MotoTrials: Pat Smage Undefeated After Kansas MotoTrials

Shan Moore | June 1, 2014
Pat Smage

Sedan, KS (May 31-June 1, 2014) – Pat Smage continued his domination of the 2014 Aires AMA NATC MotoTrials US National Championship Series by taking a pair of wins at rounds three and four of the series in Sedan, Kansas, this weekend.

Smage finished Saturday’s round with a total of just two points, the Sherco USA rider going 1-1-0 over the three laps. Meanwhile, Gas Gas USA’s Martin Matejicek, from the Czech Republic, looked much improved over his American MotoTrial debut last week in Colorado and finished second overall with a total of 22 points.

Sherco USA teammates Logan Bolopue and Daniel Blanc-Gonnet battled for the final step of the podium, with Bolopue finding his groove on the final lap to take third by a four-point margin over Gonnet. 

On Sunday, Smage got off to a somewhat shaky start, taking a five in the second section of the day when his rear wheel went out of bounds in a relatively easy part of the section. The Sherco rider took another four points before the end of the lap for a total of nine points for the opening lap.

Like he’s done so many times before, Smage knuckled down over the next two laps, logging a four and a two for laps two and three, and finishing out the day with a total of 15 points to take his fourth-straight win of the series.

Matejicek, who is getting better with each event, was solid on Sunday, however the Gas Gas rider was still a bit off of Smage’s pace and in the end claimed the runner-up position with a total of 47 for the day.

Bolopue and Blanc-Gonnet continued their battle over third, with Bolopue once again finding his way to the final step of the podium after beating out Blanc-Gonnet by 18 points, 81 to 99.

At the halfway point in the series, Smage holds a 20-point lead in the championship standings over Matejicek, 120 points to 100. Bolopue is third overall with 81 points, while Blanc-Gonnet is fourth with 70.

The battle for the win in the Expert class was once again waged between American Beta’s Ray Peters and Sherco USA’s Andrew Putt, with the two riders once again trading wins over the two-day event.

On Saturday, Putt took the top spot on Saturday by a single point over Peters, on the strength of a five-point second lap. When the cards were counted, Putt finished the 36-section trials with a total of 20 points, compared to 21 for Peters.

During Sunday’s round, Peters was solid for most of the day and got the better of his younger counterpart, taking advantage of a disastrous first loop by Putt that the Sherco rider couldn’t rebound from.

At the end of the day, Peters took the win with a total of 15 points, while Putt was second with 27. Third place went to Alexander Niederer with 45. Meanwhile, Colorado Gas Gas rider Bailey and Ohio Sherco rider Quinn Wentzel rounded out the top five with 51 and 71 points, respectively.

The Aires AMA NATC MotoTrials US National Championship Series resumes competition on June 21-22 for rounds four and five of the series in Valley View, Penssylvania. For more information on the US MotoTrials series, check out www.mototrials.com.

Results:

SATURDAY

Pro

1. Pat Smage (Shr) 2

2. Martin Matejicek (GG) 19

3. Logan Bolopue (Shr) 67

4. Daniel Blanc-Gonnet (Shr) 71

Expert

1. Andrew Putt (Shr) 20

2. Ray Peters (Bet) 21

3. Alexander Niederer (Bet) 33

4. Bailey Tucker (GG) 34

5. Quinn Wentzel (Shr) 44

Sunday

Pro

1. Pat Smage (Shr) 15

2. Martin Matejicek (GG) 47

3. Logan Bolopue (Shr) 81

4. Daniel Blanc-Gonnet (Shr) 99

Expert

1. Ray Peters (Bet) 15

2. Andrew Putt (Shr) 27

3. Alexander Niederer (Bet) 45

4. Bailey Tucker (GG) 51

5. Quinn Wentzel (Shr) 71

 

 

 

 

Shan Moore | Contributing Editor

Moore covers all facets of off-road racing for Cycle News – from AMA Supercross and Motocross to GNCC and National Hare Scrambles events.