Press Release –
Despite inclement weather conditions and lots of mud that plagued round nine of the NEATV-MX series, BCS Performance’s Mike Pilotte came away with the Pro win while Kawasaki’s Joe Haavisto claimed the number one position in the Pro-am class.
Rain and mud was the name of the game at the Capeway Rovers Motocross Park. Even though it had been raining off and on all morning, there were many racers that still showed up to maintain, if not improve their points standings, but at 9am, just as practice was about to get underway, the skies opened up and heavy rain began to fall.
Track conditions deteriorated quickly and became so poor due to all the water that officials decided to move all of the youth classes to the end of the day in hopes that things would clear up a bit. Just as conditions appeared to be improving, Mother Nature once again let loose with a heavy down poor.
Conditions became so poor that officials decided that the track would be impassable for the smaller quads, and cancelled the kid’s races for the day. Adult classes were also cut down to a one moto, winner take all format.
With the massive amounts of mud flying everywhere off the starting line, whoever took the holeshot, and was able to keep their vision somewhat clear, had a definite advantage over those who were following. In the Pro class, Mike Pilotte was the lucky one that took the holeshot, with Joe Haavisto right behind him, while several other riders got hung up in the first turn due to the slick conditions.
The slippery track and poor visibility made passing difficult if not close to impossible, so the order that riders left the gate stayed virtually the same throughout the entire moto.
The mud claimed several victims over the course of the race with Myles Santaniello and Vincent Mofford all taking DNF’s. “It was really slick and visibility was poor. I ended up losing traction off the line and didn’t get the start I wanted. You definitely wanted to be the guy getting the holeshot this round,” said Kawasaki’s Joe Haavisto.
Out of the eight Pro’s on the starting line, only five were able to finish the race. Of the surviving racers, Pilotte was first to cross the finish line, with Joe Haavisto in second, and the Halo Suspension backed #40 Yamaha of Dave Payne claimed the final podium position. Thomas Mofford held on to take 4th place and BCS Performance backed Justin Hoffler finished in 5th.
In the Pro-am class, it was Kawasaki’s Vincent Mofford edging out Joe Haavisto for the holeshot and the early lead, but it would take long for Haavisto to make the pass to take over the lead followed by Vincent Mofford and Mike Pilotte. Just as in the Pro class, the order of the race did not change much due to the inclement conditions. Joe Haavisto rode away with the Pro-am win with Vincent Mofford taking second and Mike Pilotte taking the final podium position. Thomas Mofford ran a solid race to claim 4th, while Justin Hoffler, finished once again in 5th place.
Even with massive amounts of mud, there was a large turnout in the Women’s class with 12 riders lined up at the gate ready and waiting for their chance to get down and dirty. Halo Suspension’s Amy Thompson, who has been putting on a solid performance all season on her #103 Yamaha, took the holeshot and the win. Thompson, who had the advantage of clear sight, pulled ahead and kept a comfortable lead all the way to the finish line. Tiffany LaClair took an impressive second place, while class points leader Paige Whipple finished in a strong third place.
In the 25+ class, #122 Yamaha of Matt Atkins took the holeshot and the win, gaining some points on current points leader, Chris Lane and second in points, Casey Loring as both Chris and Casey decided not to race because of the conditions. In the Youth 200/300 class, Cody Gould braved the elements to take the win with Joshua Mondo in second and Mike Troiano taking the final spot on the podium.
The 4-Stroke Expert A class was not without its challenges as well with only four out of nine racers crossing the finish line. Jonathan Hansen was the first to reach the checkered flag, with class points leader Ralle Rookey in a close second. Jono Normandin found his way to the 3rd spot on the podium and Anthony Pugliese rode in at a solid fourth.
The next round of the NEATV-MX will be held at MX207 in Lyman, Maine. Round 10 will be a special event that is to include a fundraising benefit for the American Cancer Society. The benefit will begin at 4PM with games and prizes, including a Guitar Hero contest. Luminary bas will also be sold at the event with 100% of the proceeds donated to the American Cancer Society.
