October Heat Wave at Megacross Bonus 

October 6^th, 2007

By Nikki Dixon

 When Megacross rescheduled their District 17 Bonus points rainout for October, no one expected temperatures near 90 degrees during practice!  Some 300 entrants enjoyed the unseasonably warm night race, which was packed with full classes and great racing.  Burton Lavens turned it up in the main events to earn three victories, while Derek Whitney, Nick Manning, Chase Sexton, Alexander Nagy, and Maxx Malatia carded two wins each. 

In 25+ A, Everett Dahlberg (520) grabbed the holeshot, trailed by Lavens and Andy Cole.  Keith Sheldon was the new leader after a lap, with Lavens and Dahlberg in the hunt.  Sheldon led until mid-race, when Lavens passed out front, and held on to the checkers.  Sheldon, Dahlberg, Cole, and John Conley completed the top five. 

Sheldon won the 11-rider 30+ A heat-race, but a hard crash in the main ended his night early.  Lavens checked out for the win, over Kevin Popaeko and Dahlberg.  Lavens also topped Four-Stroke, besting heat-race winner Charles Harpe.

 Popaeko led around the first turn in the 12-rider 40+ class.  Pro-Source owner Rusty Ott took over the lead early in the race, followed closely by Popaeko and David Hayes.  Ott stayed out front for the win, with Popaeko, Hayes, Keith Hicks, and Larry Bank completing the top five.

 Derek Whitney has Megacross dialed as he won both 125A and 250A for the third Megacross race in a row.  In 125A, Whitney led around the first turn, followed by Kevin Markwardt (77), Justin Kelly, and Ronnie Hapner.  Whitney stayed out front, while Kelly took second from Markwardt in the bowl turn after the long straight.  Markwardt then had his hands full with JR Garrett, as they mixed it up for third, with Markwardt getting the edge at the finish. 

In 250A, Whitney grabbed another holeshot, with Markwardt, Scott Zont, and Dan Holbus in tow.  But Markwardt went down in the second turn, allowing Zont and Justin Kelly to move into the top three.  Whitney ran away with the win, while Kelly held down second.  Zont and Garrett diced for third, as Markwardt worked his way through the pack to catch them by the white flag.  On the last lap, Garrett got by Zont, then Zont and Markwardt went side by side over the step-down triple.  Zont and Markwardt bumped in the switchback turn before the finish, with Zont going down.  Whitney carded the win, over Kelly, Garrett, Markwardt, and Kyle White.

 There was a full gate in the Women’s class with 15 riders.  April Roper (15) was back in action after shoulder surgery for track time before defending her 2006 Arenacross championship at the US Open in Las Vegas (April finished second in 2007, good job April!).  In the heat race, Shelby Miller reeled in Roper for the win.  But in the main, Roper turned it up for the victory, followed by Miller.  Nikki Dixon, Danielle Wilkinson, and Lauren Hicks rounded out the top five.

 Chase Sexton (486)collected a pair of wins in 50 Senior and 65 Junior.  In 50 Senior, Austin Kukla picked up the holeshot, and led the opening lap, followed by Sexton and Anthony Wallace.  On lap two, Sexton moved into the lead, and pulled away for the win.  Kukla finished second, while Wallace held off Jackson Jeffery for third.

 In the 15-rider 65 Junior class, Nick Wallace started out front, trailed by Chad Saultz and Sexton.  Saultz quickly moved into the lead, but couldn’t hold off Sexton’s pressure.  Sexton pushed ahead for the win, over Saultz and Wallace. 

Kurt Harper was the early leader in the 11-rider 65 Beginner class, followed by Nolan Kinnamon, John Krska, and Kayla Miller.  After a lap, Harper was still out front, while Krska and Jackson Jeffery diced for second.  Jeffery kept pushing ahead, and reeled in Harper on the last lap for the win.  Harper, Krska, Kinnamon, and Justin Carr wrapped up the top five. 

Alan Freedrich led 25+ B out of the gate, followed by heat-race winner Joe Kopecky and Zeno Molteni.  On lap two, Molteni dropped the hammer and reeled in both Kopecky and Freedrich to move out front.  Molteni sprinted to the checkers, while Freedrich and Kopecky mixed it up for second, with Kopecky getting the nod.  Tom Hayunga (59) and Scott Holmes completed the top five.

Nick Manning started out front in 250B, followed by Eric Hollub and Molteni.  Manning led wire-to-wire, while Denny Morsch reeled in Hollub for second on the final lap, sticking a pass through the bowl turn.  Manning also topped the 17-rider 14-24 class, over Daniel Sanders and Gordon Kaskin.

 125B packed the gate with 19 riders.  Gordin Kaskin grabbed the holeshot, trailed by Erik Utech and Vini Provenzano.  Kaskin led wire-to-wire, followed by a freight train of riders hungry for the top five.  Provenzano and Jordan VanDeWyngaerde moved into second and third, and maintained the positions to the checkers.  Utech and Denny Morsch wrapped up the top five.  Heat-race winner Daniel Sanders had a rough main event, finishing outside of the top ten.

 Mason Hulsey  (300) started out front in 50 Junior, followed by Colton Krska and Shawn Thompson.  Hulsey stayed out front for the win, while Krska held off a charge from Nick Harris for second.  Shawn Thompson edged out Zachary Blasing for fourth.

 There was a full gate in the 18-rider 50cc 4-8 injected class, with Colton Krska leading the way.  Thompson, Jacob Gaul, CJ Kuhter, and Everett Dahlberg completed the top five. 

In the 18-rider 125C class, Collin Licastro started out front, followed by heat-race winner Blake Couch and Geoff Carreiro.  Jody Walker moved into the top three on the first lap, and went inside to pass Couch for second on lap two.  Licastro held off Walker’s charge for the win, over Walker, Couch, Zack Hochstatter, and Carreiro. 

James Mesch led the way in the 16-rider 250C class, followed by Spencer Neurohr and Alex Zimmerman.  After a lap, Neurohr was the new leader, running side-by-side with Zimmerman, and Mesch in third.  But Neurohr bobbled and dropped way back, while Zimmerman, Cody Gehant, and Mesch were the new top three.  Zimmerman ran away with the win, while Gehant, Adam Fusinetti, and Mesch battled for second, with Gehant getting the edge.

 Maxx Malatia (55) was on the gas, topping both 85 Senior and Supermini.  In the 14-rider 85 Senior class, Malatia started out front, followed by Rick Nichol and Erik Utech, who fell in the second turn.  Malatia sprinted to the checkers, followed by Nichol, Cory Calatani, Tyler Simpkins, and Utech. 

In Supermini, Malatia picked up another holeshot, avoiding a pileup from Mason Flatness who went down in the start.  Malatia cruised to the win, followed by Nichol, Robert Wehn, Catalani, and Simpkins. 

Daniel Olson (226) was the early leader in Quad B, pressured by Zach Sondgeroth and Derick Skaggs.  By mid-race, Sondgeroth passed into the lead, while Olson and Skaggs diced for second, with Skaggs getting the nod at the finish.  Neil Hambly and Mark Hambly wrapped up the top five.