Glen Helen’s second annual Stopwatch National kicked off the MotoFest over the May 17-18 weekend. The $100,000 Pro payout enticed many racers to attend during the off weekend and use the event as preparation just before the start of the Pro Motocross schedule. Colt Nichols walked away with much of the purse money, as he swept Thursday’s and Saturday’s motos with 1-1 results in the 450 class. Dilan Schwartz also cashed in with a 1-1 win in Saturday’s 250cc Pro Showcase.
Thursday’s Stopwatch National set the tone for the weekend. With over 40 entries, the name itself alluded to the yearly tests that take place at Glen Helen, but for the second year in a row, the track dropped the gate and made it an official race. Nichols used the larger 450cc power on his HEP Twisted Tea Suzuki to grab the holeshot down the dragstrip start line and jumped out to the early lead. Amateur standout Enzo Temmerman followed closely in tow and kept Nichols honest for the entire first moto. The two front-runners separated themselves from the rest of the field and finished first and second to start the day. Julien Beaumer battled back from a bad start to finish third.
Nichols again controlled all the second moto, leading all 15 laps of the 30-minute-plus-two-lap race. A 1-1 result for Nichols earned him $10,000 for a quick Thursday at the office.
“Honestly, I was lucky I was on a 450,” Nichols said. “I had that advantage going up the hills and everything, and I was kind of dogging these guys right in here. They were riding good, and it was fun racing the younger guys. Just mixing it up and getting gate drops was cool. Nice to go 1-1, and battling with the young guys was fun.”
Behind him, Ryder DiFrancesco crossed the line in second after a spectacular crash into the crowd ended his first moto. The Troy Lee Designs GasGas rider is back from injury and used the race to prepare for next week’s round of Pro Motocross. A 43-2 score on the day put him just outside of the purse-paying positions, as he finished 21st overall.
Beaumer again started outside the top five but slowly chipped away at the podium. He ended the day with a pair of thirds, which landed him in second overall and a $5000 paycheck. Enzo Temmerman rounded out the podium, going 2-5 for third overall. The Team Green Kawasaki rider earned $3000 in the process.
Saturday’s Pro Showcase saw the action continue with 450cc and 250cc motos taking place and a healthy payout for both classes. Nichols got right back to his winning ways and led every lap of the first moto en route to another victory. BarX Yamaha’s Derek Drake kept Nichols honest in moto one and set the fastest lap of the race while giving chase. The two battled for nearly the entire race, with Drake eventually slipping up in the closing laps and taking second. Grant Harlan held on for third after duking it out with Brad West.
Moto two of the 450s was another Nichols show, as the Suzuki rider ran away with his fourth and final win of the weekend. Nichols led every lap of every gate drop and walked away with another $10,000 check for his efforts. Drake finished second in moto two, just a bit farther back from striking distance when compared to race one. He took second overall. Enzo Temmerman raced a 450 to third in moto two, but it was off-road racer Mason Semmens who rounded out the overall podium with consistent 5-5 finishes.
Dilan Schwartz led a BarX Yamaha podium sweep in the 250 Pro Showcase. The Yamaha rider started behind his new teammate, Parker Ross, but moved to the lead just before the halfway mark. Schwartz made a break for it and took the win, with Ross securely in second. Landen Gordon stayed steady and took third in moto one.
Race two again saw the two BarX bikes up front as Ross and Schwartz took hold of the early lead. Schwartz took over the top spot on lap three and never looked back, cruising to the win by more than 10 seconds. Ross took second and used his 2-2 finishes to take second overall. Enzo Temmerman landed on the box with a third in moto two, but it was Cole Timboe’s 4-4 that boosted him to third overall. CN
- Colt Nichols (Suz) 1-1
- Julien Beaumer (KTM) 3-3
- Enzo Temmerman (Kaw) 2-5
- Derek Kelley (Yam) 5-4
- Dilan Schwartz (Yam) 4-6
- Colt Nichols (Suz) 1-1
- Derek Drake (Yam) 2-2
- Mason Semmens (KTM) 5-5
- Grant Harlan (Yam) 3-8
- Dare DeMartile (Bet) 6-7
- Dilan Schwartz (Yam) 1-1
- Parker Ross (Yam) 2-2
- Cole Timboe (Yam) 4-4
- Reven Gordon (Kaw) 5-5
- Landen Gordon (Kaw) 3-7
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