McGomery Storms to Three Wins at Action Sports GP Season Finale

Action Sports Grand Prix
Action Sports Motopark

Story and Photos by David L. Patton Jr.
ATHENS, OH, NOV. 13, 2011

Chris McGomery has earned many grand prix wins while competing in the B classes in 2011. In his first race as an A rider, McGomery was blazing-fast as he put together a great performance in the last race of the year at the Action Sports Motopark, sponsored by Hatfield McCoy Trails and Ohio Motorcycle. McGomery pushed his Sport Cycles Racing/ Cycra-backed Yamaha YZ250F to the front in all three classes he entered and led every lap.

“This has just been a great day!” McGomery enthused. “Everything worked out for me today.”

Isaac Walton and Levi Keller battled hard, but McGomery had the course wired and they couldn’t catch the rider from Rushville, Ohio. Walton took the runner-up spot in the Lightweight A class and the Open A class, and Keller, in his first race on a 200cc KTM, took the Schoolboy Two (12-16) win.

Jeff Miller from Jackson, Ohio, continued his winning streak in the Over 50 class and added the Open win to his résumé as well, while Levi Coen rocketed to an impressive win in the ATV division.

The combination of Chris McGomery and Isaac Walton was unbeatable in the morning program of the Action Sports Team Hare Scrambles World Championship in October, and the duo was ready to battle in the Lightweight A class. When asked who he had to worry about in the race, McGomery quickly replied: “Definitely Isaac. I am stronger in the woods and the tight stuff, and he is faster in the open sections and the motocross stuff.”

Walton also knew he would have to ride well to beat his former teammate.

“I have to get a good start and put in fast laps right from the beginning,” Walton declared. “If I don’t get a good start, I’ll have my work cut out for me, because Chris is fast everywhere.”

When starter Kyle Wolfe dropped the flag for the dead-engine start, McGomery shot into the first turn. Walton’s bike took many kicks to light up, and he trailed the rest of the class at the start. McGomery blasted around the course on the first lap and opened up a huge lead, while Walton nearly fell in the slippery 180 on the motocross track. On the second lap, Walton did drop it, as he again pushed too hard in the 180 and slid out.

Meanwhile, McGomery was not backing off, and he left the rest of the field behind. Walton began to find his lines, but he suffered a mechanical problem near the end and had to pull off.

“The handlebar mounts came loose,” he explained.

One rider who was really tearing up the course was Ryan Slopko. Right now Slopko is sponsored by HardCore Racing and his family and friends, but it won’t be long before he has many sponsors, as he is getting faster at every race. Slopko kept his YZ125 Yamaha screaming on every lap, despite the tricky course.

“It was pretty slick at the start, when the leaves were still on the track, but it started rutting up pretty good,” Slopko recounted. “I almost slid out a couple of times.”

Slopko took advantage of Walton’s bike problems to claim second overall, and he gained a lot of ground on McGomery in the last lap and a half.

“On the next-to-last lap, I hit a tree and it took me off the bike,” McGomery reported. “The tree was hanging out over the course, and I leaned too much and hit it with my head; it made me a little dizzy.”

McGomery still came through for the win with a corrected time advantage of nine seconds over Slopko. Tristian Stumbo rounded out the top three.

“It was nice to get out front on the start like that,” said McGomery. “After that, I just tried to ride smooth.”

Dirk Walton has been a racer since the 1970s, and he offered some starting-line advice to his son Isaac before the Open A class started. When the green flag dropped, McGomery got another great start, but Walton had the EVS/ Sport Cycles Racing-backed Kawasaki right on McGomery’s rear wheel and was looking for the lead.

“In the first race before my bars came loose, I could gain on him in some sections,” Walton said, “but on the back side, Chris would gain it all back. I am going to have to charge in the back to catch him.”

Halfway though the first lap, McGomery was alone out front, and Walton was chasing Levi Keller for second.

“I caught McGomery in the first woods section,” Walton said. “Then I hit a vine and it ripped me off of the bike.”

Keller and Walton battled for a couple of laps, and then Walton got by.

“I had to put in an aggressive move on the uphill to pass his KTM,” Walton said. “Then it was smooth sailing from there.”

Once again, McGomery raced off to an impressive win.

“That was a lot better than the first race,” McGomery said. “The ruts are real nice now and the course is perfect.”

Walton and Keller followed McGomery to the finish.

McGomery grabbed another holeshot in his final race of the day, the 14-24 class, and quickly pulled away.

“I was just trying to ride smooth and not make any mistakes.,” McGomery said.

Levi Keller was getting settled in on the Rekluse/ Down’s Construction-backed KTM 200.

“This is the first time I have ridden the bike,” Keller said. “We made some changes – moved the bars back and adjusted the suspension.”

Keller stayed within striking distance of McGomery but could not reel in the leader. McGomery finished off his perfect day with his third win.

