Mini Supermoto at the Lube
Bike Night at the Quaker Steak and Lube in Sharon, Pennsylvania is pretty well known on the East Coast. Usually attracting over 1000 bikes each week, Bike Night is a collection of leather clad Harley riders with a few crotch rocket types thrown in. June 1, 2005 changed all of that when, in the back parking lot the sound of pint-sized four stroke engines brought the huge crowd back to see what was going on. What they found must have been pretty exciting as their eyes stayed glued to the action until it ended around 9:30PM.
Thanks to the hard work of popular mini-bike rider Rob Buydos, the race was a huge success. The track evenly split between asphalt and virgin grass drew pretty close to fifty riders on a beautiful June night. The course was laid out by Buydos and crew earlier in the day. The asphalt section consisted of a long straight leading into a ninety degree turn followed by a tight hairpin into a sweeper that led into the grass portion. The grass track ran parallel to the Shenango River, jogged around a tree into a tight hairpin and then back to meet the pavement. What started out as a freshly mowed lawn quickly turned into a loamy paradise as the riders ripped it up in practice.
The race format followed the same guidelines that are being used in the Mini-Nationals that are held in conjunction with the AMA Outdoor Motocross Series. Buydos called for a quick rider's meeting and then led each class on a sighting lap on his quad before turning them loose for practice. Unfortunately Rob injured his knee at the High Point round of the Mini-National Series and wasn't able to compete. Instead he used his expertise as one of the announcers of the AMA Outdoor Nationals to keep the crowd pumped up and informed of what was happening on the track.
The first class to hit the track for competition was the 50 Mod Class. With twelve riders lined up at the starting line it was a good way to open the program. The Wylie boys were the ones to beat all wearing matching red imxracing.com jerseys. Nick Wylie took the top honors with Jeff Wylie and Adam Eppinger rounding out the podium. Luke Wylie had a great run going after finishing runner up in moto one but a flat tire in the second heat ruined his chances for a podium finish.
Next up was the 50 Production Class. Seven riders lined up for their shot at the trophy. Sean Brink was the one to beat in this class. He swept both motos and pulled a big lead both times out on the course. Ken Joernot and Dan Justice swapped second and third place finishes with Joernot getting the best of Justice in moto two giving him second overall.
The Mid-Size Open Class was up next. Six competitors took the green flag on some of the most exotic pieces of machinery around. Most of these machines held few clues to their original birth as a kid's trail bike with modifications sometimes reaching the $10,000 mark. These guys mean business! Ohioan Mike Boggia took the early lead in moto one, but after tangling with another rider in a turn it was all Tom Zielinski. Zielinski, also known as the Zman made the trip all the way from Michigan and collected top honors in the first heat. Boggia would not be denied as he remounted and took second. Frank Valentine finished third. Moto two was much of the same, this time Boggia kept it on two wheels and won the moto. With a two-one finish Boggia got the overall with the Zman taking second and Valentine third.
Surprisingly, the Clutch Class only had three entries. What they lacked in sheer numbers they made up for in excitement. Erie, Pennsylvania native, Brian George grabbed the Holeshot in moto one aboard his CRF150 and was successful in keeping Yamaha mounted P.J. Dylewski and T.J. Mulfactor behind him. Moto two was a different story. This time Mulfactor got the jump on the gate and led Dylewski and George into the first turn in that order. Dylewski was riding like a man possessed. He showed Mulfactor a wheel in every corner. The two riders were bouncing off of each other down the straights with George patiently following right behind the two TTR125 mounted riders. Mulfactor was doing a stellar job of holding off Dylewski but on the last lap P.J. got by as he snuck underneath the leader in the hairpin and held on until the checkers. With his moto two win, Dylewski took first place on the night with George finishing second and Mulfactor third. What a race!
The last group out was the Mid-size Production or often called Premiere Class. There is no doubt that this is the most popular group with twenty entries signed up to race. With the huge number of entries some of the guys not getting to the starting line early found it full and had to line up in the rear. Moto one went off without a hitch as all twenty guys made it through the first turn unscathed. Scott Watkins grabbed the lead and held off a hard charging Trevor Vines to win the first heat. The second moto was a little different. This time there was a first turn pileup that claimed several riders. Freestyle Motocross Legend Vines was able to get through the melee as was Watkins as they took off. This time Vines came out on top. Vines got on the top step of the podium with Watkins second and John Ayers rounding it out.
With the great success of this event more are already planned for the future. We will be back at the Lube sometime around the Fourth of July and again during the Labor Day Holiday. This event is a perfect match for Bike Nights all across the country. All that you need is a parking lot and some grass and your set. The crowds are already bike fans so it is a perfect match. Look for Mini Supermoto to be the next big thing in the Pit-bike racing scene.
