2007 Honda of Lafayette Winter Series Round 2

River’s Edge Motocross Track

Story by Roy Jenkins 

Giesmar, Louisiana – January 28, 2007

A strong north wind and bright sunshine combined to turn a muddy track into a fast, tacky track early in the race day for the second round of the Honda of Lafayette Winter Series just downriver from Baton Rouge.

Kaitlyn Hayes got the early lead in the Open Women’s class, but Leslie Poche was able to get by, while Lindsay Escoyne went down. Taylor Watts led Kacie Simon in fourth. Poche went on to win by a healthy straight-a-way over Hayes and her True Blue Deodorizer/Friendly Honda.

Leslie Poche launched her Cycle of Houma/Raceworks Honda way out in front of the women’s class only to go down twice, relinquishing the lead to a happy Kaitlyn Hayes. Taylor Watts, Lindsay Escoyne and Hanna Escoyne went after her but were unable to catch her.

Three of the fastest riders went down in a tangled heap in the Schoolboy class, Mitch Gourney, Jeremy Domingue and Damon Arceneaux, with the latter getting back into the race first. South LA’s Brett Bourg and Derrick Ronsonet took advantage of the opportunity and tried to check into the "Good Night" Hotel. Matt Bellon, Julian Broussard and Scott Sardella kept them honest. By the white flag it was Bourg, Sardella, Broussard and Lee Slaughter. Brett took his JM/Performance Suzuki to an impressive win, followed by Sardella and Broussard. Ronsonet and Bellon rounded out the top five.

Mitch Gourney pushed his Calmes Motorsports Suzuki into the lead early in the second moto of the Schoolboy class, with Jeremy Domingue’s Honda of Lafayette bolted to his fender. Jordan Bourg, Grant Bourgeois and Damon Arceneaux chasing. Gourney was the first to clear the big finish line tabletop as the track was drying fast. Domingue went with Gourney away from the pack on the second lap. Domingue attacked on the last lap, trying both flanks as Gourney looked back heading into the high-bank turn. Through the whoop section they were side-by-side, but Gourney was the first to grab throttle, earning a little breathing room for the high speed back straight. Domingue made one little bobble, but it was enough to give Gourney the victory. Bourg finished third and Arceneaux fourth.

Series point’s leader Jordan Giambelluca got out early on the 85 (7-11) class, while Austin Mire and James Waldrop drew up shorter straws. T-Don Lerille and Justin Braud followed. Soon Waldrop had second, but no one was able to catch Giambelluca who rode the "ragged edge" to open a big lead all the way to the flag. Lerille raced up to second with a Mire eclipsing Waldrop for third.

Lance Vincent danced out early on his Honda of Lafayette in the 85 (12-16) class followed by teammate Shane Yongue and Suzuki mounted Nate Martin. Aaron Sanches and Brandon Champagne and Forrest Smith. It was Champagne who flipped off a tear-off on the big tabletop and turned it up a notch mid-race. He picked off Sanches, then had a three turn battle with Martin who protected the inside line through the whoops. By the white flag it was the two Hondas of Vincent and Yongue, with Martin answering Champagne’s new pace and Sanches suddenly resurging behind Champagne as they all decided the track was drier and safer for traction. Lance Vincent took another victory back to Broussard, LA with Yongue, Martin and Sanches behind him.

Jordan Bourg and Shane Yongue took the point in the 85 (12-16) class, with local favorite Brandon Champagne locked up back in the pack. He moved up and attached himself to Lance Vincent and the charge was on! They weaved their way all the way to the front and held on to finish one-two in front of Aaron Sanchez, Yongue and Bourg.

