MS State Championship

Golden Pine Raceway

Story by Roy Jenkins

Photos by 2wheelcommunications.com

Prentiss, MS – September 28, 2008

Randy Rector and family put together another "amazing race" at this long, fast, hilly, pro-style track in Southern Mississippi. The 2^nd annual MS state Championship and AMA Pro-Am was proof that, despite the bad news in the economy, the MX community in the Deep South is alive and well. The smell of fried catfish, chicken, shrimp and the usual hamburgers and funnel cakes wafted through the cool air to give the ambience of a state fair. Title sponsor Vanderpool Family Motorsports and presenting sponsor True Blue Deodorizer provided the financial base, Red Bull offered the hospitality, the vendors the vittles and the racers the entertainment. And entertainment it was! Jeremey Domingue had a sensational day after having spent a couple weeks training with Trampas Parker. He took his Honda of Lafayette to victories in the 4 stroke Amateur, Youth, Open MX and Lites B classes, but not without challenges from other fast riders.

In the second race Mitch Gourney held the lead in the Lites B class until late in the race when he replayed his Ponca experience and crashed, leaving Domingue and Justin Summers to parry and thrust through the turns. Domingue held on until the last downhill before the finish line where Summers made the pass and stole the first moto. Summers showed he is ready to represent Florida in the Nationals on the big bikes after only his second race out of the mini class. Another rider fresh out of the mini class borrowed a 250 (from Mark Lowry) for the very first time and finished fourth - Skylar Phillips from Baton Rouge. Got Gear’s Mason Hume was able to take his new Loretta Confidence and parlay it into third. Texan Blake Hamilton scored fifth, just in front of AL’s Heath Harrison who later gave Domingue fits in the MX class. See what I mean? It was like that all day, with pro prospects and top riders from several states clashing in the bright Mississippi sun.

The very next race pitted 22 A riders vying for some of the $5,500.00 cash purse and the number 1 plates. Last year’s MS State Champ, Johnny Moore, just out of the amateur class since last month’s top ten finishes at Loretta’s took his Got Gear/True Blue Kawasaki after some cash, but had to climb up from a poor start, while Domingue’s teammate Michael Royal got the holeshot and checked out. Home boy Kyle Gills put his new Supercross experience to work and slipped into second, followed by Rashidi Kerrison, Justin Kelly, Nate Whitlow, Dustin Gills and Moore. Royal played keep-a-way as he extended his lead and won by a mile (it seemed), with Gills, Tevin Tapia, Moore, Whitlow and Justin Freund rounding out the top five.

J. J. Kepley dominated the 65 (7-9) class while McElroy won in the (10-11). Kepley went on to take his KTM to victory over McElroy in the 65 Open.

Tyler Stewart, the highest finishing Loretta mini rider in the LA/MS corridor had his hands full with arch-rival Jon-murry Barr and Aaron Sanchez. Stewart took his Yamaha out early in the first moto of the Supermini class but went down in the giant whoop section and could not restart. This left Sanchez to apply serious pressure to Barr until he, too went down leaving Sanchez the victory on his Pro Flo/Raceworks Suzuki. Kolby Marchand took his Raceworks Suzuki into second, while Team Green’s Stone Edler, who recently won a championship at Ponca in a 65 class, finished third, giving LA the whole podium in the first moto.

This led us to the all important MX A class where Pro Prospects from 11 different states went to battle. Seemingly, the rider to beat was Texan Michael Royal fresh off his crushing victory in the Lites class on his Honda of Lafayette. This time Moore got off first, followed by fellow MS riders Kyle Gills and Jake Lowry. Trampas Parker protégé’ and soon to be MS rider Nate Whitlow, Dustin Gills and Royal gave chase. As the race evolved, Whitlow passed Gills, and then Moore went down. Whitlow smelled blood and hustled to the flag, while Royal moved up into a "Gills sandwich," Kyle in front and Dustin in back, to complete the first moto.

