J Day Off-Road hosted its second regional race at ClubMX in Chesterfield, South Carolina, with bLU cRU as the presenting sponsor. The course featured a unique setup, with two motocross tracks—one with a clay base and one with a sand base—separated by the FMF Extreme Section. This created a different kind of racing for the facility, and it was fast.
Words & Photography by Kylie Kulpa / Eighteen Photos
With 26 Pro AA riders lined up, the gate featured ClubMX racers alongside some of the sport’s fastest off-road riders, making for an exciting day for everyone watching. RacerTV and AG Media captured all the action, from the PeeWee riders up to the Pro AA class, which was won by Valley Yamaha-backed rider Tyler Medaglia, who topped a solid field that included two-time GNCC Champion and 2019 J Day Champion Ben Kelley, 2020 450MX National Champion Zach Osborne, GNCC 2025 Ironman overall winner Mike Witkowski and Australia’s Angus Riordan.
As the Pro AA riders waited for the green Fox Racing flag to drop, the energy on the line was intense. When the flag waved, former pro Supercross racer Joey Crown (Yamaha) grabbed the holeshot and led the pack as they headed into the FMF Extreme Section. Crown continued to lead through the first four laps while the rest of the field settled in behind him.
Meanwhile, after starting further back, Medaglia was moving up, advancing into the top three.
Phoenix Honda rider Angus Riordan quickly joined the battle near the front, making it a tight fight among the top riders. After lap four, Crown dropped back slightly, allowing Medaglia to pass for the lead. From there, Crown kept the pressure on, staying close and waiting for his opportunity. On the last lap, he made the move back into first, taking the moto-one win after a tough race.
Riordan finished moto one in third place, putting himself in a strong position for the overall. Ben Kelley (KTM) also had an impressive ride in the opening moto. Starting back in 11th, Kelley worked his way through the field and moved into fourth by lap seven, showing strong speed and consistency throughout the race.
Bryton Carroll (Yamaha) had an impressive start to his J Day Off-Road debut as well. After starting the moto in 12th, he pushed forward and worked his way up to finish fifth, just behind Kelley, rounding out the top five in the moto.
By the time Pro AA lined up for moto two, the sun had reappeared after a midday rainstorm. The moisture seemed to help the track stay intact, something several riders mentioned after the race.
With battles happening throughout the field and the track continuing to change throughout the day, the Pro AA class once again delivered an exciting race to watch.
When the Fox Racing flag dropped for the second moto, Jiggs Fustini (KTM) came around the first corner in the lead, bringing the pack of riders behind him onto the first motocross section.
Medaglia didn’t waste any time making his move. By the end of the first lap, he was in the lead and started to pull away from the rest of the field. From there, he stayed smooth and consistent, holding the top spot for the entire moto to take the win and the overall for the day.
Medeglia raced two strong motos, adapted to the conditions, and kept a solid pace when it mattered most to secure the top spot on the podium.
Medaglia said, “This kind of racing is right up my alley. I come from a moto background and transitioned into woods racing. I was just trying to survive the sand, that’s really all. I didn’t have to work as hard. In the first moto, I had a bad start, and by the time I got up front, I was pretty exhausted. The second moto, I felt a lot more comfortable and had a better start.”
The moto-one winner, Crown, started the second moto in fifth place and worked his way forward throughout the race. By the final lap, he moved into second and he held to the line, delivering another strong performance.
Crown, backed by ClubMX, secured the runner-up spot overall with 1-2 scores. After dealing with injuries in the past, the result shows he is continuing to regain his rhythm.
On the podium, Crown said, “Coming into the weekend, my goal was a top five. To win that first moto, even with a couple falls, was huge. I just needed to keep it on two wheels the next moto. I knew I had the speed, but I blew it with a bad start and crashed a couple of times. I beat myself.”
Angus Riordan (Honda) started moto two in seventh place but kept pushing forward as the race progressed. Riordan made passes on Zach Osborne (Beta), who finished fourth, and Ben Kelley (KTM), who finished fifth, enabling him to secure another third place.
The Honda rider’s consistency throughout both motos gave him third overall among the stacked Pro AA field.
In the amateur overall standings, the top spot went to ClubMX rider Keegan Rowley (Yamaha), who finished 15th overall while winning the A 250 class. Nick Higham (Husqvarna) led the A 200 class, and Hayden Justice (Yamaha) took the A Open win with a 22nd-place overall finish.
The Women’s Pro class also provided exciting racing. Factory KTM rider Brandy Richards excelled with a flawless 1-1 performance. Richards finished moto one with a 46-second lead and followed it up with a 54-second margin in moto two. Making her J Day Off-Road debut, she took full advantage of the opportunity.
Speaking about the challenging FMF Extreme Section on the podium, Richards said, “That was pretty good. For the first moto, I found a good line and stuck with it; the same for the second moto. I stayed with the same line because it was consistent. It wasn’t too slow, and I wasn’t getting sketchy in it, so it worked well.”
Korie Steede (Husqvarna), who finished second overall in the Women’s Pro class behind Richards, also had a strong race. Supported by the Rockstar Husqvarna team and known for her strength in off-road and sprint-style racing, Steede stayed consistent throughout the day and delivered a solid performance to secure the runner-up spot.
Completing the Women’s Pro podium was Phoenix Honda rider Tayla Jones. Jones stayed consistent through both motos, maneuvering the mix of clay, sand, and the FMF Extreme Section to secure her spot on the podium.CN
2026 J Day Off-Road Round 2 Results
PRO OVERALL (Top 10)
- Tyler Medaglia (Yam) 2-1
- Joey Crown (Yam) 1-2
- Angus Riordan (Hon) 3-3
- Ben Kelley (KTM) 4-5
- Mike Witkowski (Hon) 6-6
- Jiggs Fustini (KTM) 8-8
- Bryton Carroll (Yam) 5-11
- Zach Osborne (Bet) 13-4
- Evan Smith (KTM) 11-7
- Craig DeLong (Hus) 9-9
Click here to read the 2026 J Day Off-Road Round 2 Story in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
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