First Thumper Win
for Broll; Victory for Verado and Vance
Wedron, IL – September 13
By Nikki Dixon
Round four of the Fox Valley Off Road hare scramble series
logged over 230 racers. All of the
courses had a great layout, with a mix of different obstacles and terrain. But the biggest hit of the day was
“three log hill”, an 80 foot wide uphill section, with three decent sized
logs spaced out up the climb. The
quads were the first race to take on “three log hill”, followed by the
85cc/65cc classes, and finally the big bike race.
The hill was a spectator hot spot, with several passes due to the endless
line choices, and the logs also tripped up many riders on the climb.
35 quads lined up to start off the race day, with A-rider
Scott Burkitt leading all riders through the shortened first checkpoint. Shane Gaunt stepped it up in the first
complete lap, to turn a blazing 8:24, which was the fastest lap of the entire
quad race. Gaunt logged several
more fast laps in the low 9 minute range to take the Quad A win, and lead all 35
riders. Burkitt stayed within reach
of Gaunt until lap five, when a 19 minute lap dropped Burkitt back in the pack.
Daniel Burkitt led the first four laps in Quad +35, until
Bradley Holder put together a 10 minute flat on lap five to more into the lead,
just two seconds in front of Burkitt. Holder
led through the checkpoint for the next three laps, with Burkitt right on his
rear wheels, with a gap of one second or less.
But Holder had problems on the final lap, and didn’t come around for
the final checkpoint, giving Burkitt the win.
Kevin Johnson was the only other Quad +35 rider to finish all nine laps
for second place, trailed by Holder, Tim Storey, and Dan Siener.
Cody Toal was the only Quad B rider to finish nine laps, as
he led wire-to-wire over the 9-rider field.
Several riders mixed it up behind him the entire race. Through the first checkpoint, David
Johnson, Ryan Bennington, and Mike Waggoner trailed Toal, but Andre Topper moved
into second after the first complete lap. Topper
ran in second for several laps, while Bennington, Waggoner, and Jeremy Beetz
took turns in the third position. On
lap seven, Beetz reeled in Topper for second, and Beetz held the spot to the
checkered flag. Topper didn’t
register on the final lap, moving Bennington, Johnson, and Paul Schultz into top
five finishes.
In the 16-rider Quad C class, Brandon Chapman led through the first lap shortened check point, chased by Brandon Haly, Cody Smith, Riley Brueggren, David Singleton, and 11 other riders. Smith moved out front after the first complete lap, with Haly one second back, and Brueggren a few seconds behind him. Haly took over the lead after three laps, until Brueggren moved out front on lap four, with Smith and Haly right behind. Smith regained the lead on lap five, and put together five solid laps to be the only Quad C rider to finish nine laps. Brueggren finished second, with Jason Noble, Haly, and Singleton wrapping up the top five.
The next race of the morning was the 20-rider 65cc Beginner
class. Colten Zuidema
led after a partial lap, at the
first checkpoint, trailed by Aspen Park, Doug Propper, Bryce Otterbach, and
Shawn Thompson. Park took over the
lead on lap two, and the top four stayed within seconds of each other through
the opening laps. Zuidema moved back into the lead on lap four, followed by
Park and Otterbach. Park stayed
right on Zuidema, less than two seconds behind, for several laps, until he lost
some time with a rough lap 10. Zuidema
carded the win, with Otterbach finishing second, just 12 seconds behind Zuidema. Park, Propper, and Justin Carr rounded
out the top five. The top nine
riders all finished 11 laps.
Eli Otterbach (42) grabbed the holeshot in the 8-rider 50
Senior class, followed by Garrett Ward, Dalton Garecht (22), and Autumn Torres,
and Allison Roland. Otterbach was
still out front at the first checkpoint, trailed by Ward, Shawn Thompson, Tanner
Whipple, and Torres. Otterbach led
the first three laps, until Thompson took over the lead on lap four. Thompson ran out front for the next seven laps, chased
closely by Whipple. On lap 11,
Thompson had a bad lap, as Whipple took over the lead, and pushed ahead for the
win. Thompson finished second,
followed by Otterbach, Ward, and Torres.
In the 10-rider 50 Junior class, Kyle Green had the
holeshot, but Nathan Metz led at the first checkpoint, trailed by Jake Oelfke, 
Green, Micah Alleman, and Carter
Holder. Oelfke moved out front on
lap two, but Green took over the lead on lap three. Green started pulling away as he led the
next five laps, but he didn’t register on the final checkpoint, handing
Alleman the win, followed by runner-up Oelfke, who was just 10 second back at
the checkered flag. Green, Holder,
and Jaden Torres completed the top five.
