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2019 Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Motocross | Day One Race Report

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2019 LORETTA LYNN’S AMATEUR MOTOCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE
2019 LORETTA LYNN’S AMATEUR MOTOCROSS | FULL RESULTS

The single biggest week in all of American amateur motocross racing is now underway, as bikes hit the track Tuesday for the first day of competition at the 2019 Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Motocross. For decades central Tennessee has been the meeting place for the top young talent in the country, and over the course of three motos per class, the rank of riders will be established. Although the importance of the amateur race varies on personal opinion, there’s no way one can deny that the future of the sport is on display on the mostly flat, but still tricky track. We paid close attention to key motos on Tuesday, as their entry lists included some of the more acclaimed and well-known competitors at the Ranch.

Mini Sr. 1 (12-14) | Moto One 
3:11.02 mark in the video

Ryder DiFrancesco came into the weekend widely considered the one to beat in this mini-cycle division, and rightly so, considering his Team Green Kawasaki was outfitted with number one plates that designated his status as the defending class champion. He took an inside gate pick, a risk that allowed the pack to pinch him off at the first turn, but he quickly worked his way forward and was in second place a few turns into the opening lap. Disaster struck just when he started a charge for the top spot, as DiFrancesco’s KX85 seemed to lose power and he was forced to pull out of the race three laps in.

Nick Romano entered the week as a possible champion and his ride in Moto One makes him favorite going into the classes moto that’ll run early Thursday morning. Romano’s performance didn’t occur because of DiFrancesco’s misfortune; Romano aced the start, led the field into the first turn, and held the lead all the way to the checkered flag. To say his performance was dominant would be an understatement because Romano’s best laps were 3-5 seconds faster than those of other riders, then tipped over on the final lap but still crossed the finish line 20-seconds ahead of runner-up Parker Ross.

This wasn’t the only class the Romano and DiFrancesco squared off in on Tuesday and the two went at it for top honors in Mini Sr 2 (13-15) Moto One; Romano won that battle and DiFrancesco finished second.

250 B | Moto One
3:41.00 mark in the video

Those that follow amateur racing closely know that 250 B is one of the more competitive classes at Loretta’s and it’s common for some of the fastest lap times of the week to be clocked by riders in the division. People in the pits had Stilez Robertson and Jarrett Frye marked as the heavy favorites for the title, but by Tuesday afternoon, Dilan Schwartz had added himself to the running.

Stilez Robertson’s ride in the 20-minute moto was a solid showing for the Team Green Kawasaki rider. An excellent reaction at the gate drop allowed him to sweep over from his place on the very inside gate, he carried the momentum and cut over on the pack to slow them down, went wide around the second turn while the leader hit the inside hump, and passed into the lead. Once in front, Robertson upped the intensity to build a double-digit lead over the pack (he was 11.807 seconds ahead of second place on lap nine) and stay out of the commotion behind him but eased into a more manageable pace to close out the 11-lap moto.

Jarrett Frye’s all-out speed at practice tracks and past amateur events has been a big talking point ahead of Loretta’s, with some calling him to log the single fastest lap time on the track at some point this week. The Star Racing/Yamaha rider ran in second place until a tip-over a rutted, flat turn at the four-minute mark of the moto dropped him to fourth place and forced him to charge again. His second push was interrupted by Schwartz, as the Suzuki rider seemed frustrated by a block move by Frye up the face of a jump and parked the Yamaha rider in a turn moments later. Frye lost spots as a result of the run-in, but regrouped and finished the race in third place.

The block pass Dilan Schwartz put on Frye was just one example of his determination in the Moto. His response to the aforementioned move by Frye was to go all-out through the sweeping sand corner, blast towards the inside rut, and force Frye out of sorts for fourth place. This move was not the end of Schwartz’s push, as he used sweeping lines around the track to consistently clock some of the fastest laps of the class and reach second place. It’s clear that if things go his way, Schwartz can snag a Moto win this week and even the title.