In other action Florida riders Eddie Ray split motos with girlfriend Jessica Patterson in the 25+ class and won the overall. Patterson easily won the Women's Pro class. Texan Kaitlyn Morrow won the girl's class. Walter Bartran of Pro-Flo Kawasaki and Glen Myatt of Hattiesburg Cycles continued their rivalry of racer/dealers with Bartran winning in the 30+ class. Scotty Hubbard continues to be the fastest MS rider in the +40, while High School MX leaders Hoot Parker and Mac Edmonston took second and third for LA. Harold Glissen inspired the crowd by taking fourth despite his handicap of riding with one arm!

The second motos were equally exciting, such as Jeremy Domingue coming back to win in the Lites B to take the win back from Justin Summers. Johnny Moore stalked Michael Royal until Royal got tired and  made a mistake giving the victory to Moore in the second moto of the Lites A class. Behind Moore was Tevin Tapia, Royal, Whitlow and GA’s Jermaine Duncan.

Barr and Stewart got reacquainted in the second moto of the Supermini class and fought all the way to the finish line where Barr won by a bike length to take the overall. Sanches took third followed by Edler and Marchand.

Moore won the victory in the second moto of the MX A class, but Royal scored second which was enough to win the overall and the championship. Whitlow got second with his 1-4, then Tapia’s 8-3 and Billy Nelson’s 6-5.

For more information on upcoming races or complete results log on to www.goldenpineraceway.com. For pictures, related events, links and other news of Central Gulf Coast MX racing look at www.2wheelcommunications.com.

Results:

50 Oil: 1. Braeden Brantley (KTM); 2. Kimble Jet (Cob); 3. Paxton Edmondson (Cob); 4. Jacob Freeman (Cob); 5. Macy McKinney (Hon).

50 (4-6): 1. Brice Quick (Cob); 2. Isaac Dotson (Cob); 3. Colby Cothern (KTM); 4. Kimble Jett (Cob); 5. Tucker Freeman (Cob).

50 (7-8): 1. Drew Drennan (KTM); 2. Dave Myatt (KTM); 3. Blake Montpelier (Cob); 4. Evan Chisholm (KTM); 5. Benjamin Freeman (Kaw).

50 OPEN: 1. Drew Drennan (KTM); 2. Blake Montpelier (Cob); 3. Dave Myatt (KTM); 4. Hunter Smith (Cob); 5. Gabe Clark (Cob).

65 BEG: 1. Blake Montpelier (KTM); 2. Austin Romero (KTM); 3. Ashton Castjohn (KTM); 4. Conner Lawrence (Suz); 5. Will Chisholm (KTM).

65 (7-9): 1. J. J. Kepley (KTM); 2. Hank Vann (KTM); 3. Trevor Dunn (Kaw); 4. Chandler Abney (KTM); 5. Dave Myatt (KTM).

65 (10-11): 1. Scott McElroy (KTM); 2. Chase Desselle (KTM); 3. Landry Lyle (Kaw); 4. Aaron Bozeman (Kaw); 5. Hunter Sparnecht (Kaw).

65 OPEN: 1. J. J. Kepley (KTM); 2. Scott McElroy (KTM); 3. Hank Vann (KTM); 4. Chase Desselle (KTM); 5. Peyton Whately (KTM).

85 BEG: 1. Gains Baker (Hon); 2. Dillon Suire (Hon); 3. Aaron Bozeman (Yam); 4. Cordell Rutland (KTM); 5. Hunter Carmichael (Suz).

85 (9-11); 1. Stone Edler (Kaw); 2. Hunter Hilton (Suz); 3. Gage Bloodworth (KTM); 4. Scott McElroy (KTM); 5. Austin Mire (Suz).

85 (12-16): 1. Tyler Stewart (Yam); 2. Aaron Sanchez (Suz); 3. Jon-murry Barr (KTM); 4. Kolby Marchand (Suz); 5. Austin Doucet (Suz).

85 (9-13) OPEN: 1. Tyler Stewart (Yam); 2. Jon-murry Barr (KTM); 3. Stone Edler (Kaw); 4. Hunter Hilton (Suz); 5. Mitchell Suire (Suz).

