VFORCE RACE REPORT – STATELINE GP
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MOTO TASSINARI
MOTO TASSINARI IS THE PREMIER MANUFACTURER OF PERFORMANCE ENHANCING REED VALVES
BAYLOR BAGS A MUDDER ON FATHERS DAY
5 Time National Enduro Champion Steward Baylor drove most of the night from the National MX race in High Point PA to arrive in the Stateline area in the wee hours of Sunday morning to the sound of the pounding rain and the thoughts of another mud race. Throughout his professional career that started in 2009 he has become accustomed to driving long hours, staying up late and racing in the mud and many times rising to the top step of the podium. Stew on the Rocky Mountain ATV MC / Factory Connection KTM got a decent start on Fathers Day in PRO Moto One of the Edelmans Sales GP in the hotly contested FOX RACING J DAY OFF ROAD Championship and knew his main competition would come from the reigning J DAY Champion Simon Johnson on the Plaistow Power Sports / AM PRO / Factory Connection Yamaha who was also enjoying home court advantage as he grew up and lives about 10 miles from the race track. Johnson would show the native of South Carolina around the slick New York hills on lap one and hold the lead throughout most of the second lap but Baylor would take advantage of a better line choice and pass into the lead and set sail to a clear cut victory crossing the BLU CRU Finish line with a 12 second advantage over Johnson. Johnson has been adapting to his new Yamaha throughout these first few rounds and looked solid today to leave Round 5 in New York with a very real chance of defending his crown as he sits only 13 points adrift of points leader Chris Canning. The 2023 Championship is shaping up to be one of our best ever where the top 5 are separated by 35 points and the 10th place rider Cole Daniel is only 56 points out of the lead after 5 of 15 rounds. Another Bennington VT native Gavin Simon showed local knowledge of the terrain was key and took his Edelman’s Sales Husqvarna to third in the moto and Chris Canning on his Factory Connection / MotorBikes Plus Gas Gas was fourth and Brandon Gregoire on his Factory Connection Yamaha rounded out the top five in moto 1. Some great racing happens throughout this class and hard rides were put in by Brayden Nolette the reigning NETRA Hare Scramble Champ on his V3 Kawi for 6th, Round 4 second moto winner Cody Williams on his MotorBikes Plus / Bullit Racing KTM claimed 7th, Nick Casey on the MHR KTM is returning to form and scored 8th, Scott Walker on the Walker Machine KTM continues to improve and was ninth and Cole Daniel rounded out the top 10 in his continued development.
The last moto of the day was the second PRO Moto where money is paid for the Holeshot and Scott Walker and Chris Canning were locked together as the entered the first turn but Canning would win by a nose and collect the check. Canning would get passed by Baylor and Simon Johnson on lap one but got Johnson back on lap two and held off all but Steward Baylor in the moto to finish second and secure 3rd Overall on the day and continue to lead this very close PRO Championship of 2023.
Stew Baylor lives life on his own terms and enjoys his life very much. He is fun to be around and his personality is very welcoming while he is very easy to get to know. He has fans all around the world because he is a successful motorcycle racer but more importantly because he is a fun guy who is very friendly and easy to relate to because he races motorcycles for the same reason we all do…….the FUN Factor. Stew also understands his obligation to his fans and off road fans and this story I am about to tell you is the reason I will be a Steward Baylor fan forever….. It’s the end of the day and the podium interviews have all been said and done, Stew has a 4 hour drive ahead of him and hasn’t had much rest in the last couple nights. He has just won both PRO motos and is tired, hungry and all loaded up in the truck. A man who is a very good friend of mine wanted his picture taken with Stew and is reluctant to ask because he understands what it is to work hard at your job and need some time to be off duty. A friend asks for him and Stew willingly agrees to take the picture and the nice guy that my friend is offers to let Stew stay in the truck and take the picture but Baylor wasn’t having any of that and quickly jumps out of the vehicle to stand by my friend with that big wonderful smile of his and take the picture, exchange some pleasantries and a joke and jumped back in the truck and took off for New Hampshire. A Total Class Act is what Steward Baylor is and I know my friend and I will never forget his kindness, compassion and friendship. You know some say but I don’t hold stock in it that “ Nice Guys Finish Last “ but Steward Baylor showed today in Huntington NY that Nice Guys Finish First and he went out there and controlled the second moto from the first lap to the last after getting by Canning, took the moto win making it look easy on a gnarly course for a double moto win and the Overall at his very first FOX RACING J DAY Off Road race that he intimated on the podium he has been trying to fit into his schedule for many years. Simon Johnson had another solid moto to finish 3rd and stand on the second step of the podium and he was sure to wish his Dad, Jamie who has been a huge part of his successful career, a Happy Fathers Day in his post race interview. Gavin Simon rode to 4th in the second moto and fourth Overall, Brandon Gregoire took 5th in moto 2 and 5th Overall, Brayden Nolette 6th in moto and 6th Overall, Cody Williams 7th for Seventh Overall, 8th in moto 2 and Overall was Nick Casey , 9th in the moto and Overall was Cole Daniel and rounding out the top ten Overall and tenth in the second moto was A Class sensation and local rider from Bennington VT Van Gosselin the second generation racer who is soaring meteorically through the ranks and remember he is doing it at only 15 years old. New England Legend and former Factory Rider and National MX / SX Star Jimmy Decotis showed up on a Trail Jesters KTM to finish just outside the top ten and show a willingness to continue to improve in off road competition as this round defintely favors woods specialists. It was great to see him riding J DAY and we hope to see him more often.
