J Day Off-Road brought its East Grand Prix Regional Series to the CGI Facility for round three in Edgefield, South Carolina, on April 24-25, where riders faced one of the toughest tracks of the season so far. Presented by FMF, the weekend featured brutal conditions: dust hung in the air, and a hard clay base littered with roots and rocks made every lap a test of endurance and precision. It was the kind of course where line choice mattered, mistakes were costly, and, as overall winner Joey Crown described it, “a man’s track.”
Story by Kylie Kulpa | Photos by Eighteen Photos / Kylie Kulpa
The Pro AA class delivered on every expectation.
Justin Cokinos started the moto strong with the Fox Racing Holeshot, leading the pack onto the red-clay track. Crown emerged with a perfect 1-1 sweep, but the score sheet hardly captures how intense the battle was up front. In moto one, Crown took control after early pressure from Ricky Russell, posting consistent lap times to win by 15 seconds. Russell stayed close throughout and finished second, while Tyler Medaglia fought through traffic and rough conditions to keep himself in the overall picture.
Moto two saw the top three were back at it, with Crown once again piecing together a mistake-free ride to take the win with a three-second lead on Medaglia; he answered with a strong second-place finish while Russell held firm for fourth, enough to secure second overall. Through both motos, the trio navigated deteriorating track conditions and lapped traffic while staying separated by only seconds for much of the afternoon.
Behind the podium battle, the fight within the top five added another layer to an already stacked Pro field. Jiggs Fustini delivered a steady day to finish fourth overall, showing strong pace in both motos and staying in the front group. Justin Cokinos rounded out the top five after battling in the lead pack early and grinding through the demanding conditions to secure another solid result.
With Crown first, Russell second, Medaglia third, Fustini fourth and Cokinos fifth, the Pro AA class showcased both speed and survival on a track that demanded every bit of each.
In the amateur ranks, Rivers Morris rose to the top with an impressive ride, securing the Amateur overall title while capturing A250 class win. On a track that punished mistakes, Morris kept things clean and fast, adding another standout performance to the day.
The Women’s Pro class brought no shortage of excitement, as Tayla Jones of Phoenix Honda claimed the class win. The battle for second became one of the day’s best stories. Kayla O’Neill and Mallory Pickard traded momentum in a hard-fought fight for the runner-up position, each handling the brutal conditions with determination. O’Neill finished second, and Pickard finished third.CN
2026 AMA East GP / J Day Off-Road Round 3 Results
OVERALL PRO AA (Top 10)
- Joey Crown (Yam) 2-1
- Ricky Russell (Kaw) 1-4
- Tyler Medaglia (Yam) 5-2
- Jiggs Fustini (KTM) 4-3
- Justin Cokinos (Yam) 3-7
- Ben Kelley (KTM) 6-5
- Joshua Toth (Kaw) 8-6
- Alex Lugar (Kaw) 9-9
- Gavin Simon (Hus) 12-8
- Alex Phaneuf (Yam) 10-10
