The 13th and final round of the J Day Off-Road Series took riders to Southwick, Massachusetts, for the East Grand Regional AMA Championship, held November 1-2 and sponsored by Factory Connection. With 29 Pro riders competing and only two points separating Brandon Gregoire and Justin Cokinos, the Southwick sand promised chaos, and it delivered.
Story by Kylie Kulpa | Photos by EighteenPhotos / Kulpa
In moto one of the Pro AA class, Beta rider Brayden Nolette jumped into the early lead, but Cokinos (Plaistow Powersports) made a clean pass before the moto track to take control. Behind them, AmPro Yamaha rider Gregoire suffered a dead-last start in the 29-rider field. Gregoire charged through traffic, closing in on Jiggs Fustini for second before hunting down Cokinos.
Cokinos had built a strong gap and looked as if he were in position to win the moto, but by lap five, Gregoire had reduced the lead to just four seconds. In the second-to-last corner in the woods, Gregoire made the winning pass. He took the moto-one victory, with Cokinos finishing second and Fustini third. Nolette (fourth), Cooper Jones (fifth) and Jake Abbott (sixth) battled relentlessly for the remaining top-six positions, swapping spots throughout the moto.
Moto two was the championship decider. This time, Gregoire grabbed the early lead while Cokinos found himself buried in the pack, working through traffic. Gregoire controlled the pace until lap three, when a crash on the moto track opened the door for Cokinos and Fustini to move into first and second. The 16-year-old Fustini put on an impressive show, running up front with some of the fastest woods riders in New England all year long. Cokinos continued to pull away, widening the gap with each lap. With the title on the line, fans packed into the finish area to watch the final moments.
When the checkered flag waved, Justin Cokinos crossed the finish line first, winning the second moto for 2-1 scores and earning his first J Day Off-Road title, along with the 2025 East Grand Regional AMA Championship.
On the podium, Cokinos proudly displayed his first-place Championship plaque, joined by Gregoire in second and Fustini in third.
After the race, Cokinos said, “We wanted that all year. It’s been a long year. I had to stay focused, because with all of those ruts it was easier going slower. Anything could happen. Let’s get there first, then we can celebrate. Once I crossed the checkered, it finally hit me.”
The Amateur overall winner was Tommy Petze (Husqvarna), finishing eighth overall and first in A 250. The A 200 winner was Daniel Desmarais (Yamaha), who finished 35th overall, and the A Open winner was Landon Wentz (KTM), who finished 22nd overall.
In the Women’s Pro, Addison Harris (KTM) took home the win, going 1-1 against some fast women over the weekend. Carly Lee (KTM) made her first J Day appearance, going 2-2 for second overall. Women’s Pro Champion Kayla O’Neill went 3-3.CN
2025 J Day Off-Road Series Round 13 Results
OVERALL (Top 10)
- Justin Cokinos (Yam) 2-1
- Brandon Gregoire (Yam) 1-3
- Jiggs Fustini (KTM) 3-2
- Jake Abbott (Hus) 6-4
- Brayden Nolette (Bet) 4-6
- Taylor Beckwith (Yam) 7-5
- Cooper Jones (KTM) 5-7
- Tommy Petze (Hus) 9-8
- Matt Tovani (Yam) 15-9
- Van Gosselin (Yam) 12-13
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