250 Pro Sport
4:13.28 mark in the video

No races are more important at Loretta’s than those for the 250 Pro Sport class. The field consists of teenage racers that have ties to factory race teams, some of whom are set to make their professional racing debut in just over a week’s time at the Unadilla round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Those that know a pro card is in the mail know this is their last chance to make an impression on upper management, while others see it as a chance to get on the radar for the first time.

Jett Lawrence was the story of the day, as the Australian scored a big win in his very first moto at the Ranch. A solid start put the AMSOIL Honda rider into the lead group early and he followed front-runners Tyson Johnson and Jalek Swoll through the early laps. When Swoll tipped over in a turn and Johnson had to slow due to the downed rider, Lawrence went by both in quick succession and went unchallenged to the checkered flag. The most remarkable thing about Lawrence’s moto wasn’t his speed, which was impressive, but how effortless he made getting around the choppy track look thanks to crafty lines and balanced bike setup. Lawrence and the AMSOIL Honda team plan to race at Unadilla in the 250 class.

Jalek Swoll entered the week as the rider to beat. With a full factory ride at Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing waiting and a long history of success at the race on his resume, the 250 Pro Sport title would be the perfect way to cap off his amateur career. A good start to the Moto put him in second place on the opening lap, even with a sketchy moment over the first mellow obstacles, and he set off after holeshot getter Tyson Johnson. After a stylish session between the two fast and loose riders, Swoll took over the lead and looked ready to pul away. His Moto came undone moments later, though, when a mistake in a turn caused him to knife the front-end and fall from first place to a position well outside the top-10. Swoll did remount and finish the race, but in a distant 13th place.

Carson Mumford put in a clutch ride during Moto One, as the AMSOIL Honda rider worked from 10th place at the end of the opening lap to reach the second place by the checkered flag. Lawrence might have gotten the most attention for his win, but Mumford was in fact the fastest rider on the track with a 1:53.534 lap that came in the middle of his intense push through the pack. Keep an eye on the two Honda teammates later in the week, because right now they have the best shot at the overall win.

Hardy Munoz was a big surprise in the first race. A third-place finish in the class is an accomplishment for anyone, but especially so for a rider that lacks a direct line to a factory race team, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can continue to hold his own in Moto Two and Moto Three.

Pierce Brown was a favorite for the overall win a few weeks ago, until a practice crash left the Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/KTM rider with an injured shoulder. Like Swoll, Brown has a spot with a top team when Loretta’s is over, but Loretta’s was supposed his chance at becoming “the guy.” The race wasn’t ideal for Brown, especially since he was in 22nd place on the opening lap, and he hustled through the rest of the moto to finish an impressive fourth.

Jo Shimoda is another A Class rider set to graduate at the end of the week and after Moto One, the AMSOIL Honda rider has a tall work order ahead if he wants any chance of a championship or the Horizon Award. Ranked 33rd at the scoring loop on lap one, Shimoda didn’t come into his own until late in the Moto and he picked up the pace in the final laps, when those around him tapered off. An 8th place results doesn’t look like much on its own, but it could be a huge help later in the week when the final results are being tallied.

Few may have noticed Lance Kobusch in Moto One, especially with a poor start that put the Suzuki rider at the very tail of the field, but he made two passes on lap two, six passes on lap three, four passes on lap four, and one pass on lap six. All together, Kobusch made it to 12th at the end of the race.

Supermini 2 (13-16) | Moto One
8:15.04 mark in the video

Max Vohland was the standout rider in the SuperMini 2 class. The KTM rider started in the front of the pack, snagged the lead by the time he reached the second turn, and went the full distance of the race without as much as a crossed line with another rider. Over 10 laps of racing, Vohland put double-digit time distance between himself and second place, as the biggest increase occurred in the final few minutes of the race.  

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Michael Antonovich

Michael Antonovich has a wealth of experience with over 10 years of moto-journalism under his belt. A lifelong racing enthusiast and rider, Anton is the Editor of Swapmoto Live and lives to be at the race track.

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