Veronica Martin led the 10-rider women’s class at the first shortened checkpoint, chased by Chelsea Marfell, Hannah Keith, Kim Chandler, and Paige Garecht. Marfell moved out front on the first complete lap, with Martin right behind her. Marfell opened up a gap, as Martin lost some time on lap three, but Martin closed the door again on the next lap, when Marfell had a rough lap. Martin then chased down Marfell, cutting a 14 second lead to just two seconds by lap seven. They sprinted through the course and through lapped traffic within a bike length of each other for the final three laps. Marfell turned a 6:20 on the final lap, which was the fastest lap of the class, to secure the win. Martin, who clocked a pair of 6:21 laps late in the race, finished just two seconds back at the checkered flag. Keith, Taylor Clark, and Nikki Dixon rounded out the top five.
The 17-rider Thumper
class had a good laugh at the starting area, as several riders
wore water wings, inner tubes, and snorkels, after Thumper class regular John
Conley missed a turn and ended up in the creek at round three. The good humor brought Conley some luck
in the start, as he led through the first checkpoint early in the course,
followed by Sam Esposito, Nicholas Broll, and Jim Cromwell. Father and son combination Mark and Tony
Spizzirri didn’t have the best of starts, but quickly moved through the pack
on the first full lap. Mark
Spizzirri led at the next checkpoint, followed by Broll and Tony Spizzirri,
while Conley crashed and dropped back to fourth.
Mark Spizzirri and Broll diced for the lead, trading positions a few
times in the early laps. Then on an
uphill, Spizzirri threw his chain, while Broll pulled ahead. Spizzirri got back going again in fourth place, and reeled in
Conley and son Tony over the next four laps.
But despite turning some of the fastest laps of the race, Spizzirri
couldn’t catch leader Broll to challenge for the lead. The snorkel and tube must have been good
luck for Broll, as he earned his first Thumper class hare scramble win, followed
by Mark Spizzirri, Tony Spizzirri, Conley, and Dylan Broll.
In the 15-rider 85cc class, Travis Ward (351) 
and Mitchell Ternes were the first
two riders into the woods after the dead engine start. Ward put in a 6:25 to lead the first
lap, which would end up his fastest lap of the race. Dalton Brough, Tanner Porter, Nate Hornung, and Ternes
trailed Ward through the first checkpoint.
Brough held down the second spot during the 10 lap race, giving up some
time to Ward early in the race, but matching Ward’s lap times late in the
race. Devon Fredrick charged up
from ninth place on the first lap, to finish third at the checkers, just three
seconds behind Brough. Fredrick
also logged the fastest lap of the race, with a 6:09 on his final lap, while
giving his all to try to reel in Brough. Ternes
and Riley Schuhler mixed it up for the fourth spot, with Ternes turning the
second fastest lap of the race, with a 6:15 on the final lap to finish fourth,
followed by Schuhler in fifth. Hornung
held on to the third spot for several laps early in the race, but eventually
finished sixth, and was the final rider to complete all 10 laps.
Over 100 big bikes filled the starting area for the final
race of the day. AA class winner
Trey Verardo led eight of nine laps, despite a tough challenge from Jeremy Smith
during the first half of the race. 19
riders finished on the lead lap, which included winners of six different classes
(AA, 86-Open A, 86-200 B, 201-Open B, +30A, and +40A). Only three riders were able to break the
11-minute lap mark, which were AA riders Verado and Smith, and 86-Open A winner
Kyleer Vance.
Verado led at the first checkpoint in AA, just over two
minutes into the race, followed by Lee Lankutis, Nolan Whitesell, and Smith, who
were all within a few seconds. Smith
dropped the hammer on the first complete lap, turning a 10:44 to take over the
lead, 17 seconds in front of Verado. But
Verado answered back on the next lap with a 10:24, which would be the fastest
lap of the day in all classes, to regain the lead, with Smith two seconds
behind. The two continued to battle
and match lap times in the 10-minute range for the next three laps, blazing
around the course and through lapped traffic, until a crash would end Smith’s
day on lap six. Smith rode up to
the finish line area, and pulled out of the race, with an apparent injury from
the crash. Verado continued to turn
fast laps to take the win, five minutes ahead of second place Lankutis, with
Whitesell rounding out the podium.
In the 86-Open A class, Kyleer Vance (146) had
the early lead, chased by Jay Hall, Jeffery Kaylor, Jeff Snedecor, and Jesse
Keith. Kaylor charged on the first
complete lap to take over the lead, just one second in front of Vance through
the checkpoint. But Vance turned a
10:44 on the next lap, which was the fastest of the class, to move back out
front. Kaylor stayed within
striking distance for the next few laps, matching Vance’s lap times. But Kaylor lost some time on lap eight,
while Vance continued to check out for the win.
Kaylor finished second, followed by Snedecor in third. 
Hall (150) had an 11 second
cushion on Keith (103) at the white flag, but Keith dug deep to turn an 11:08 on
the final lap, his fastest lap of the race, and reel in Hall for fourth, with
Hall just one back behind at the checkered flag.
