Press Release –
Muddy Creek was in perfect condition for this weekend’s GNC event. Hot temperatures greeted the competitors, separating the men from the boys. Jeremiah Jones and Doug Gust dominated the event with 1-2 finishes in both motos aboard the blazing fast LT-R450 Suzuki QuadRacers®.
Team Yoshimura Suzuki manager Wayne Hinson was feeling good at the end of the day, “Jeremiah is just ‘on’ right now. These Suzukis are incredible, and with the way he’s riding – he’ll be tough to beat… The day could have only been better if both of them won. But somebody’s got to get first and somebody’s got to get second. As it turned out, Doug gained a lot of points and Jeremiah keeps inching closer. It’s a long series and we are looking at being up front when it’s all over.”
At the start of the first moto, a seemingly smooth start for everyone turned to chaos as too many quads tried to fit into one spot.
Teammates “Digger” Doug Gust and Jeremiah “The Gunslinger” Jones were running 5th and 6th respectively rounding out the first lap. Yoshimura support rider and series point leader Joe Byrd got together with John Natalie Jr. with Natalie getting the short end of the stick. Joe emerged in 7th right behind Jones and Gust, while Natalie went back to 9th.
By the third lap Jeremiah had passed through to the lead and started to pull away. Gust meanwhile was scrapping in a pack of riders that included Joe Byrd and Keith Little. Natalie had gone up to second as Jones pulled away.
Around the halfway point, Gust passed up to second and took off after his teammate. The moto ended that way with a 1 – 2 finish for Team Yoshimura Suzuki. Yoshimura support rider Joe Byrd rode his Dan Lamey tuned machine to a well-earned 3rd.
In Moto two, Jeremiah started second but quickly moved to the lead before the second lap was done. Gust powered up into second place and the race was on.
The rest of the race saw Jeremiah putting the “bit in his teeth” and checking out. “Harold Goodman got the holeshot,” Jones said. “I picked him off in about a lap and a half over in a whoop section. It was pretty much clear sailing from there.”
Jones had a huge lead by mid race on his Ryan Cox tuned LT-R, and was riding smart maintaining his gap. Gust rode in second while once again Byrd and Natalie got together. This time Natalie ended up flipping and by the time he got back going was well down the field.
Jeremiah ended up winning the second moto with a comfortable margin over teammate Doug Gust. Gust had a large margin over Joe Byrd with the rest of the field being fairly spread out as well. It seemed the heat and humidity had taken its measure of some of the competitors.
John Natalie Jr. ended up 6th overall on the day, thus losing valuable points to Joe Byrd and Digger Doug. The points are under protest due to an incident back in Birch Creek, so depending on how the ATVA rules, the points are either very close, or Byrd has a 40 point lead.
Jeremiah however was just enjoying his success, one race at a time. “I’m at the breaking point right now – just trying to collect points from the three guys ahead of me. Just trying to click away. Doug’s third, I’m fourth. All I can do is just keeping winning races. This LT-R450 Suzuki is really working and I’m feeling really strong.”
Jones was really happy to finally to share the podium with Doug. “It was really great be up there with Doug. I’ve been waiting for this all season.” Gust agreed in a post race conversation, “Jeremiah was on a mission today. If it isn’t me, I’m really glad to see him win it,” Doug proudly said of his teammate. In Wayne Hinson’s understated words: “It was a good day.”
