The final round of the AMA Motoclimb Super Series was the Dairyland Motoclimb in Bay City, Wisconsin, July 12. Hosted by the Valley Springs Motorcycle Club and only 45 minutes from the Millville Pro Motocross race the day before, this legendary hill is dubbed “500 Feet of Mean,” as it mixes styles from traditional East Coast and West Coast racing, blending smooth and rough terrains, making it a tough hill for the racers to conquer and an entertaining hill for the spectators.
By Matt Musgrove
For a second weekend in a row, the French motoclimb athletes competed in the series, as they stayed over from the previous round last weekend in the Midwest at the Brick Mine Motoclimb.
The Pro Mod kicked off the day with a rough line on the left side of the hill, featuring steep walls and natural features that represented a West Coast hill. In this class, the bikes are a mix of agility and speed, allowing 450-700cc bikes that can have modified swingarm length, tire types, and exotic fuel. Bodee O’Neil was the first rider up and over, setting a 22.040-second ride. That ride held the entire 30-rider class until Nathan Prebe set a smoking-fast 21.101-second ride aboard his friend Steve Cain’s Husqvarna FC490. That time held until the end of the class, with Prebe taking the top step. O’Neil was in second, and points leader Tristan Alexander finished in third.
The next class was the Pro Stock class, featuring 250cc-450cc bikes of all types, as long as they were stock length. This class evens the playing field, and the hill becomes more challenging without swingarm extensions. Nearly the entire 33-rider field didn’t make it over the top, but it was Alexander who put his Husqvarna FC 450 over the crest with a 29.319-second ride. The whole race strategy adjusts when bikes are stock and lines were forming, so in the second round, five more found what it took to go up and over. Brodie O’Connor, regional motocross pro, showed up to Bay City for his first Motoclimb race ever, hearing that the payout was good and stock-length bikes are allowed. On his second run, he jumped the bottom double and set the fast time, with a 25.722 run. The next rider, Dexter Hoenhause, had an even faster run at it and crested the top with a 24.235-second pass, winning the class ahead of O’Connor and Alexander.
The Pro Open class featured fully custom bikes with upwards of 300 horsepower. This course layout was straighter and a bit faster, but still difficult to time the jumps and put a smooth run together. The times were settling between 16 and 18 seconds, but it was Nathan Prebe on Steve Cain’s KTM 1190 that broke into the 15-second range, with a 15.775-second pass, putting him in the lead. That time held until 16-year-old Charlie Engnes pulled up on a Mueller Motorsport KTM 990 and crested the top with a 15.755 pass, barely edging out Prebe for the lead. This was Charlie’s first-ever AMA MSS race, and he held his composure like a true professional in the most prestigious class. Charlie held the lead, followed by Prebe, and Bodee O’Neil finished in third aboard his GSX-R1000. All three bikes were built by Mueller Motorsports.
The final class of the day was Verticross, which took the top 32 finishers of the Pro Stock class and placed them in a tournament-style bracket. Since moving this class to a Pro Stock category, the racing has been a lot more competitive and entertaining, as there are more upsets and just getting over the hill is a challenge. There was no lack of excitement, as championship points leader Alexander and second-place Pro Stock finisher Brodie O’Connor were bumped out in the second round. Hoenhause, second place in the championship and winner of Pro Stock, was eliminated in the quarterfinals. But Prebe, aboard his Beta 300RR two-stroke, was holding strong, picking off rider after rider. He lined up next to childhood friend Luke Cipala on a KTM 450 SX-F in the final round and ended up going over first and winning the class. Cipala finished in second, while Colten Landwer finished in third after beating Logan Peterson in the third-place runoff.
Prebe ended up scoring 35 points between the Pro Stock, Verticross, and Open classes, earning his first AMA Motoclimb Super Series overall win. O’Neil and Alexander tied with 30 points, but Bodee’s better placement in the Open class earned him the second-place position. The Dairyland Motoclimb was the final round of the 2025 season, and it was Alexander who became the 2025 AMA Motoclimb Super Series Champion, the third different winner in three years. In addition, he clinched the Open, Verticross, and Pro Mod Championships. Hoenhause finished in second overall, and Jon Wolfson clinched the Pro Stock Championship.CN
2025 AMA Motoclimb Super Series Round 5 Results
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