…. And now for the rest of the story
It rained like a mutha the night before Fathers Day and the Kenda Pee Wee Challenge burst out of the starting area like a swarm of angry bees and ready to take on the very muddy and slippery conditions. It was a crazy Forty minute moto that turned into an almost Sixty minute moto after all the young contenders crossed the finish line and the conditions of the track were to blame. Every parent and spectator that lined the track certainly got their exercise today as many bikes and riders had to be pulled from the deep ruts and holes and this was only the first moto on the day. The racing was intense with lots of crashes, getting stuck in the mud and many lead changes as eventual and first time ever winner Jaikan Johnson would tell us on the Red Bull Podium later that morning in a great interview. Tucker Aldrich would engage him in battle and join him on the second step of the podium with Destry Tucker starting to make it a habit to join me on the Red Bull Podium and stood on the third step at Round 5.
The Pee Wee Girls class was won by Sophia Teixeira, Bryan Ramos took top honors in Squirt, Crue Hopkins took the Bantams and Hunter Aubin won the Trail Rider class again.
Super Mini class was won by Trail Jesters KTM rider Jiggs Fustini, Mini A went to DJ Leblanc, Mini B was all Anthony Natale, Trentin Hurley took the top spot in Mini C and Addie Harris earned the Girls Class win after a tough battle from Madison Rougeau who won the first moto and All riders mentioned aboard KTM motorcycles.
The C class overall was won by Joe Kruzewski who also won the 200 class and used the light and nimble small bore bike to come out on top on the tough course. Connor Spellburg took the 250 class and Joe Werner rode to the Open C win.
PRO WOMENS Class featured some great racing and saw Multi time J DAY Champion Savanah Kipp on an Edelans Sales entry stand on the top step of the podium with a prepared list of sponsors just for me she said. The Kippster took a double moto win and being local to the area had a lot of supporters behind her and happy with the outcome. Ruby Fustini took second Overall and Taylor Johnston on her Edelmans KTM returned to racing after injury and stood on the third step today. It was some great racing from these very talented ladies and Addie Harris who won the Womens Amateur class added some excitement as she battled with the PRO riders all day while riding the wheels off her Super Mini entry against the big bikes of her competition. It sure would be great to have Taylor show up more often and it makes this class more exciting when she does and we can’t forget Melony Pickard’s great effort which gives J DAY five of the fastest women racers in the Northeast and it is always more fun when Johnston is around.
Super Senior winner Nate Martel got some competition in the form of former NETRA Enduro stand out Ryan Brown, while the Masters class was won by Rich Desroisers, the C Vet class went to Donald Lawrence on a Honda and Wederson Maximo beat the C Seniors.
Chris Canning took 2-1 scores to the Overall win in the PRO 125 Class beating out Gavin Simon and Brandon Gregoire.
Of Special note in this race was KTM Factory Support rider Flyin’ Ryan Amancio who was actually Third Overall against all the PRO riders and yet the Junior A winner as well.
The B Overall and 250 winner was Shane Czelazwicz , Robbie Webb bagged the 200 win and Jackson Freeman won in B Open to make it an all Yamaha B Podium.
Senior A class was won by Leo Silva while B Vet winner was Jeff Hunt, Emmerson Cayer took the B Senior and Oliver Cortis showed he is adapting well in his move to the big bike and won the Junior B Class and the Spectro Youth Award as well.
In the Vet A class there is always some great racing and today was no different but the moto scores were erratic and it took consistency to win and Dennis Baker would score the win on his KTM. Wassley Teixeira came home second, Migueias Gomes third, Ryan Bliven 4th and rounding out the top 5 was BJ Lanigan.
A 250 winner was also the A Overall winner Van Gosselin who is a very busy young rider doing the PRO 125 Class also and just riding the wheels off his Ronnie’s Cyle / Jon Gosselin prepped KTMs. Dan Desmairas took his Yamaha to the 200 win and Corbin Owens rode a Plaistow Power Sports Yamaha to the Open win.
Challenging track conditions that got better all day and turned Pretty Good at the end, beautiful countryside, intense racing , hardy fans and the special guest appearance of Steward Baylor who worked the PRO Class over and did it with such style and that big wonderful smile that even his stiffest competition was happy that he came and will be even happier that he is Not a series regular. The fans loved him and we sure wish he were a series regular but at least have his promise he’ll be back as soon as he can as he really enjoyed his time at J DAY.
We’ll see you again at Round 6 in Chesire MA on July 2 and until then this is JJ saying “ See You at the Next J DAY “