TAYLORVILLE, IL

A betting man would have lost. A betting man would have bet that there was no way that you could race at South Fork, because central Illinois had been pounded with rainstorms for a week straight. In fact, most of the other area tracks didn't even try to run. However, a walk onto the track revealed that it was perfect: The dirt was soft and rutted, and the roost flying off the bikes didn't even stick to the bikes!

On a sad note, it was announced that Pam Wentzel, mother of longtime racer Alex Wentzel, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday. Everyone's thoughts and prayers are with you, Alex.

The biggest class of the day was the Over 45 class. In the first moto, Halls Cycles Husky rider Don Large took the holeshot and, eventually, the moto win. Honda rider Rod Burger took second, with Yamaha rider Jeff Franklin placing third.

In the second moto, Large again took the holeshot, and again took the moto win - and the overall victory, showing why it looks certain he will be an AMA District 17 champion. Behind Large, Burger was riding as hard as he could in second, but Franklin was on the hunt. Lap after lap, Franklin edged closer, and on the last lap he was on Burger's rear fender. Going up the uphill jump, Franklin looked ready, but he made a mistake that took him off the track, giving Burger some breathing room, and second for the moto and overall. Giving it all he had, Franklin took third for the moto and overall.

Another class providing some great racing was the Girls' class. Suzuki rider Kayla Miller (356, above) is fast; she was on the gas, taking the first-moto win, with Honda rider Breanna Malak finishing second and Honda rider Victoria Kezerle coming in third.

The second moto was more of the same, with Miller winning the moto and the overall. Malak again put in a good, consistent ride for second in the moto and overall. Third in the moto and overall went to Kezerle.

Kawasaki riders Aaron Davis (224, above) and Aric Walton had their best races of the year. Both have worked hard all year, and this was their day. Walton has been here since the first event, and on this day he finished fourth in the Open A contest and won both the Over 30 A and Over 35 classes. Davis looked like a different rider on this day, with nearly perfect form and style - the result of hard work, and he was awarded wins in the Open B and 14-24 classes.

The fall of the checkered flag on the last moto marked the end of the 2009 motocross season at South Fork.

Results

50 (4-8): 1. Brett Ford (KTM); 2. Edgar Lewis (Cob); 3. Andrew Voegtle (Honda); 4. Jacob Hammond (KTM).

50 JR: 1. Edgar Lewis (Cob); 2. Zoe Weiss (KTM); 3. Jacob Hammond (KTM).

50 SR: 1. Larry Smith (Cob); 2. Joshua Franklin (KTM); 3. Brett Ford (KTM).

65 JR: 1. Carter Gordon (Yamaha); 2. Noah Watts (Kawasaki); 3. Ryan Weiss (Kawasaki); 4. Brett Ford (Kawasaki).

85 JR: 1. Carter Gordon (Suzuki); 2. Parker Smith (Kawasaki); 3. Joseph Voegtle (Yamaha); 4. Cameron Rybak (Kawasaki); 5. Noah Watts (Kawasaki).

85 SR: 1. Blake McCombs (Honda); 2. Paxton Kerber (Honda); 3. Steven Miller (Suzuki); 4. Alex Thompson (Honda); 5. Drew Swales (Kawasaki).

MINI 1: 1. Carter Gordon (Yamaha); 2. Parker Smith (Kawasaki); 3. Noah Watts (Kawasaki).

S/MINI: 1. Gabriel Petri (KTM); 2. Blake McCombs (Honda); 3. Alex Thompson (Honda).

125: 1. Kyle Baum (Honda); 2. Anthony Ward (KTM); 3. Ryan Lash (Yamaha); 4. Clayton Hackman (Honda); 5. Logan Dennis (Suzuki).

250 C: 1. Joseph Jones (Yamaha); 2. Austin Storm (Yamaha); 3. Travis Johnson (Honda).

250 D: 1. Gabriel Petri (Honda); 2. George Marcure (Honda); 3. Bryce Cox (Honda); 4. Richard Lagle (Honda); 5. Brett Cox (Kawasaki).

OPEN A: 1. Kyle Corman (Suzuki); 2. Anthony Krivi (Yamaha); 3. Paden Feagans (KTM); 4. Aric Walton (Kawasaki).

OPEN B: 1. Aaron Davis (Kawasaki); 2. Randy Peek (Honda).

OPEN C: 1. Joseph Jones (Yamaha); 2. Austin Storm (Yamaha); 3. Matt Bolyard (Honda); 4. Derek Allbright (Yamaha).

4-STRK: 1. Kyle Corman (Suzuki); 2. Anthony Krivi (Yamaha).

GIRLS: 1. Kayla Miller (Suzuki); 2. Breanna Malak (Honda); 3. Victoria Kezerle (Honda); 4. Lanaea Malak (Kawasaki).

WMN: 1. Lanaea Malak (Honda).

SCHBY: 1. Clayton Hackman (Honda); 2. Anthony Ward (KTM); 3. Kyle Baum (Honda); 4. Ryan Lash (Yamaha).

14-24: 1. Aaron Davis (Kawasaki); 2. Richard Lagle (Honda).

30+ A: 1. Aric Walton (Kawasaki).

30+ B: 1. Kelby Trowbridge (Suzuki); 2. Terry Winterbauer (Honda); 3. Randy Peek (Honda); 4. Eric Lawson (Yamaha).

35+: 1. Aric Walton (Kawasaki); 2. Terry Winterbauer (Honda); 3. Todd Huston (KTM).

40+: 1. Todd Huston (KTM); 2. Don Large (Hus); 3. Jeff Petri (KTM); 4. Rod Burger (Honda).

45+: 1. Don Large (Hus); 2. Rod Burger (Honda); 3. Jeff Franklin (Yamaha); 4. Joseph Voegtle (Yamaha); 5. Steven Kerber (Kawasaki).

50+: 1. Mark Rubenstein (Hus).

55+: 1. Gary Shewhart (Yamaha); 2. John Wagner (Yamaha).