85 SUPERMINI: 1. Aaron Sanchez (Suz); 2. Stone Edler (Kaw); 3. Kolby Marchand (Suz); 4. Gatlin Hubbard (Suz); 5. Chuck Layerle (KTM).

YOUTH (12-16): 1. Jeremy Domingue (Hon); 2. Jason Langford (Kaw); 3. Blake Hamilton (Hon); 4. Ky Thames (KTM); 5. Bender Smith (Hon).

COLLEGEBOY: 1. Billy Nelson (Hon); 2. Ky Thames (KTM); 3. Skylar Phillips (Kaw); 4. Joshua Ballard (KTM).

GIRLS (9-13): 1. Kaitlyn Marrow (Suz); 2. Josie Brown (Kaw); 3. Karlee Huff (KTM); 4. Aspen Neely (Yam).

WOM 12+: 1. Jordan Stewart (Suz); 2. Raven Bertrand (Hon); 3. Courtney Gerald (Hon); 4. Kaylan Hudson (Yam).

WOM PRO: 1. Jessica Patterson (Hon); 2. Courtney Gerald (Hon); 3. Lindsey Mooney (Suz); 4. Haley Warm (Yam).

250 LITES D: 1. Will Alexander (Hon); 2. Zac Sullivan (Kaw); 3. Eric Woodlard (KTM); 4. Trent Eldridge (Yam); 5. Jacob Russell (Hon).

250 LITES C: 1. Andy Pizzitola (Kaw); 2. Nate Martin (Hon); 3. Ty Jones (Hon); 4. Mitchell Suire (Suz); 5. Miles Cook (Kaw).

250 LITES B: 1. Jeremy Domingue (Hon); 2. Justin Summers (Kaw); 3. Heath Harrison (Kaw); 4. Skylar Phillips (Kaw); 5. Mason Hume (Yam).

250 LITES A: 1. Michael Royal (Hon); 2. Johnny Moore (Kaw); 3. Tevin Tapia (Kaw); 4. Nathan Whitlow (Yam); 5. Jake Lowry (Hon).

OPEN MX D: 1. Zac Sullivan (Kaw); 2. Shelby Rayner (Kaw); 3. Jason Anderson (Hon); 4. Kyle Hudson (Kaw).

OPEN MX C: 1. Andy Pizzitola (Kaw); 2. Nate Martin (Hon); 3. Ty Jones (Hon); 4. Charles Kelly (Yam); 5. Brandon Huff (Yam).

OPEN MX B: 1. Jeremey Domingue (Hon); 2. Heath Harrison (Kaw); 3. Mason Hume (Yam); 4. Roy Barrios (Hon); 5. Zachary Lott (Kaw).

OPEN MX A: 1. Michael Royal (Hon); 2. Nathan Whitlow (Yam); 3. Tevin Tapia (Kaw); 4. Billy Nelson (Hon); 5. Jake Lowry (Hon).

4 STRK OPEN AM: 1. Jeremy Domingue (Hon); 2. Heath Harrison (Kaw); 3. Zachary Lott (Kaw); 4. Roy Barrios (Hon); 5. Nate Martin (Hon).

+25: 1. Eddie Ray (Kaw); 2. Jessica Patterson (Hon); 3. Joshua Perks (Yam); 4. Klint Forrester (Hon); 5. Glenn Hebert (Kaw).

+30: 1. Walter Bartran (Kaw); 2. Glen Myatt (Kaw); 3. Joel White (?); 4. James Nicholson (Yam); 5. Harold Glissen (Yam).

+35: 1. Glen Myatt (Kaw); 2. Mac Edmonston (Kaw); 3. James Nicholson (Yam); 4. Harold Glissen (Yam); 5. Tim Alexander (Hon).

+40: 1. Scotty Hubbard (Yam); 2. Hoot Parker (Hon); 3. Mac Edmonston (Kaw); 4. Harold Glissen (Yam); 5. Mark Lowry (Kaw).