Lance Vincent blasted the holeshot in the Supermini Open class on his Honda of Lafayette. Brett Bourg and Damon Arceneaux led the chase in this class of hungry and talented steel horsemen. Local hotshoe Brandon Champagne charged up behind Vincent’s teammate, Shane Yongue near the front. Adam Cedillo, Aaron Sanchez, Jordan Bourg, Nate Martin, Jordan Giambelluca followed in pursuit. Now that the track had dried out sufficiently, Vincent rounded the last sweeper wide open and cleared the 65 foot finish table top to open his lead. Further back Martin cleared the jump, too to take an extreme inside line to pressure Jordan Bourg, and the two swapped paint; but who’s to know they both rode yellow bikes. The 85 (7-11) class points leader, Giambelluca pulled up behind the two for a fierce three way battle. Martin and Bourg drag-raced down the back straight and played a game of chicken into the next turn, with Martin winning to pick up the spot. Meanwhile Vincent continued to get away a few straights ahead and take the checkers. Brett Bourg followed on his Performance/JM Suzuki, Arceneaux and his D&G/Bardwell Yamaha, Yongue, Sanchez, Cedillo rounded out the first five finishers.

Brett Bourg, Damon Arceneaux and Lance Vincent led the second moto of the Supermini class. Vincent fired past Arceneaux with a quicker trigger, but Arceneaux stayed right with him as the two went after Bourg. Yongue, Champagne, Sanchez, Giambelluca and Martin followed in quick succession. Bourg managed to stay a step ahead of the Vincent/Arceneaux battle, while Champagne raged past Yongue. Sanchez and Giambelluca were going at it, toe to toe. Brett Bourg again surprised everyone with a victory, while Arceneaux held off Vincent on his home track. Champagne finished fourth and Yongue fifth.

Jeremy Domingue got off to a clean lead in the 125/250 Open over Joseph Pizzuto, Jared Broussard and Mike Hebert. Pizzuto was the only non-Honda of Lafayette rider in the top four, sporting his Ascension Ready Mix Kawasaki 450, with Hebert the only other rider on a big-bore. Domingue won the 125 class like he expected it. Pizzuto won the 250 class behind him, with Broussard taking second in the smaller class and Hebert in the 250 class. Colby Airhart took third.

The 125/250 Open Amateur got off to a bumping start in the second moto with Honda of Lafayette’s Mike Hebert winning the holeshot. But up through the pack roared Joseph Pizzuto on his green monster to give the 450’s the top two spots, while the 125 leader, Jeremy Domingue tried to keep pace on his Honda of Lafayette CRF 250. Jared Broussard held third from Blake Thompson’s Yamaha. Everyone felt Pizzuto would dispatch Hebert since it was his home track and Hebert had a history of crashing here. But Hebert put his head down and focused on technique and kept Pizzuto and Domangue behind him. Pizzuto held off a feisty Domangue who kept knocking on his door. Hebert held on to edge out a late charging Pizzuto, while Domangue whipped his smaller Honda over the big jump to score a win in the 125 class behind him. Jared Broussard took his Off Road Toyz Honda into third in front of MS rider Blake Thompson and LA’s Colby Airhart.

Randy Wales quickly got out on the Senior +30 class, followed by Hoot Parker, Tracey Lecompte, Duel Judice and Gene Lipps. Wales held the lead all the way home, with Parker second and Lecompte third.

Parker got the jump on the Senior class in the second moto, with Randy in tow. Judice, Lipps and Glenn Tatum followed. Wales took a tear-off and the lead as they completed their first lap. Parker mounted a challenge to the leader on the last lap, but Wales fought him off all the way to the finish. Tracey Lecompte led Lipps and Judice in a tight batch behind them.

Jay Michon scored the holeshot in the first moto of the combined 65 Beg/7-9/10-11 classes, but T-Don Lerille soon rode around him into the lead. Lerille grabbed the checkered flag with a big lead on his KLRZ Polini, followed by the Champion Cycle KTM of Jay Michon, and Cannon Shirah.

T-Don Lerille led Cannon Shirah to the checkered flag in the second moto of the 65 class and beat the older 60 class to the finish.

Ray Mitchell, Jr. continues to polish his skills by sweeping the 50 class again.

