PARAGON, IN

Round two of the Midwest Cross Country Series wound up being almost an exact repeat of round one, with thunderstorms hitting the night before the event and changing the trails from really nice into a muddy mess for race day. Some of the bikes on open trailers were caked with mud before they were even unloaded, and four-wheel-drives were getting stuck everywhere as they attempted to park in the open field. Most vehicles had to be pulled by big farm tractors, so with the tractors doing the their best to get everyone in, the start of the race would be delayed an hour and half.

The starting area was fairly dry, with a long right-hand sweeper followed by some sharp turns around some hay bales before entering the swampy woods.

Derrik Allen (above) and Tyler Tischler (below) were the first riders off the Pro line. Tischler barely got the holeshot, but he carried too much speed into the next turn, and Allen ducked underneath and took the lead going into the woods.

After a few miles, Tischler made the pass for the lead and then pulled away from Allen, extending that lead after the first lap.

As the Pros started their second lap, the trail conditions were getting worse, and bikes were getting stuck everywhere and water was flowing down the hills. The good lines were getting harder to find.

Tischler held the lead at the beginning of the third lap but ended up burying his bike in a big hole when he attempted to jump it; his bike was stuck up to the seat, and it took 20 minutes to get it pulled out. Meanwhile, Allen took over the lead and completed his third lap for the win. Lucas Statom finished second. Tischler ended up fifth overall, with only six riders completing three laps. Fifty-year-old Don Rainey was one of them, finishing sixth overall and second in the Pro Am class.

The C class was the largest of the day, with 30 riders. Mike Pflum took the win by a huge margin, completing three laps and finishing third overall. Taking second and third place in the C class and completing two laps were Jared Vehling and Nicholas Weaver, respectively. Only 13 of the 30 C riders finished.

The efforts and participation of the landowners, tractor operators and volunteers, who continued on with the event despite such wet conditions, are much appreciated.

Results

O/A: 1. Derrik Allen (KTM); 2. Lucas Statom (Kawasaki); 3. Mike Pflum (Kawasaki); 4. Chris Douglas (Kawasaki); 5. Tyler Tischler (KTM).

PRO: 1. Derrik Allen; 2. Chris Douglas; 3. Tyler Tischler; 4. Derick Vehling; 5. Jack Mason.

PRO AM: 1. Lucas Statom; 2. Don Rainey.

A: 1. Chris Miller; 2. Kyle Carrico.

A LITES: 1. Josh Thacker.

B: 1. Christopher Vance; 2. Kody Hardin; 3. Matt Dargie; 4. Tyler Martin; 5. Chris Dargie.

B LITES: 1. Zach Love; 2. Cody Mason; 3. Jake Rakowski; 4. Kenny Teagarden; 5. Ryan Fredrick.

VET B: 1. Chris Booe; 2. Jeff Martin; 3. Eric Boyd.

VET C: 1. Sergio Terrera; 2. Ken Petri.

SR: 1. Bill Boyd; 2. Joe Strattman; 3. Bryan Wedmore; 4. Kirk Troutman; 5. Ross Alcorn.

C: 1. Mike Pflum; 2. Jared Vehling; 3. Nicholas Weaver; 4. J.B. Love; 5. Zach Crouch.