Miss/Lou/Al Challenge Cup

Wildwood Motocross Track

Story & photos by Roy Jenkins

Kentwood, LA – February 10, 2008

Which state has the fastest racers between Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama? That’s the question that the Miss/Lou/Al Cup 3 race series attempts to answer. Last year it was the 1^st annual Miss/Lou Challenge Cup and LA won by a slim margin in the two race series. It was held at the best tracks near the border of the two states: Kentwood, MS and Prentiss, MS. This year the three race series began in AL at LAMX and the home team finished just behind MS in points, with LA a distant third due to a low turnout. The second race was held in LA at Wildwood MX in Kentwood and the "Bayou Boys" roared back to gain points on MS, with a low turnout from AL.

This second round began as a cool, crystal clear day, on a well-prepped, moist track with just under 300 entries in Kentwood, LA. The southern-most rider of the field, T-Don Lerille, from Larose, LA got the holeshot in the 65 Open class with MS riders J.J. Kepley, Landry Lyle and Scott McElroy giving chase. Lerille held on for the win, followed by Kepley and McElroy.

Lerille again scored the holeshot and the win in the second moto in front of Knight, Kepley, McElroy, Lyle and the steadily improving Logan Matherne.

Taylor Watts exploded off the gate first on her new D&G Suzuki en route to an unchallenged 2 moto sweep in the Women’s class. Chris Craft scored double moto victories in the +25 class although he is 38 years old.

The most interesting races of the day were in the combined Expert and Intermediate classes. Although the A riders were given a head start off the gate, it was Johnny Moore who caught up to them from the B group and picked off the money riders one by one. He usually caught all but the top 3 or 4, whether it was the Lites or the Open class motos. Moore used a combination of superior conditioning, skill and the super-fast Got Gear Kawasaki's, racking up points for MS.

The front runners in the Open MX A class were Champion Cycle Center riders Tyler Begue and Dustin Manuel from LA against MS rider Zack Lawler. Behind Moore in the B class were MS riders Hunter Stewart, Zachary Lott, Carey Smith and Tyler Hancock. LA riders Roy Barrios and Chris St. Pierre mixed it up with Paul Ragon. At the finish line Begue held off the charges of a close-finishing Lawler out in front of the confusion, while Moore had burned his way through the A class while checking out from his class a few straights back.

Begue again got out front early in the second moto of the 450’s in front of Manuel and Lawler. As expected "The Green Hornet," Johnny Moore jumped the B class off the gate and was gone in a green flash. Lawler went on to win the second moto in front of Manuel and Begue. Moore swept the B class with Tyler Hancock making an impressive return to racing in second. Stewart, Ragon and Lott rounded out the top five overall.

The only rider to beat Johnny Moore all day was Jeremey Domingue in the first moto of the Open MX Am class. Domingue served notice right away that he was not intimidated with some bumping in turn two to take back the lead very early in the race. Riding the ragged edge on his Honda of Lafayette, Domingue kept the lead from Moore as the curios Moore checked out all his lines from his tail pipe. Back behind them fighting over the scraps were Tyler Hancock, Grant Bourgeois, Ross Dimm and Paul Ragon. Carey Smith worked his way to third after a bad start. As they approached the finish line, Moore tried the outside rut, but Domingue dug in hard and deep on the inside and squirted to the win to win valuable points for LA. Hancock and Smith crossed the finish line behind Moore twenty seconds later giving MS third through fifth.

Moore got the better start in the second moto with Domingue stuck behind a determined Carey Smith. Smith went down on the next lap, giving Domingue clear track to Moore, but the Green Hornet had built up an insurmountable lead to win the second moto and the overall. Smith finally got back into the race after losing four positions and worked his way behind Grant Bourgeois and Tyler Hancock. Ross Dimm brought his Racing Innovations Kawasaki out of nowhere up into third.