Lone Money class rider Dustin Manuel got out in front of lone 250 Int. competitor Mike Hebert, and the rest of the 125 Int. class, led by Jeremy Domingue and Mitch Gourney. In a lap Domingue moved behind Manuel, with little Brett Bourg sandwiched in there ahead of Gourney. Manuel went down giving the race to Domingue who had the speed to keep it. Bourg, who must have eaten race fuel and lightning for breakfast, was entering the corners faster than anyone on his little RMZ250. Domingue went on to win, closely followed by Manuel, Gourney and Bourg.

The second time around Jeremy Domingue slung his Honda through the first turn ahead of the rest of the combined Money/125 Int/250 Int classes. Surprisingly, the lone money rider, Dustin Manuel was back in third behind Mitch Gourney. The lone 450 rider was Mike Hebert who was following Bourg further back. Manuel who slipped up to within inches of Gourney, made a gutsy pass and took the line, but Gourney took it back. The two Suzuki’s swapped second place all the way into turn five. Soon Manuel had his Champion Cycle Suzuki cranked up and going after the leader, Honda of Lafayette’s Domingue. Brett Bourg got his Performance Suzuki into position behind Gourney’s Calmes Motorsports Suzuki. No slackers in this class at all! In a surprise move, Domingue looked over his shoulder at a hard-pressing Manuel and waved him by into the lead, then tucked in behind him to study his lines. When Gourney came up behind him, and Domingue looked over his shoulder as if to say, "No way," and grabbed some throttle to enforce it. Behind them Bourg continued to hold off a surprised Hebert. On the next lap Gourney made a mistake which cost him positions, allowing the leaders to leave him. Gourney tried to catch up, even tripling into the whoops like Domingue, but it was too late. Manuel began to tire since this was his second race after an injury lay-off. Suddenly, Domingue landed right next to him on the finish line table top, trying desperately to re-pass and take the lead as they drag-raced down the fast back straight. Manuel was able to make a little time by landing first on some jumps and getting the power to the wheel a little quicker, sending his RMZ450 to the finish line ahead of Domingue’s CRF250.

They had this to say after the race:

Roy: "Why’d you wave Dustin by earlier in the race?"

Jeremy: "I knew he was comin’ fast and I was just tired."

Roy: "Did you learn some lines from him?"

Jeremy: "Yeah, he’s got some really smooth lines."

Roy: "It looked like you were really getting’ comfortable runnin’ inches apart with him."

Jeremy: "Yeah, we were running really good. I didn’t want to push it too hard."

Roy: "Did you show him some good lines?"

Dustin: "Uhhh… I don’t know. He almost passed me a few times. I’m just so tired. My arms pumped up and I can’t even hold on any more."

Roy: "Good thing it wasn’t a few more laps."

Dustin: "Yeah, I would have waved him by, too, if they had another lap." (smiling)

Roy: "Did you feel like you had a little power on him?"

Dustin: "In some spots, a little bit."

Roy: "When he waved you by, what were you thinkin’?"

Dustin: "I thought something was wrong with him, but apparently not."

Roy: "Were you still feelin’ good at the end of the race Jeremy?"

Jeremy: "Yeah, I was trying to just stay as strong as I could, because I knew Brett was coming behind me."

Roy: "Brett, man, you’re hangin’ with the money rider. What’s up with that?"

Brett: "I don’t know, I’m just riding as hard as I could."

Roy: "You worked for that one didn’t you?"

Brett: "Yeah, I was on my horse."

Roy: "How’d you feel toward the end of the race?"

Brett: "I started getting tired like, second to last lap; but I was pumped because I seen em’ in front of me so I was chargin’ as hard as I could."

Roy: "Did that surprise you that you were able to hang with these guys as long as you did?"

Brett: "A lot."

Roy: "Looks like you made a statement for yourself there."

Brett: "Yeah, confidence soaring now."

Roy: "I’ll bet it is. You’re ready to get out there and run with anybody now, huh?"

Brett: "O yeah."

Roy: "Sponsors?"

Brett: "Performance Suzuki in Houma, and JM Racing."

