2020 AMA Amateur National Motocross | Wednesday Race Report

2020 AMA AMATEUR NATIONAL MOTOCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE

2020 AMA AMATEUR NATIONAL MOTOCROSS RESULTS ARCHIVE

Racing at The Ranch. Families and riders from all over have flocked to central Tennessee for the 2020 AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, the crown jewel of amateur motocross competition, for a week of battles, come from behind rides, career-defining results, and an all-around great time. Here’s a recap of Wednesday’s top motos…

250 PRO SPORT

Moto Two of 250 Pro Sport was much, much different than first. A massive holeshot put Mason Gonzales at the front of the field, just ahead of Stilez Robertson, while Moto One winner Dilan Schwartz rounded the first turn deep in the pack. Rock River Yamaha’s Gonzales held the top spot for the first few laps, but was passed by Robertson on Lap Three, when the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s started to run an unmatchable pace and pulled away from the pack to take the win; Gonzales finished the race in second place. Preston Kilroy kept the Suzuki’s streak of solid finishes in the most competitive classes going with a third-place result; the BarX Suzuki rider started the race in eighth place and picked his way through the field, which included a key pass on the last lap. With 2-1 scores, Robertson holds the advantage going into Friday’s final race, while Gonzales is second with 3-2 rides. 

Schwartz worked for the full duration of the 20-minute Moto and reached fifth-place at the checkered flag, that keeps the BarX Suzuki rider’s hopes of a title alive. His 1-5 finishes put him third overall. 

SUPERMINI 1

Every year there is a standout talent in the SuperMini divisions, and after years of anticipation, Ryder DiFrancesco has earned the honor for 2020. After a win on Tuesday in SuperMini 2, DiFrancesco dominated SuperMini 1 by holding the lead from the moment the gate dropped until the checkered flag flew. Gavin Towers kept things interesting, as he pressured his Team Green Kawasaki teammate through the first half of the race, saw the gap between them grow in the middle of the Moto, and then closed in again through the final laps. EBR Performance KTM’s Benjamin Garib solidified his presence in the mini bike class with a third-place result, his second strong showing this week.

SCHOOLBOY 2

The Schoolboy 2 division serves a unique purpose. Young and fast riders like Jett Reynolds and Nick Romano need a second class to make their week worthwhile, without jumping to a bigger/smaller bike or having a stock model on hand, so Schoolboy 2 essentially is another very exciting 250 B Moto.

Romano and Reynolds were side-by-side in the opening stages of the race. Romano got the start on his Star Racing Yamaha while Reynolds and Chance Hymas matched the pace on their Team Green Kawasaki bikes and got around Romano in the first few laps, which put them first and second, respectively. The pace of the two teammates was impressive, especially on Lap Three, when they both posted their personal best times of the Moto; Hymas put in a 1:53.801 while Reynolds had 1:53.892. Similar speed kept them close for the rest of the race, but it was Reynolds that went on to take the win.

450 B

A big win by Deep South Kawasaki’s Luca Marsalisi on Tuesday changed the dynamic of the 450 B Class for the rest of the week, as Star Racing Yamaha’s Matt Leblanc and MotoConcept’s Luke Kalaitzian knew they needed to come out ahead in Wednesday’s Moto Two if they wanted to leave the Ranch with the top honors.

The holeshot went to Kalaitzian, thanks to the bike and advice provided to him by the MotoConcepts crew, but Leblanc was on his rear fender from the very first turn. For three laps, the duo stayed within a second of each other, which made for an excellent exchange of passes in the Storyland section of the track. Kalaitzian countered a few of the moves made by Leblanc until a crafty block pass on Lap Seven changed the running order. The gap between the two stayed close all the way to the checkered flag, with Leblanc getting the win by just over three seconds.

Marsalisi’s riding in Moto Two proved that his win was no fluke. A poor start put him in 12th place on Lap One but he was up to sixth place by Lap Two, fourth place on Lap Three, and third place on Lap Four.

With Leblanc’s 3-1, Kalaitzian’s 2-2, and Marsalisi’s 1-3, the trio is tied for the top spot heading into the final race.

OPEN PRO SPORT

The two incredible races in the 250 Pro Sport class created plenty of buzz for the Wednesday’s 450 Pro Sport Moto One. Mason Gonzales made his way to the front with another great start and the laps led were how the Rock River Yamaha rider showed the world that he’s one of the guys to keep an eye on in the years to come. While Gonzales ran unchallenged in the lead, Stilez Robertson was on the move and went from fifth place on Lap One to second place on Lap Two. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider was considerably quicker than Gonzales and by Lap Three, he made his move and took the lead.

Dilan Schwartz was saddled with poor starts on Wednesday, especially in the Open Pro Sport race. The BarX Suzuki rider was ranked in 16th place when he went through the scoring loop on Lap One, but was able to blast through the pack and reached third place by Lap Four, an impressive feat for a rider in any class. 

250 B LIMITED

Levi Kitchen is officially the talk of the week. The Rock River Yamaha rider caught everyone’s attention with his lap times in Moto One of the 250 B Limited class on Tuesday, got the win in 450 B Limited on Wednesday morning, and backed it up with another solid showing in Moto Two of 250 B Limited later in the afternoon. The Rock River Yamaha rider is three for three so far.