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

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

PHOTOS | Christian Munoz & MX Sports

Racing at the Ranch continued on Thursday for the 2019 Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Motocross, and the results brought even more excitement into the week-long event. A solid second moto score is key for a rider’s rank and their approach; a good finish in race two allows a rider a rough idea of their possible overall finish and a to plan for their final race, while a poor ride increases the pressure and necessity for a heroic result. With three days of racing complete, we know what to expect when the championship-deciding motos hit the track Friday and Saturday.

250 B | Moto Two
46.00 mark in the video

Holeshot, 11 laps led, the fastest single lap of the moto, dominant win. Dilan Schwartz put in another determined ride on Thursday morning and the Suzuki rider sits at the top of the Intermediate class headed into the last race of the week. Moto One winner Stilez Robertson stayed close to Schwartz in the opening laps of the race, and when both put in their best efforts at lap three (1:51.230 for Schwartz, 1:51.434 for Robertson) they were six-seconds clear of the pack in two laps’ time. Roberston encountered some troubles on lap five and lost two seconds to Schwartz, a mistake that cost him a chance at the race win. With Schwartz’ 2-1 finishes and Robertson’s 1-2, they must finish ahead of the other if they want the number one plate.

Jarret Frye is the third rider with a shot at the title. The Star Racing Yamaha rider didn’t start as well as Schwartz and Frye, as he was eighth on lap one, and his moto-long push paid off with a third-place finish (an incident between Mason Gonzales and Austin Black helped Frye move up two spots at once). His 3-3 scores on the week thus far mean he has twice as many points as Schwartz and Robertson, but it’s possible if he can get enough positions between himself and the key two later in the week.

Open Pro Sport | Moto Two
1:18.00 mark in the video

With Wednesday’s record-setting margin of victory still on their minds, fans filled out the fenceline and watched a less close, but even more important moto on Thursday. Moto One winner Jalek Swoll nabbed the holeshot and led the opening lap over newfound foe Jett Lawrence. Swoll’s time in the top spot was cut short on lap two, as a foot drug on the edge of the track led to a few other problems and Lawrence soon slipped by into the lead. Swoll had a shot at making a run at Lawrence late in the race, but a small mistake erased the progress.

Jo Shimoda played a huge part in this moto. The AMSOIL Honda rider was ranked eighth early in the race, but eventually caught fire midway through the race and made six passes in four laps, to finish third in the moto. Like Frye, Shimoda is up double the number of points of the leader, but a win is not out of reach. Parker Mashburn is in a similar situation, and with seven points to his record, he could make it interesting. We won’t know have an idea at the outcome of this race until midway through Moto Three.

Carson Mumford and Carter Halpan deserve some credit for their performance on Thursday, even if their title hopes are over. Mumford went from 20th on lap one to seventh at race end. Halpan, meanwhile, held his own against a heavy list of riders and ran third for much of the race, until a tip-over in a turn dropped him from third to eighth place in a short amount of time.