In the 86-200 B class, Joshua Fehring started out front in
the dead engine start, followed by Benjamin Schmidt and the rest of the field as
they entered the woods. All five
riders were within a couple seconds at the first checkpoint, with Schmidt moving
out front on the first full lap, followed by Scott Sexton and Keagan Schmidt. The top three held their positions for a
couple laps, until Alec Perry moved into the top three on lap four. Then second place Schmidt had a rough
lap, advancing Perry and Sexton into the second and third spots. Perry put in several fast laps late in
the race, including an 11:11 which was the fastest of the class, to cut a minute
off of Schmidt’s lead. But
Schmidt stayed out front for the win, with Perry 14 seconds back at the
checkered flag, followed by Sexton, Schmidt, and Fehring.
Clinton Pherigo
(445) grabbed the +30A holeshot, with Tim Farrell right on his
rear wheel through the first turn. Pherigo, Farrell, and John Stichnoth led the way at the first
checkpoint, but Patrick McClure charged through the pack on the first complete
lap to become the new leader, with Pherigo and Farrell right on his rear fender. McClure then strung together several
laps in the low 11-minute range to inch away from the field, while Pherigo and
Farrell mixed it up for the second spot, trading positions several times, and
staying close all nine laps. McClure
carded the win, with Pherigo edging out Farrell for second, and the top three
all completing nine laps. Oscar
Rodriguez and Jason Schultz wrapped up the top five.
In +40A action, Don Raschke led the 10-rider field into the woods, followed by Kenneth Otterbach and Jim Perry. But Perry quickly moved out front, chased by Raschke, Otterbach, Robert Koscielski, and James Schmidt. Raschke took over the lead on lap two, trailed by Otterbach and Perry. Raschke stayed consistent to slowly pull away from Otterbach in the nine lap race, and earn the victory, trailed by Otterbach, Perry, and Thomas Burtle, who all finished nine laps.
Gary Peterson (635) was the early leader in the 12-rider
+50 class, trailed by Wally Mika, Don Carqueville,
Doug Johnson, and Jeffery Whittington at the
first check. Peterson held off Mika
until lap four, when Mika was the first +50 rider to break the 12-minute mark,
with an 11:52. Mika continued to
put together more laps in the 11-minute range, with his best an 11:39, to pull
away for the win in the nine lap race. Mika’s
win makes him the only rider to win all four rounds at FVOR this year. Peterson and Carqueville wrapped up the
podium, and all finished on the lead lap. Whittington
held down the fourth spot all race, while David Moose rallied back from a ninth
place start to wrap up the top five.
Randy Southard picked up the +30B holeshot over the 9-rider
field, and led at the first check, with Brian Roland, Doug Ogden, Brian Goodin,
and Mark Ficek in tow. Jerry Oksas
climbed into the second spot by lap three, 36 seconds behind leader Southard. Oksas closed the gap a few seconds each
lap, including turning the fastest lap of the class with a 12:03. Oksas finally caught Southard on lap
six, and moved into the lead. But
then Oksas ran into problems on the next lap, and lost several minutes, dropping
back to the fifth spot at the white flag. Southard
charged ahead for the win, over Ficek, Roland, Oksas, Goodin, and Todd Brough. The top six all completed eight laps.
Doug Propper led the 15-rider +30C class through the first checkpoint, chased by Matt Wamhoff, Jerimy Hanlin, Steve Perkins, and Brian Doughty. Perkins charged into the lead on the first complete lap, followed by Hanlin and Wamhoff. Perkins then logged the fastest lap of the class on the next lap, with an 11:55, and continued to turn consistent laps to stay in front of second place Hanlin. Scott Dixon rallied back from 11th place at the first checkpoint, to pass Wamhoff for third up “three log hill” on lap five. With a lap to go, Hanlin trailed Perkins by 44 seconds, and the race looked to be over, until Hanlin put in a speedy 12:12 on the final lap, to finish just three seconds behind Perkins at the checkered flag. Dixon and Wamhoff finished third and fourth, and on the lead lap, and Doughty rounded out the top five.
In 86-200 C
action, Nolan Schuhler, Jake Siebert, and JJ Cones
(946)had the quickest reaction time in the dead engine start,
leading the 9-rider pack into the woods. Cones
quickly moved out front, followed by Grant Bodmer, who made some passes after a
bad start. On the first full lap,
Bodmer took over the lead, followed by Seibert, Cones, Nicholas Broll, and Roy
Clucas. Bodmer turned consistent
laps in the low 12-minute range, including the fastest lap of the class with a
12:04 on the final lap, to inch away from second place Cones, and secure the
win. Broll reeled in Siebert for
third on lap three, and held the spot to the finish. The top three all finished eight laps,
followed by Clucas and Schuhler, who completed seven laps.
Justin Cox led the 15-rider 201-Open C class at the first checkpoint, trailed by Bryan Clucas, Jason Drake, Nick Wood, and Dustin Thompson. Clucas took over the lead on the first full lap, with Cox just a few seconds back. Clucas put together a couple of fast laps, including an 11:48, the fastest of the class, to build up a couple minute lead on second place Cox. The top five all finished eight laps, with Clucas leading the way, followed by Cox, Andrew Porter, Wood, and Drake.