MS roared back in the very next moto with top speedsters Jon-murry Barr and Dylan Probst jumping out early in the 85 (12-15) class. LA rider Chuck Layerle went down in turn one, hanging LA’s hopes on Aaron Sanches who took over third. Barr began to slip away from the pack on his Hattiesburg Cycles KTM, but Sanches turned on the jets and soared into second to give chase. AL rider Patrick Lods led the double-gated (7-11) class in front of T-Don Lerille and Ashton Knight. Barr beat Sanches to the finish line by four seconds. Lods beat Lerille to the finish by a little more in the (7-11) class.

Barr "beamed himself up" into the lead in the second moto as well, while Probst, Kolby Marchand and Aaron Sanches got their game on. Patrick Lods again got in front of the (7-11) class, with Ashton Knight second and Landry Lyle recovering from a mediocre start. Sanches again wicked it up a notch to move into position to chase Barr out front. At the finish it was Barr, Sanches, Probst and Marchand. Less than a minute later Lods lead the younger class across in front of Lyle and Lerille.

LA rider Stuart McAvoy was the rider to beat in the Senior +40 class, while the oldest rider, 52 year old Mike Alf spotted the whole class a straight-a-way. Why? I dunno? Craig Connelly pushed his Suzuki into second and fought with David Husband for a lap, while Randy Fairburn went off the track. McAvoy cruised to victory on his G & N Honda, with Husband finishing second despite shifter problems. Fairburn pushed past the resurgent Mike Alf for third.

Fairburn jumped out early on his new electric start KTM in the second moto, with McAvoy second, Connelly, Ronnie Ray and David Husband rounding out the top five. "McDaddy" McAvoy made the pass into the lead on the next lap, in front of Fairburn and Husband winning the race looking smooth on his new CRF 450.

The exciting Youth (12-16) class showcased the fastest teenagers of the region. LA up-and-comers Brett Bourg and Sam Landry locked up early in the battle for the lead. By the end of the first lap Jeremey Domingue had fought his way up into third, followed by Hunter Stewart, Alex Ray, Jude Patterson, Kirby Dodd, Roy Barrios, Brandon Pickell and Jon-murry Barr on the mini-bike. Landry stuck a foot-peg in a rut and flipped off his bike, becoming the first casualty of the race. Domingue took his Honda of Lafayette to victory, with Borg and Ray finishing close together in second and third. Stewart and Patterson finished close for fourth and fifth.

Sam Landry and Jeremey Domingue got together early in the second moto in a repeat of the spirited battle the last time they raced here. The next time they reappeared from the woods Domingue had the lead to himself in front of Landry, Ray, Bourg, Dodd and Barrios. Although Landry stayed within three seconds of Domingue, that was the best he could muster all the way to the end where Domingue took victory for Honda of Lafayette. Third place went to Ray, then a ways back Dodd and Barrios.

Barr and Sanches took the lead early in the 85 Open. Brandon Champagne, Jonathan Porter and Dylan Probst rounded out the top five. Sanchez held desperately onto Barr’s tracks but could never get close enough to strike as Barr stayed on the throttle all the way around the track for another moto win on his Hattiesburg Cycles KTM. Sanches brought his D&G/Raceworks Suzuki into a very close second, with Champagne’s Racing Innovations Kawasaki third.

In the second moto it was Barr, Sanches and Marchand with the good start. Champagne, Probst and Forrest Town worked into the top five.

David Husband jumped out front early in the Vet +30 class, while Randy Wales survived a near "step-off" on the big double to move up into second. Chris Craft was late getting into the race for some reason, but determined to catch the leaders. By the time the checkered flag came out, Wales had taken the lead, until his bike blew a motor, allowing Craft to methodically work his way to the front for the win. Patrick Meche used consistent speed to score second.

Patrick Meche came back strong to win the overall in the second moto on his Meche Dirt Works KTM. Husband scored second, Fairburn third and Johnny Overby fourth.