“I am definitely tired,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to fall – that would have taken a lot of energy out of me. It’s been great to come out of here with three wins in my first time riding [the] A [class].”

Keller was also worn out as he crossed the line in second.

“The track was getting rougher, but the bike worked better and I rode a little better that race,” Keller said.

Over 40 winner Keith Gwinn took third overall on his Sport Cycles Racing Yamaha.

In the ATV division, Levi Coen nailed his second overall of the season.

“I got a bad start,” Coen confessed, “but I felt good today and was able to take the lead on the first lap.”

Coen pounded the Athens Sport Cycles/ GMR/ Fly Racing-backed Kawasaki KFX450R around the course and took the win despite an oil leak that had his bike smoking for most of the race.

“Today I had a lot of fun,” he said. “The course was really good.”

Austin Arnold and Sean Archer took second and third, respectively.

Action Sports Motopark
Athens, Ohio
Results: November 13, 2011

50 (7-8): 1. Wyatt Morris (KTM); 2. Chase Ingalls (KTM); 3. Kaden Rice (KTM).

65 (7-11): 1. Tyler Silvia (KTM); 2. Tanner Collins (KTM); 3. Timmy Harris (KTM); 4. Aaron Magdich (KTM); 5. Blayke Coler (KTM).

MINI JR 85 (7-11): 1. Wade Ward (Hon).

MINI SR 85 (12-15): 1. Jordan Burkholder (Hon); 2. Cope Beckert (KTM); 3. Brayden E. Coler (KTM); 4. Christian Walter (KTM).

125/200 B: 1. Ryan Slopko (Yam); 2. Tristian M. Stumbo (KTM); 3. Jordan Burkholder (Suz); 4. Adam C. Chapman (KTM); 5. Seth James (Yam).

250 B: 1. Keith A. Gwinn (Yam); 2. Josh D. Eagle (Hon); 3. Chad Heimberger (Yam); 4. Peyton J. Randolph (Hsq); 5. Johnny Stewart (Hon).

LIGHTWEIGHT NOV C: 1. Neil Rankin (Yam).

LIGHTWEIGHT A: 1. Chris McGomery (Yam); 2. Isaac Walton (Kaw).

HEAVYWEIGHT NOV: 1. Justin Sipos (KTM); 2. Fred Beckert (KTM); 3. Wylie Ford (KTM); 4. Kyle Collins (KTM).

HEAVYWEIGHT B: 1. Shade Huntley (Hon); 2. Chad Heimberger (Yam); 3. Kyle Rohan (Hon); 4. Barton Chylinski (KTM).

4-STROKE LIGHTWEIGHT B/C: 1. Chris Ray (Yam).

4-STROKE HEAVYWEIGHT B: 1. Shade Huntley (Hon); 2. Cory Atwood (Yam); 3. Bill Barnes (Yam).

OPEN A: 1. Chris McGomery (Yam); 2. Isaac Walton (Kaw); 3. Levi Keller (KTM).

OPEN: 1. Jeff Miller (Yam); 2. Justin Sipos (KTM); 3. Wade Ward (Hon); 4. Mark W. Kaho (Yam); 5. Tom Rankin (Yam).

WOMEN: 1. Dawn Silvia.

WOMEN 125+: 1. Elizabeth Allen (Hsq); 2. Emily Wishard (Yam); 3. Kelli Scheibley (Kaw).

SCHOOLBOY (12-16) BW: 1. Tristan Landrum (KTM); 2. Cope Beckert (KTM); 3. Dustin Keller (KTM).

SCHOOLBOY 2 (12-16) 4-STROKE: 1. Levi Keller (KTM); 2. Ryon McManus (KTM); 3. Wyatt Ford (KTM).

14-24: 1. Chris McGomery (Yam); 2. Peyton J. Randolph (Hsq); 3. Justin Sipos (KTM).

25+: 1. Chad Heimberger (Yam); 2. Mark D. Cales (KTM); 3. Steve Young (Yam).

30+: 1. Josh D. Eagle (Hon); 2. Kirk Allen (Hsq); 3. Corey Atwood (Yam); 4. Mike A. Downs (KTM); 5. Johnny Stewart (Hon).

40+: 1. Keith A. Gwinn (Yam); 2. David England (KTM); 3. Tom Rankin (Yam); 4. John Di Nunzio (Hsq).

50+: 1. Jeff Miller (Yam); 2. Andrew Chapman (Yam); 3. Mark J. Randolph (Hsq); 4. Dale Cox (Hon); 5. Gerry Bennett (Yam).

ATV A: 1. Sean Archer (Suz).

ATV B: 1. Levi Coen (Kaw).

ATV C: 1. Austin Arnold (Hon); 2. Tyler Willoughby (Yam); 3. Lee Griffith (Suz).

ATV VET 30+: 1. Chad J. Hixenbaugh (KTM).

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