedom Cycle Yamaha is definitely one to watch in the next few years. In this same moto the Girl’s class was conquered by Addison Harris with a double moto win and in doing so picked up a big check from CT Eastern Builders for $50.

Drew Dimauro was the C Class overall winner on the day with Leandro Ramirez and Max Lempke rounding out the overall C podium.

The Super Senior class was won by a local guy from Pownal, Vermont, Nate Martel, who has been the Champion in this class for every year in recent memory and sports a long undefeated streak. Nate has been a racer for most of his 50 plus years and still is one of the fastest J DAY racers over 30 years of age. The C VET Class win went to double moto winner Julio Lubiana. In just his first ever year of racing he leads the championship and will be a B class rider soon. This moto also has the Woman’s Amateur Class where Ruby Fustini would come home a double moto winner and earn the $100 prize donated by CT Eastern Builders.

My hat goes off to the two brave entries in the Masters class: Mike Hauser and Gary Czarnecki with each taking a moto win and Hauser earning the class win.

On to the hotly contested Vet A/ Senior A Class where “Kawboy” Clint Angwin, on his HK Powersports Kawasaki, would beat Wasley Teixera on a Cliff’s Cycles KTM for the overall in the Vet class and Alex Silva would score both moto wins in the Senior class over Grant Carter on his Bullit Racing/ MBP KTM. In this same set of motos the Junior B class also runs and Silva had a chance to be in the same moto as his son Ryan Amancio who was competing in his first ever Junior B race on a much bigger bike than the diminutive rider is used to. Ryan would show well in his big bike debut with 9th overall. You really had to do your math to determine the JR B Class winner where it was Patrick Gougeon claiming the win over Corbin Owens and Andrew Veit.

Andrew Enman would win the JR A Class and he would not be the only big winner from the great state of Pennsylvania. Shelby Turner would be crowned Queen of the Woman’s Pro Class.

This was a day where half the battle was making it through the pits to the starting line due to unheard of muddy, sloppy conditions brought on by copious amounts of water falling heavily from the sky. To say this race day was a Mudder was an accurate account but it did not dampen the spirits of the tough competitors who embrace these conditions and endure these hard days as much as they relish the good days. The weather made the track treacherous in places and we had our issues with the law just at the close of the first Pro Moto when the local authorities shut down the event until cars parked along Highway 7 were moved because they were a hazard to the traffic traveling that route. Through the efforts of series originator John Day and owner Ethan Broatch on the two way radios asking people to move their vehicles, and then, long time series announcer, yours truly, continually hounding the wrongly parked, the great J DAY Off Road fans complied with the wishes of the authorities and moved all the vehicles to safer locales. Within 45 minutes the race continued – to coin the famous saying; “The show must go on !”

And what a show it was in the highly anticipated Pro Class where another Pennsylvania rider would shine. Coming into round 12 Robby Marshall lead the championship battle over Simon Johnson and the defending champ Tegan Temple just a few points back still in title contention. In a very bad turn of events Temple took to social media just prior to the event and stated he would miss the race and basically take himself right back out of the title fight due to a bout with Covid 19. Our thoughts are with you my tall friend and we hope to have you back at the Finale in Southwick MA on Halloween.

The Factory Beta racer from Pennsylvania, Thorn Devlin, made another FOX RACING J DAY OFF ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP appearance and left the Mohawk GP with a smile and a big, fat check. In Moto 1 Simon Johnson went to work on his Trail Jesters KTM and did the job he set out to do which was to beat Robby Marshall and in doing so he beat the rest of the field as well. Devlin would keep Johnson honest with a strong second and Marshall on the Crow Hill MX/ SHIFT / MBP KTM would do a little damage control with a third. 

The FMF Xtreme section was a gnarly downhill section that featured an 8 foot granite cliff drop off as well as a 5 footer and a 3 footer. The landings from these launches were surrounded by the Berkshire’s fabled hard wood trees not to mention slick newly fallen leaves and would separate many a rider from their desired line and some from their mounts completely. 

Moto 1 saw the return to racing of multi time NETRA and J DAY Sprint Enduro Champion Jason Klammer on an Edelman’s KTM 300 and though he has only 3 hours riding time on his new KTM  bike he ran strong all moto to bring it home in 4th. Rounding out the top 5 was MHR/ POR rider Nate Smith.

PRO Moto 2 was all Thorn Devlin on his Factory Beta from the start to the checkered flag finish. Simon Johnson rode the Trail Jesters KTM to second in moto two and second overall to keep his championship hopes alive. Robby Marshall showed why he is a former champion of this series and several others as he nursed his ailing KTM to third in the moto and overall. Marshall damaged the radiator on the second lap and the orange machine spewed steam right up until the final lap when there was no coolant to make steam with and the engine hanging on barely with the power so diminished by the final lap that the bike could hardly make the uphills. The veteran kept on slip sliding away to claim 3rd overall on the day and retain his points lead in this 2021 FOX RACING J DAY OFF ROAD PRO CHAMPIONSHIP. 

In moto 2 Klammer was running a strong 4th again but, late in the moto, would collect a rock wedged against his countershaft sprocket which he said was actually shooting off sparks. This begs the question; does the Berkshire geology lend itself to flint rock? In any event Klammer reluctantly pulled out of the race and headed to the pits. This would leave Nick Casey on his MHR KTM with a great ride to 4th and he would capture 4th overall on the day. Cole Daniel on a P27 Yamaha would enjoy a great finish in 5th in Moto 2 and 6th overall and it would be MHR/POR racer Nate Smith bringing it home in 7th in the moto and 5th overall for this Mohawk GP.

This championship will go down to the wire on October 31st in Southwick Massachusetts and you are going to want to be there I can assure you. The GNCC will have completed its season and many National stars will be in attendance including none other than 5-time J DAY Off Road Champion (who was just crowned GNCC National XC 2 Champion) Johnny Girroir, the Southwick native, will be lining up to race. Ben Kelley should be there as well and hopefully it will be with the Number One plate for the XC 1 Title attached to his Factory KTM. Rest assured it will be great racing at the 2021 Finale on Halloween.

Until then this is JJ saying See You At the Next FOX RACING J DAY OFF ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP !!!!!

SOONER SMOOTHER STRONGER POWER @WWW.MOTOTASSINARI.COM