The most intriguing match-ups of the day were in the 250 Lites A and B - double-gated with the A class first. While the A would have a rematch of the Begue/Lawler duel, the B class would finally pit Moore and Domingue in the same race with the fastest of the fearless teenagers. This time the A class was given almost a full lap head start with Lawler leading Begue early. Finally the B class took off right before the A class rounded the last turn. Johnny Moore, Sam Landry, Brett Bourg, Jeremey Domingue, Hunter Stewart, Jude Patterson and Kirby Dodd finally got onto the track, with the A class coming right behind them! Moore, who was heard saying that he could turn his 250 two stroke better than his KXF 250, was proving his point by emerging from the back section of the track all alone on the first lap. Domingue appeared in second, Patterson third and Stewart fourth. Landry and Bourg went down on the first lap, having to rejoin the fray on the second lap. This time it was the experts’ turn to cut through the pack of Intermediate riders, led by Lawler, Manuel and Begue. Midway through the race Moore had extended his lead by a straight over Domingue and Alex Ray. At the finish line Zach Lawler had not only won in the A class but passed all the B riders except the top three on his Bardwell Yamaha. Tyler Begue took second. Trenton Suire on his City Cycles of Baton Rouge YZ 250 (2 stroke) finished top five along with Dustin Manuel and Josh Hildebrand.

Lawler got the holeshot in the second moto with Manuel a close second. Moore led the B class in front of Ray and Domingue. By lap two Begue was up on the leaders, knocking on the door with Josh Hildebrand and Trenton Suire following.

Moore was already into the double-gated A class by the end of the first lap, with Landry, Ray, Domingue and Dimm in tow. As the race evolved, Landry moved into second running from Domingue and Ray dropping to fourth. By halfway it was Lawler building his lead in the A class and Manuel trying to shake Begue in second. Lawler took the win on his Yamaha for MS, while Manuel took second on his Champion Cycle Suzuki, Begue third on his Champion Cycle KTM and Suire fourth on his Bardwell/City Cycles Yamaha YZ250.

Moore won on his Got Gear KX 250 for MS in front of Domingue’s Honda of Lafayette CRF250, Ross Dimm, Sam Landry and Zachary Lott rounded out the top five overall. One thing this race showed was that 2 strokes are back. Johnny Moore and Trenton Suire proved that, with a quick throttle hand, the 250 is a force in the lights class.

For more info, pictures or links, go to: www.2wheelcommunications.com.

Points after round 2: MS: 2916, LA: 1837, AL: 1520, FL: 254, AK: 32, TN: 29.

Results:

OIL: 1. Hunter Smith (Yam); 2. Palmer Neely (Yam); 3. Cayden Becnel (Yam); 4. Ryleigh Yates (Yam); 5. Paxton Edmonston (Yam).

50 (4-6): 1. Hunter Smith (Yam); 2. Palmer Neely (Yam); 3. Paxton Edmonston (Yam).

50 (7-8): 1. Trevor Atkins (Cob); 2. Zack Gieger (KTM); 3. Ray Mitchell (KTM); 4. Max Currie (Cob); 5. Dylan Granade (KTM).

50 OPEN: 1. Trevor Atkins (Cob); 2. Ray Mitchell (KTM); 3. Taylor Lee (KTM); 4. Zack Gieger (KTM); 5. Ashton Castjohn (Cob).

65 BEG: 1. Taylor Lee (KTM); 2. Nicolas Hydrick (KTM); 3. Brandon Barr (KTM); 4. Skyler Whatley (Kaw); 5. Joe Granade (KTM).

65 (6-9): 1. J.J. Kepley (KTM); 2. Zeb Huff (KTM); 3. Hayden Clark (KTM); 4. Jeremy Woolard (KTM); 5. Hank Van (KTM).

65 (10-11): 1. Patrick Lods (KTM); 2. T-Don Lerille (KTM); 3. Ashton Knight (KTM); 4. Scott McElroy (KTM); 5. Gage Hutchinson (KTM).

65 OPEN: 1. T-Don Lerille (KTM); 2. J.J. Kepley (KTM); 3. Scott McElroy (KTM); 4. Landry Lyle (KTM); 5. Ashton Knight (KTM).

