Aaron Plessinger was one of the few riders who went undefeated at Loretta Lynn’s. (Front page) Matt Bisceglia won the AMA Horizon Award. Photography by Kit Palmer
The 2013 Red Bull AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship presented by AMSOIL wrapped up a weeklong competition on Saturday, officially crowning 36 National Champions at the evening’s award ceremonies.
Not only did Yamaha rider Aaron Plessinger secure a National title in both the 250 B class and 450 B Limited class, the Ohio-native swept all six motos he entered this week.
Bakersfield, California’s Jett Reynolds was only the second rider to go undefeated through all six motos en route to a 51 (7-8) and 65 (7-9) National Championship. Furthermore, Reynolds is the first rider since Davi Millsaps in 1997 to win a 51 and 65 title at Loretta Lynn’s in the same year.
Other notable performances of the week include Weatherford, Texas-native Matt Bisceglia, who captured the Open Pro Sport and 250 A National titles in his last visit to Loretta Lynn’s as an amateur. Ryan Surratt of Corona, California, also captured dual titles this week, taking home the Schoolboy 1 and Schoolboy 2 Championships. Michigan’s Joey Crown put forth a dominant performance in the Youth division to capture the Mini Sr. (12-14) and Mini Sr. (12-14) Limited Championships.
Each year the American Motorcyclist Association awards the coveted AMA Horizon Award to the rider showing the most promise for a professional career and the 2013 recipient was none other than two-time National Champion in 2013, Bisceglia, who plans to make his Lucas Oil Pro Motocross debut with the GEICO Honda team this year at the Unadilla National.
The Vet Rider of the Year Award went to Junior 25+ National Champion Timmy Ferry, while the Youth Rider of the Year was awarded to two-time champion in 2013 Jett Reynolds. The State Championship Award, once again, went home to California, as the state captured the most National Championships throughout the week with eight total.
Jordon Smith didn’t have a desirable start to the week with a DNF in the opening moto of the 250 B class, but the Belmont, N.C. rider bounced back in the 250 B Limited class to claim the National Championship with a 1-1-1 moto score.
In the 450 A class, New Jersey’s Luke Renzland earned his title in a hard fought battle with the second place finisher Jace Owen. The duo claimed the top two positions in every moto during the week, but, in the end, Renzland’s 2-1-1 moto score topped Owen’s 1-2-2 finishes.
North Carolina’s Tyler McSwain went undefeated in the 450 B class to capture the National Championship, in addition to his second-place finish in the 250 B class. California’s Adam Nickerson took home the 250 C Limited title with a final moto score of 3-1-2. Tauan Brenner of Antioch, Calif., consistently kept himself up front all week and with a 6-4-2 moto score Brenner claimed the 250 C title. Idaho’s Derek Valenzuela posted an almost perfect sweep in the 450 C class but his 1-1-2 scores awarded him the National Championship nonetheless.
Jerry Robin was the talk of the year as the Minnesota-native qualified to the National Championship aboard a 1985 Honda CR250R in the Two-Stroke B/C (16+) and 250 B classes. However, Robin encountered a mechanical issue in practice this week where he decided to compete in the Two-Stroke class aboard a borrowed 2007 machine instead, where he captured the National Championship with a 1-5-1 score. Tennessee’s very own Josh Cartwright secured the College B/C (16-24) championship with a moto score of 3-3-2.
Dade City, Florida’s Timmy Ferry and Robbie Reynard of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, put forth an exciting battle in the final moto of the Vet (35+) class, where Reynard claimed the National Championship. However, Ferry answered back in the Junior 25+ class with a 1-1-1 sweep to take home the title.
Trampas Parker and John Grewe battled for the Senior (45+) title, but it was Parker who emerged victorious with two of the three moto-wins. California’s Kevin Foley claimed the Masters (50+) title with a final moto score of 1-1-2.
Vet B/C 30 + champion Michael Mitchell of Union Grove, N.C., posted a three-moto sweep en route to his title.
Massachusetts rider Keith Johnson went 1-1-3 to claim the Senior 40 + National Championship in the final moto of the program on Saturday.
The 51cc classes produced exceptional competition despite the less-than-desirable track conditions at times. North Carolina’s Daxton Bennick went home with the 51cc (4-6) Special Limited National Championship with a three-moto sweep. The 51cc (4-6) Shaft Drive Limited class saw Georgia’s Levi Bolton claim the National Championship, while Tennessee’s Casey Cochran took the 51cc (4-6) Limited title.
Aiden Tijero
California’s Aiden Tijero and Texas-native Ty Masterpool went head-to-head all week long and in the end, each rider claimed a championship of their own. Tijero captured the 65 (10-11) Limited title by virtue of 4-1-1 finishes, while Masterpool went 1-1-2 to capture the 65 (7-11) National Championship.
In the 85 divisions, Florida’s Jalek Swoll and Utah’s Garrett Marchbanks produced plenty of exciting race action, where both riders were rewarded with a National Championship. Swoll topped Marchbanks in the 85 (9-11) Limited class with 2-1-2 finishes, while Marchbanks emerged victorious in the 85 (9-11) class with a final moto score of 3-1-1.
Mitchell Harrison of Cairo, Georgia, posted a 1-2-1 moto score to capture the Super Mini 1 (12-15) National Championship. Michigan’s Ashton Hayes took the Super Mini 2 (13-16) title after finishing 2-4-2 for the week.
