River’s Edge Motocross Track

Giesmar, LA – October 21, 2006

Story & Photos by Roy Jenkins

This race will be remembered for what happened at the end that sent everyone home. Right as the last class of the first moto was finishing up, the storms moved in from Baton Rouge. The second moto began with the clash of thunder as the 125 and 250 beginners left the gate as if racing Mother Nature. Big drops of cold rain became torrents of water as the racers made their way around on their first lap. The moist track turned into a muddy bog as they carefully followed flooded ruts on lap two. When the lightning struck nearby we called the race and everyone dashed for cover – that is everyone but the beginners still on the track. The flagman took an umbrella out and waved the black flag, giving them the rest of the day off. But they kept at it undeterred by the signal. Now the track and the parking lot were flooded and the wind whipped canopies and rain gear into a frenzy as fans hid in campers, trucks and buildings. But the racers were still out on the hilly swamp sending sprays of water into the air as they revved their bikes to the limiters. One more time we sent the flagger out to wave them off as we laughed inside the tower. But the laugh was on us as the riders could be heard laughing and whooping as they came by the tower finishing their race with smiles on their muddy faces.

There was other race action, too, even though the other classes only got to race one full moto starting with the Senior + SSR + Hobby combined classes. Shawn Moody led early while Sam Hazlip followed on his Honda. Keith Dean lead the Hobby class from the third spot, while the fastest rider was still trying to get his legs underneath him and work his way to the front, Stephen Perschall. Brady Edmonston was also on the move on his brother’s Honda. By the second lap Moody lead Perschall and Edmonston. Moody stalled his Suzuki in turn one allowing Perschall to take his KTM to victory. Moody came back to win the SSR class when Edmonston stopped before the finish line to let the others go ahead.

Some of the fastest non-pro riders put it on the line in the Big Bike Open class. Michael Haffner opened with one of his wild starts, closely followed by Joseph Pizzuto, Tim Bergeron, and Trenton Suire. Pizzuto gave Haffner fits down the back straight-a-way like a fly landing on first one shoulder then the other. Bergeron kept his KTM ahead of Suire’s Yamaha and Tracey Lecompte’s Honda. Out front Pizzuto had Haffner looking over his shoulder as they started the second lap. Haffner whipped the Honda flat over the finish line tabletop arrogantly, but Pizzuto jumped alongside and took the outside line in the following sweeper for the pass ramping up the drama another notch. Haffner was able to get his front wheel into the next turn to block the line, causing Pizzuto to collide with his rear wheel – but he kept his Kawasaki up! Finally Pizzuto was able to out-accelerate down the next straight and dive into the turn first to take the lead, for good. The racing was also close for third as Suire took his Bardwell/D&G Yamaha alongside Bergeron’s Champion Cycle KTM. The two combatants came up on a tiring Haffner on the third lap. Pizzuto extended his lead out front while Bergeron played offense and defense at the same time in third. Suire attempted a double-pass into the whoop section, but Bergeron found a better line on the inside keeping Suire behind him. Haffner managed to hold his Great River/Friendly Honda in second all the way to the flag where they finished in the same order behind Pizzuto’s Ascension Ready Mix/REMX Kawasaki.

The fastest two local mini riders present were flagging due to broken bikes. With the absence of Damon Arceneaux and Kolby Marchand, Sam Landry put his three race win streak on the line and dashed into the lead ahead of Forrest Smith’s CRF150, Houston Gammons’ D&G Suzuki and James Waldrop’s D&G Yamaha. All of a sudden Smith figured out his new bike and moved up on Landry at the finish line tabletop. Sam kept his D&G Suzuki in line, but soon found out Smith wasn’t joking when he pulled around him and fed him some roost. While Landry was trying to understand why he wasn’t leading, Waldrop led Houston Gammons for third. Somehow Landry managed to wrestle the lead away from Smith and high-tailed it for home and victory. Smith finished a distant second, with Gammons a close third and Waldrop fourth.

Stephen Wagley led early in the 125 Novice class over Chris St. Pierre, Jarron Plaisance, Julian Broussard and Bryant Griffith. Plaisance went down to taste the dirt on lap two, giving his spot over to Broussard, while Wagley kept his All Pro Cycles Kawasaki in the lead. Plaisance instantly got his spot back from Broussard while Devin Blair worked his way up into the frontrunners after an iffy start. Wagley took the win five seconds ahead of St. Pierre, with Blair edging out Plaisance for third.

Forrest Smith continued his new-found claim to speed by grabbing the holeshot in the 85 (7-11) and (12-15) combined classes. Ty Jones was leading the older class behind Smith, with Forrest Town and James Waldrop representing the younger class. At the white flag it was Smith by 8 seconds, Jones by five

 seconds, Town by 2 seconds and Waldrop by 3 over Mire and Dakota Jones. Smith went on to win the younger class, while behind him Jones won the older class. Town, Waldrop, Mire and Dakota Jones followed.

