The Kioti Armstrong Truck & Tractor American Woods Racing Championship Series (AWRCS), presented by Lojaks Cycle Sales and an AMA East Regional Championship, returned to West Virginia with round seven held at FMF Riverfront Raceway on July 25-26. Riders were greeted by an all-new course that combined flowing, high-speed sections with technical, rock-filled terrain, setting the stage for one of the season’s closest battles.
Story & Photos by Kate Stiller
The front-runners spent the afternoon separated by only a handful of seconds as the overall lead changed hands multiple times before Jay Lipscomb emerged victorious.
Sawyer Carratura grabbed the holeshot, but Keihin Rupp checked in first at the end of the opening lap, holding a two-second advantage over Lipscomb. Carratura remained close behind, while adjusted time placed XC-Pro Amateur riders Easton Uplinger and Ruger Morgan in third and fourth overall, keeping all five riders within striking distance.
By the end of lap two, Uplinger had moved into the overall lead aboard his Beta, with a time adjustment, while Lipscomb, Rupp and Carratura fought for the physical lead. At the halfway point, fewer than 30 seconds separated the top five riders, setting up an all-out battle to the checkered.
As the race entered the fourth lap, Morgan took over the XC-Pro Amateur lead from Uplinger, while Lipscomb took over the overall lead, with Carratura in second and Rupp in third. The battle remained incredibly close as the front-runners continued to push one another, leaving little room for error.
In the closing miles, the leaders encountered lapped traffic, and Carratura was caught up in an incident while trying to pass a lapped rider. The mishap allowed Rupp to move into second as Lipscomb focused on securing the victory.
After nearly two hours of wheel-to-wheel racing, Lipscomb crossed the finish line just 10 seconds ahead of Rupp, earning his second win of the year. Uplinger’s ride earned him a season-best third overall and first in the XC-Pro Amateur class. Morgan followed in fourth overall and second in the XC-Pro Amateur class, while Carratura recovered from a late-race incident to round out the overall top five and finish third in the XC-Pro class.
In the XC-Women Open CC class, Sahara Robinson led all four laps to secure another class victory. Madison Harmon rode a consistent race to finish second, holding that position throughout, while Giada Peluso maintained a steady pace to round out the podium in third.
The Youth Bike overall win went to Hunter Hawkinberry, who led every lap and steadily extended his advantage to secure another dominant overall victory. Behind him, the battle for the remaining podium positions stayed competitive, with Colton Propst securing second overall, just ahead of Sahara Robinson, who worked her way from sixth on the opening lap to finish third. Ty Behrendt turned in a consistent ride to finish fourth overall while claiming the Supermini B class victory, and Kasen Loftin rounded out the overall top five.
The PeeWee Bike class belonged to Josh Erny, who led all six laps to secure another overall victory. Kash Brummage followed with a strong second-place finish, while Baron Evkovich claimed third overall along with the win in the 2-Stroke class. Cade Propst and Audrey Petrilla rounded out the overall PeeWee Bike top five with consistent rides to the checkered flag.
The AWRCS Championship Series now heads to fan-favorite Clintonville for the Back-to-School race, round eight of the 2026 season.CN
2026 American Woods Racing Round 7 Results
Overall Adult Bike (Top 10)
- Jay Lipscomb (Hon) 1:58:14
- Keihin Rupp (Kaw) 1:58:24
- Easton Uplinger (Bet) 1:59:25
- Ruger Morgan (Kaw) 2:00:27
- Sawyer Carratura (KTM) 2:00:29
- Kiefer Galiano (KTM) 2:04:03
- Tanner Stennett (Yam) 2:05:12
- Ethan Waddell (Kaw) 2:06:48
- Danny Haftl (Yam) 2:08:13
- Seth Miller (Yam) 2:09:49