85 BEG: 1. Drew Caston (Yam); 2. Kevin Thames (Kaw); 3. John Theriot (?); 4. Greer Gunter (Kaw); 5. Kyle Hudson (Yam).

85 (7-11): 1. Patrick Lods (KTM); 2. T-Don Lerille (Suz); 3. Landry Lyle (KTM); 4. Ashton Knight (KTM); 5. J.J. Kepley (KTM).

85 (12-15): 1. Jon-murry Barr (KTM); 2. Aaron Sanches (Suz); 3. Dylan Propst (Kaw); 4. Kolby Marchand (Suz); 5. Shane Freeman (KTM).

85 OPEN: 1. Jon-murry Barr (KTM); 2. Aaron Sanches (Suz); 3. Brandon Champagne (Kaw); 4. Ty Jones (Hon); 5. Dylan Probst (Kaw).

250 LITES D: 1. Jordan Currie (Hon); 2. Drew Blake (Suz); 3. Jason Broussard (Hon); 4. Haley Warm (Yam); 5. Megan Serpas (Suz).

250 LITES C: 1. Grant Bourgeois (KTM); 2. Brandon Huff (Yam); 3. Mitchell Rodriguez (KTM); 4. Derek Richard (Yam); 5. Michael Kelly (Yam).

250 LITES B: 1. Johnny Moore (Kaw); 2. Jeremey Domingue (Hon); 3. Ross Dimm (Kaw); 4. Sam Landry (Hon); 5. Zachary Lott (Yam).

250 LITES A: 1. Zach Lawler (Yam); 2. Dustin Manuel (Suz); 3. Tyler Begue (KTM); 4. Trenton Suire (Yam); 5. Josh Hildebrand (Kaw).

250 LITES OPEN AM: 1. Johnny Moore (Kaw); 2. Trenton Suire (Yam); 3. Logan Trusty (Kaw); 4. Justin Pittman (Yam); 5. Derek Daigle (Yam).

MX D: 1. Daren Rodriguez (Hon); 2. Adam Kavanay (Kaw); 3. Lonnie Yates (Hon).

MX C: 1. Grant Bourgeois (KTM); 2. Brandon Huff (Yam); 3. Justin Robinson (Yam); 4. Colby Bennett (Hon); 5. Zack Thibodaux (Hon).

MX B: 1. Johnny Moore (Kaw); 2. Tyler Hancock (Suz); 3. Hunter Stewart (Kaw); 4. Paul Ragon (Hon); 5. Zachary Lott (Yam).

MX A: 1. Zach Lawler (Yam); 2. Tyler Begue (KTM); 3. Dustin Manuel (Suz); 4. Chase Melancon (Yam); 5. Billy Wichers (Kaw).

MX OPEN AM: 1. Johnny Moore (Kaw); 2. Jeremey Domingue (Hon); 3. Carey Smith (Hon); 4. Tyler Hancock (Suz); 5. Paul Ragon (Hon).

GIRLS: Aspen Neely (KTM).

WOMEN: 1. Taylor Watts (Suz); 2. Raven Bertrand (Hon); 3. Megan Serpas (Suz); 4. Tiffany Ellis (Kaw); 5. Haley Warm (Yam).

YOUTH 12-16: 1. Jeremey Domingue (Hon); 2. Alex Ray (Hon); 3. Brett Bourg (Suz); 4. Kirby Dodd (KTM); 5. Jude Patterson (Hon).

HOBBY: 1. Mike Alf (Yam); 2. Donald Lee (Kaw); 3. Michael Green (Hon); 4. Mark Lowry (Kaw); 5. Tom Hall (Hon).

VET +25: 1. Chris Craft (Yam); 2. Corey Romero (Kaw); 3. Patrick Meche (KTM); 4. Derek Daigle (Yam); 5. Eddie Ketchum (Kaw).

VET +30: 1. Patrick Meche (KTM); 2. David Husband (Yam); 3. Randy Fairburn (KTM); 4. Johnny Overby (Kaw); 5. Ronnie Ray (Suz).

VET +40: 1. Stuart McAvoy (Hon); 2. Randy Fairburn (KTM); 3. David Husband (Yam); 4. Michael Green (Hon); 5. Mike Alf (Yam).