The 250 B class double-gated with the Schoolboy class. Kyle Forrester led early in front of Haffner and Pizzuto. Next Pizzuto and Forrester played chicken entering the back turn from the long straight-a-way and Forrester blinked first, allowing Pizzuto to take over for good. Meanwhile Jarron Plaisance took off first ahead of Trenton Suire, Stephen Wagley and Sam Landry in the Schoolboy. Soon Suire took the lead in the Schoolboy freight train on his D&G/Bardwell Yamaha. Plaisance, Wagley and Landry watched helplessly as Suire marched away. Pizzuto went on to complete victory in the 250 class, while Suire did the same in the Schoolboy class.

Chuck Layerle won his first race in the 85 Beginner class with Justin Braud finishing second and Bubby Rivet going down. Devin Blair tried out his new Yamaha 450f and found it victorious in the 250 Novice class. Chris St. Pierre finished second with Klint Forrester third. Blair is a G2G camp graduate and the next camp will be held on November 11. Contact Mac Edmonston at G2Gmotox.com for more info.

The 125 A and 125 B class raced together but was scored separately. B rider Trenton Suire got off the gate in first, but an A rider got on the gas first in turn one to nab the lead. Dustin Manuel led both classes until his older brother Jay put the move on Suire late in the race. This gave Champion Cycles the top spots in the money class, while D&G Cycles had their rider win the Intermediate class under the legs of Trenton Suire. Kyle Forrester took second in the Intermediate class on his Kawasaki.

Final Results (one moto only)

50 OIL: 1. Ray Mitchell (Cob); 2. Trey Lecompte (Yam); 3. Michaela Matherne (Hon).

50 (4-6): Ray Mitchell (Cob).

50 (7-8): 1. Chandler Lebouef (KTM); 2. Nick Webre (Cob).

85 BEG: 1. Chuck Layerle (KTM); 2. Justin Braud (Kaw); 3. Dyllan Morgan (Hon); 4. Raven Bertrand (Suz); 5. Chandler Lebouef (KTM).

85 (7-11): 1. Forrest Smith (Hon); 2. Forrest Town (Yam); 3. James Waldrop (Yam); 4. Austin Mire (Kaw); 5. Dakota Jones (Yam).

85 (12-15): 1. Ty Jones (Hon); 2. Beau Brassette (Kaw); 3. Trey Hotard (Yam); 4. Houston Gammons (Suz).

85 OPEN: 1. Sam Landry (Suz); 2. Forrest Smith (Hon); 3. Houston Gammons (Suz); 4. James Waldrop (Yam); 5. Forrest Town (Yam).

SCLBY: 1. Trenton Suire (Yam); 2. Jarron Plaisance (Yam); 3. Stephen Wagley (Kaw); 4. Sam Landry (Suz); 5. Jonathan Clark (Kaw).

125 BEG: 1. Jonathan Clark (Kaw); 2. Scott Marks (Suz); 3. Dalton Carpenter (KTM); 4. Reed Curtis (Yam); 5. Shawn Hrubes (KTM)).

125 NOV: 1. Stephen Wagley (Kaw); 2. Chris St. Pierre (Kaw); 3. Devin Blair (Yam); 4. Jarron Plaisance (Yam); 5. Julian Broussard (Kaw).

125 INT: 1. Trenton Suire (Yam); 2. Kyle Forrester (Kaw); 3. Tim Bergeron (KTM).

125 EXP: 1. Dustin Manuel (Suz); 2. Jason Manuel (Suz).

250 BEG: 1. Casey Guidry (Hon); 2. Andrew Delatorre (KTM).

250 NOV: 1. Devin Blair (Yam); 2. Chris St. Pierre (Kaw); 3. Klint Forrester (Hon); 4. David Sanchez (Hon).

250 INT: 1. Joseph Pizzuto (Kaw); 2. Kyle Forrester (Hon); 3. Michael Haffner (Hon).

WOM OPEN: 1. Megan Serpas (Suz); 2. Haley Warm (Yam).

SEN: Stephen Perschall (KTM).

HOBBY: 1. Keith Dean (Hon); 2. Lenny Johnson (Kaw); 3. Daryl Hrubes (KTM).

SSRB: 1. Shawn Moody (Suz); 2. Sam Hazlip (Hon); 3. Joey McCoy (Kaw); 4. Bobby Billiot (Kaw); 5. Bobbie Quakenbush (Hon).

BIG BIKE OPEN: 1. Joseph Pizzuto (Kaw); 2. Michael Haffner (Hon); 3. Tim Bergeron (KTM); 4. Trenton Suire (Yam); 5. Tracey Lecompte (Hon).

PIT BK: 1. Kevin Mancuso (Kaw); 2. Chase Guedry (Kaw); 3. Zach Tullier (Suz); 4. James Waldrop (Yam); 5. Scott Altazin (Kaw).