J Day Off-Road spent Mother’s Day weekend at Lake Sugar Tree for the fourth round of its regional series, presented by Red Line Oil. From dusty grass-track sections and creek crossings to a beautifully rutted clay layout, the course featured every kind of terrain imaginable. Split-lane sections kept riders guessing all day, but Josh Toth knew exactly where he needed to be to secure the Pro AA overall victory.
Story & Photos by Kylie Kulpa
Moto one kicked off with Justin Cokinos grabbing the Fox Racing holeshot aboard his Plaistow Powersports machine, leading the field early. Cokinos controlled the pace through the opening laps before Toth charged into the lead on lap four, making multiple quick passes to take over the top spot. From there, Toth pulled away and finished moto one with a 13-second gap over Canadian rider Tyler Medaglia.
Angus Riordan mounted an impressive charge, climbing from seventh to finish third in the moto, taking second overall. Jiggs Fustini rebounded from an early incident with Cokinos and kept the pressure on throughout the race to finish third. Medaglia crossed the line in fourth, while Ricky Russell rounded out the top five.
Moto two brought an entirely new challenge, with the Kurt Caselli Section becoming one of the day’s biggest talking points. Riders could either launch over the creek or risk getting hung up while climbing the bank. Fustini was the first to fully commit to the massive creek gap, instantly gaining six to seven seconds on the riders behind him. Once out front, he put his head down and charged to his first Pro AA moto win of the season, crossing the finish line just two seconds ahead of Riordan.
While Fustini made the creek jump look effortless, the riders behind him knew they had to follow if they wanted to stay in contention. As Riordan joked on the podium, “I was hoping he’d stop jumping it so I didn’t have to, but if I wanted to stay up front, I had to.”
Riordan worked his way from fourth to second by the final lap, while Toth battled from fifth to third to keep himself on the overall podium. Russell fought back from an early setback after a creek-crossing tangle with Gavin Simon and recovered from eighth to fourth by the checkered flag. Medaglia once again rounded out the top five.
Overall for the day, Toth took the win in the Pro AA class, followed by Riordan in second and Fustini in third. Medaglia finished fourth overall, with Russell completing the top five. The class showcased exactly what off-road racing is all about: adapting to changing terrain, overcoming obstacles, and handling every challenge the track throws your way.
In the amateur ranks, Cole Johnson rode his Honda to eighth overall in the A class while taking the A Open overall victory. Dylan DelaCruz claimed the A 250 win, and Aaron McAfee Jr. topped the A 200 class.
The Women’s Pro class delivered its own battle throughout the day. Lilley Sheets grabbed the holeshot in moto one and led every lap, though Kayla O’Neill stayed within striking distance and finished right on her rear tire. In moto two, O’Neill got the start she needed and rode a strong, consistent race, charging hard through the rough conditions. Sheets suffered a tough crash in the second moto and was unable to finish, allowing O’Neill to secure the overall victory and valuable championship points.CN
2026 AMA East GP / J Day Off-Road Round 4 Results
Pro AA Overall (Top 10)
- Josh Toth (Kaw) 1-3
- Angus Riordan (Hon) 3-2
- Jiggs Fustini (KTM) 6-1
- Tyler Medaglia (Yam) 2-5
- Ricky Russell (Kaw) 5-4
- Gavin Simon (Hus) 4-7
- Justin Cokinos (Yam) 7-6
- Joey Crown (Yam) 8-9
- Matt Webb (Yam) 10-8
- Alex Phaneuf (Yam) 9-10
