CAMBRIDGE, MN

Fourth-generation racer Will Larson (302, below) - of "Larson's Cycle" lineage - scored a hotly contested win in the ever-popular Micro Mini class during the District 23 Tourist Trophy Dirt Track race held at the Norseman Clubgrounds in Cambridge, Minnesota.

The start of the Micro Mini main event saw Marcus Pinto (21) grab the holeshot and lead the pack into the first turn, with Nate Minster (319, above), Larson (302) and Reece Valland (121) in hot pursuit, followed by Josh Fedder and the rest of the 11-rider field. By the end of the first lap, however, Larson had bolted into the lead, and he never looked back on his way to landing an exciting victory. Heat-race winner Minster secured the second-place spot but never posed a threat to the fleeing Larson. Rounding out the top five were Fedder, Valland and Pinto. Micro Oil race winner Mason Grecula finished sixth.

An altogether opposite age group came to the line, in the form of the Over 50 class. Longtime dirt-tracker Dan Zitur (48, above) scored the win, ahead of another old-schooler, Ron Bystrom (8). Bemidji, Minnesota, native Randy Thistle kept them honest en route to finishing a solid third. When later asked why he was riding his much older 1997 CR250, Zitur replied, "I still have the winter ice-race jetting in my 450, so I broke out Old Faithful!"

Josh Koch got the all-important holeshot at the start of the 450 Semi-Pro main and held off a hard-charging Kevin Anderson and Nick Mataya for the win. Conner Anderson, Jacob Leclair and Tim Zemanovic rounded out the field.

Later, in the Open Semi-Pro final, Nick Mataya (12L, above) turned the tables by grabbing the early lead and setting a blistering pace that went on for 20 laps. Heat-race winner Conner Anderson clipped a tire and almost crashed while running in second; his miscue allowed Koch and Conner's older brother Kevin Anderson to move into the second- and third-place spots, but by that time Mataya had all but checked out.

"I was flexing my hands on the straights to keep them from cramping up," explained the Go Moto/Repsol-sponsored Mataya. "I have to especially thank Mom and Dad for giving me the opportunity to race."

Koch had Mataya in his sights throughout but never posed a threat.

"I thought I was gaining ground on the straightaway," Koch explained afterward, "but I knew I would never catch him."

When not racing, Mataya, a 12th-grader at Blaine High School, also plays football and captains the Lacrosse team. Mataya's father, Marty Mataya (19, below), enjoyed some success as well by topping the highly competitive Mad Dog class.

Results

50 OIL-INJ: 1. Mason Grecula (KTM); 2. Curtis Blom (KTM); 3. Treaton Simon (Yamaha); 4. Amelea Hauer (Yamaha); 5. Garrett Sarazain (KTM).

50 CHAIN: 1. Will Larson (KTM); 2. Nate Minster (KTM); 3. Josh Fedder (Yamaha); 4. Reese Valland (Yamaha); 5. Marcus Pinto (KTM).

BEG: 1. Andrew Grecula (Yamaha); 2. Peter Fanum (Honda); 3. Josh Fedder (Honda); 4. Rick Peterson (Yamaha); 5. Casey Larson (Yamaha).

125 BEG: 1. Casey Larson (Suzuki); 2. Justin Gustofson (Yamaha); 3. Rick Peterson (Yamaha); 4. Jayden Meier (Yamaha).

250 A: 1. Cole Anderson (Honda); 2. Dustin Paul (KTM); 3. Dan Jacobson (Honda); 4. Riley Rasmusson (Suzuki).

450 A: 1. Cole Anderson (Honda); 2. Jacob Leclair (Honda); 3. Rich Delak (Hus); 4. Tony Hauer (Suzuki); 5. Matt Ellison (Hus).

450 SEMI-PRO: 1. Josh Koch (Honda); 2. Kevin Anderson (Honda); 3. Nick Mataya (Yamaha); 4. Conner Anderson (Honda); 5. Jacob Leclair (Honda).

OPEN A: 1. Cole Anderson (Honda); 2. Erick Bostrom (Yamaha); 3. Dustin Paul (KTM); 4. Geoff Thistle (Honda); 5. Dan Jacobson (Honda).

OPEN SEMI-PRO: 1. Nick Mataya (Yamaha); 2. Josh Koch (Honda); 3. Kevin Anderson (Honda); 4. Conner Anderson (Honda); 5. Tim Zemanovic (Honda).

MAD DOG: 1. Marty Mataya (Honda); 2. Lee Ganske (Yamaha); 3. Tom Fox (Yamaha); 4. Mark Nelson (Honda); 5. Elliot Darsow (Suzuki).

30+: 1. Tony Hauer (Suzuki); 2. Erick Bostrom (Yamaha); 3. Rich Delak (Hus).

40+: 1. Randy Thistle (Yamaha); 2. Lee Ganske (Yamaha); 3. Ron Bystrom (Honda); 4. David Darsow (Honda).

50+: 1. Dan Zitur (Honda); 2. Ron Bystrom (Honda); 3. Randy Thistle (Yamaha); 4. Jeff Ellison (Hus); 5. Roger Hendricks (Honda).

600 VINT: 1. David Darsow (Honda); 2. Jeff Ellison (Hus); 3. Tom Fox (Yamaha); 4. Mike Schmidt (Honda); 5. Mark Nelson (Yamaha).

VINT TW: 1. Ron Leeman (Triumph); 2. Joe Blackwell (Yamaha); 3. Rick Peterson Sr. (Yamaha).