Roy: "Who’d you like to thank Jeremy?"

Jeremy: "Honda of Lafayette, EBR and Domingue’s Sand & Gravel."

Dustin: "Champion Cycles, Raceworks & my mechanic Mr. Johnny [Fuller]. And my Dad & Mom."

Roy: "You want to say anything to your brother [Jay] who wishes he were racing?"

Dustin: "I don’t know, I feel for him tomorrow. He gets that pin pulled out of his hand." (laughing)

50 OIL: 1. Ray Mitchell (Cob); 2. Dayton Shirah (KTM); 3. Janson Pellerin (Yam).

50 (4-6): 1. Ray Mitchell (Cob); 2. Hunter Stutes (KTM); 3. Dayton Shirah (KTM).

50 (7-8): Zach Gieger (KTM).

65 BEG: 1. Tanner Kelly (Kaw); 2. Stephen Gonzales (Kaw); 3. Thomas Defelice (Kaw); 4. Andre Adams (KTM).

65 (7-9): 1. T-Don Lerille (Pol); 2. Cannon Shirah (KTM).

65 (10-11): 1. Jay Michon (KTM); 2. Ryan Boudreaux (Kaw).

65 OPEN: 1. T-Don Lerille (Pol); 2. Cannon Shirah (KTM); 3. Stephen Gonzales (Kaw); 4. Jay Michon (KTM); 5. Ryan Boudreaux (Kaw).

85 BEG: 1. Austin Buxton (Suz); 2. Tanner Kelly (Yam); 3. Josie Brown (Kaw); 4. Isaac Romero (Hon); 5. Zachary Pisciotta (Suz).

85 (7-11): 1. Jordan Giambelluca (Suz); 2. T-Don Lerille (Suz); 3. James Waldrop (Yam); 4. Austin Mire (Kaw); 5. Justin Braud (Kaw).

85 (12-15): 1. Lance Vincent (Hon); 2. Shane Yongue (Hon); 3. Aaron Sanches (Suz); 4. Brandon Champagne (Kaw); 5. Forrest Smith (Hon).

85 OPEN: 1. Brett Bourg (Suz); 2. Lance Vincent (Hon); 3. Damon Arceneaux (Yam); 4. Shane Yongue (Hon); 5. Aaron Sanches (Suz).

SCHLBY: 1. Brett Bourg (Suz); 2. Jeremy Domingue (Hon); 3. Derrick Ronsonet (Hon); 4. Mitch Gourney (Suz); 5. Damon Arceneaux (Yam).

125 D: 1. Quincy Schaubert (Hon); 2. Dusty Neville (Hon); 3. Michael Kelly (Yam); 4. Ryan Alexander (Kaw); 5. Dean Gould (KTM).

125 C: 1. Jared Broussard (Hon); 2. Matt Bellon (Hon); 3. Curtis Blank (Yam); 4. Lee Slaughter (Hon); 5. Scott Sardella (Hon).

125 B: 1. Jeremy Domingue (Hon); 2. Brett Bourg (Suz); 3. Mitch Gourney (Suz); 4. Blake Thompson (Yam).

250 D: 1. Richie Lawson (Hon); 2. Chase Pino (Hon); 3. Dean Gould (KTM); 4. Rick Putzeys (Yam); 5. Tim Richard (Hon).

250 C: 1. Terry Stutes (Hon); 2. Kamin Zerangue (Hon); 3. Casey Wigand (Hon); 4. Garrett Airhart (Yam); 5. Klint Forrester (Hon).

250 B: Mike Hebert (Hon).

250 A: Dustin Manuel (Suz)

SSR B: Glenn McGovern (KTM).

SEN +30: 1. Randy Wales (Hon); 2. Hoot Parker (Hon); 3. Tracey Lecompte (Hon); 4. Gene Lipps (Hon); 5. Duel Judice (Hon).

SEN +40: 1. Hoot Parker (Hon); 2. Gene Lipps (Hon); 3. Tim Alexander (Hon); 4. Glenn McGovern (KTM).