The start of the Open Pro Moto 2 race Friday at Mammoth Motocross.
The 42nd running of the Mammoth Motocross races held in the mountain resort town of Mammoth Lakes, California kicked off Friday. It was an excellent and exciting day of racing with mild sunny weather and plenty of bar bashing action on and off-track.
Friday’s races consisted of the run-what-ya-brung open class, Schoolboy 144cc 2-stroke or 250F 4-stroke class for kids between the ages of 12 and 16, the women, and the FMF 2-stroke Challenge. MotoUSA had originally signed up for both the Junior (novice) class and the pro class with two of our test riders Frankie Garcia and Matt Armstrong. Unfortunately Armstrong fractured his heel (
Andrew Short 2010 San Diego Supercross-style) while testing the new KTM 350 SX-F (learn more about this bike in the
2011 KTM 350 SX-F First Ride), just days before this weekend’s races.
With Armstrong out this left Frankie to carry the MotoUSA torch. And he did qualifying for the main with a sixth place finish in Friday morning’s heat race with our mildly modified 2010 Kawasaki
KX450F. Part of the reason why we chose to compete on the KX450F is that it employs fuel-injection. This means that you no longer have to mess with re-jetting the bike based on altitude or weather conditions—which is a big plus when you’re racing around at an elevation of over 8000 feet!
Although our KX ran perfectly to get the engine to feel more responsive we used Kawasaki’s optional Fuel-Injection Calibration Tool Kit to modify the fuel and ignition maps with a custom “Mammoth Map” provided by the friendly guys over at Team Green.
Our man Frankie Garcia pulled of the holeshot in the Open Jr. class but quickly faded and ended up finishing 17th. Chris Bartley took the win finishing some 15-seconds ahead of second place.
One of the coolest things about racing a new Kawasaki dirt bike at an event like Mammoth is that you’re supported by its fantastic Team Green amateur racing support program. Whether you’re riding a carbureted KX250F or fuel-injected KX450F they can help you with jetting and EFI maps so you’re bike will run perfectly. Furthermore if any major component on your bike fails the mechanics will lend a helping hand and can provide you with emergency parts to get your bike back up and running. You can also purchase parts for 10% above dealer cost and have them installed at no charge. This year Yamaha stepped up as well offering trackside support for Yamaha YZ race bikes.
Next to the awesomely beautiful track one of the neatest things about Mammoth is being able to indulge in other outdoor activities that you normally don’t have access to at home. Thus we rented some mountain bikes and hit the wooded single track in between some of the races at the nearby Mammoth Ski Resort. And wow! Who knew blasting downhill without an engine could be so fun. It’s actually surprising how similar downhill mountain biking and motocross are.
Back at the racetrack the starting gate was full with 40 riders competing in the 7-lap Open Junior main. At the start of the race our man Frankie nailed the holeshot and led the field up Mammoth’s steep uphill straightaway. Garcia was still out in front running in fourth place on Lap 2. He held his own for a while but after a few more laps he started moving backwards—he would finish 17th. Considering that he was leading the race for a while we were hoping for a better result, but the elevation and the rough track ended up breaking him.
In the pro class we were expecting big things for San Manuel Yamaha rider Josh Hill but it wasn’t to be. After lapping around mid-pack for a while in Moto 1 he pulled off and failed to make the Moto 2 start. KTM’s Mike Sleeter also didn’t do so good finishing 33rd in the first moto and also opting out of the second moto. For the full race results make sure to check out the
Mammoth Motocross scoring website.
That’s it for Friday. Saturday is another full day of racing for 250F motorcycles only. Make sure to check back for Saturday’s results.
Nick Paluzzi won the Friday’s Open Pro class with an 3-1 finish.
1. Nick Paluzzi (Suzuki) 3-1
2. Tyler Sjoberg (Kawasaki) 2-2
3. Austin Howell (Suzuki) 6-3
4. Nathan Tiearney (Honda) 8-4
5. Justin Soule (KTM) 7-5
6. Daniel Sani (Honda) 5-8
7. Doug Dubach (Yamaha) 9-7
8. Morgan Burger (Kawasaki) 17-6
9. Adam Conway (Honda) 12-13
10. Jake Oswald (Honda) 11-15
11. Gannon Audette (Suzuki) 1-25
12. Sean Kranyak (Yamaha) 14-16
13. Tony Evans (Honda) 18-14
14. Timothy Weigand (Honda) 4-28
15. Kevin Rookstool (KTM) 27-9
Open Jr. Mammoth Motocross Results:
Former X Games gold medalist Shaun Palmer raced in the FMF 2-stroke Challenge. He finished in fourth place.
1. Chris Bartley (Yamaha)
2. Clint Miglia (Honda)
3. Jake Smith (Honda)
4. Ryan Moscrop (Suzuki)
5. Andrew Murphy (Honda)
Womens Mammoth Motocross Results:
1. Katie Greer (ATK) 1-1
2. Amanda Maheu (Honda) 2-2
3. Erika Short (ATK) 3-3
4. Shelby Ward (KTM) 5-5
5. Brandy Richards (Honda) 4-7
Open Intermediate Mammoth Motocross Results:
1. Brian Sjogren (Honda)
2. Justin Hill (Suzuki)
3. Chris Plouffe (Honda)
4. Austin Politelli (Yamaha)
5. Mitchel Alcorn (Yamaha)
Schoolboy Mammoth Motocross Results:
Gates were full for nearly every class at the 2010 Mammoth Motocross race.
1. Justin Hill (Suzuki)
2. Jessy Nelson (Honda)
3. Brad Frace (Yamaha)
4. Aaron Siminoe (KTM)
5. Brady Kiesel (Suzuki)
FMF 2-stroke Challenge Mammoth Motocross Results:
1. Michael Sleeter (KTM)
2. Michael Lapaglia (Suzuki)
3. Austin Howell (Suzuki)
4. Shaun Palmer (Honda)
5. Colton Aeck (Yamaha)
