2019 Fox Raceway National Amateur Days Report

TimeThursday, May 30, 2019 | 1:55 PM

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2019 Fox Raceway National Amateur Days Report
125 All Stars Shine at Fox Raceway

PALA, Calif. (May 30, 2019) – The AMA Pro Motocross series traveled to FOX Raceway on Saturday, May 25, for round two of its series, followed by the Fox National Amateur Days on Sunday, May 26th. 

Josh Varize came out on top of an epic battle with Ryan Villopoto to win the 125 All Stars race.
Josh Varize came out on top of an epic battle with Ryan Villopoto to win the 125 All Stars race. Jeff Kardas

Due to traffic and parking issues experienced last year, the Amateur Days races were not promoted as heavily for this year’s event. And, as expected, the turnout was not as big as the week before at Hangtown. Despite the entry size, the event was a total success and first year promoter Myron Short deserves props for the amazing job he did with this year’s event.

For 2019, a new class has been added to Pro day called the 125 All Stars race. Every Pro National Motocross in 2019 will feature the class, which was created to provide an opportunity for the manufacturers that still make 125 two-strokes to showcase these bikes. The 125 class fills a huge gap between 85’s and 250’s, so MX Sports is helping fill the void by making 125 two-strokes a part of the pro afternoons. The reaction to the 125 All Star class has been amazing and the turnout at Pala was great.

Josh Varize turned in the ride of the day when he outran multi-time Supercross/motocross champion Ryan Villopoto (YAM) to win the 125 All Stars race. Varize and Villopoto passed swapped the lead at least seven times during the course of the race. 

“It was pretty cool knowing I was battling with a multi-time champion,” said Varize. 

Brayden Lessler (YAM) won the 450 Pro class with a 2-1 performance.
Brayden Lessler (YAM) won the 450 Pro class with a 2-1 performance. Mad Moose

Villopoto grabbed the holeshot at the start of the race with Varize in third, however the KTM Orange Brigade rider was able to get into second quickly and started to pressure Villopoto.

“I was on his tail. I knew I could get around him. I just had to find the right spot,” said Varize. “I found the right spot and then passed him. I thought I was going to eventually start creeping away, but then the next thing I know, I hear him right behind me again. I made a little mistake and he passed me.”

The two leaders exchanged the lead at least five more times until finally Varize made the winning move on the final lap.

“I was leading at the end and I wasn’t expecting him on the inside of me before those big, seat bumper rollers,” said Varize. “Once he got by me I was like, ‘oh no’, because I knew it was the last lap. The big hill was coming up and I know how light I am; I’m able to just power up that hill. Luckily, I got onto the inside of him and was able to get in front of him right there. I knew I just had to stay smooth, don’t make any mistakes and just bring it on to the checkers.” 

Varize was excited about beating a legend of the sport.

“It was pretty cool having all the people there, all the fans and stuff like that,” said the 17-year-old. “You hear the air horns and you hear everyone screaming and stuff. It was pretty cool to come over the finish line first and hear everyone clapping and high-fiving everyone. It was pretty exciting.”

Fast House Yamaha rider Andrew Hertzler finished third. 

The JGR/Yoshimura Suzuki Slade Varola led every lap of the Super Mini 2 (13-16) class to take a 1-1 victory.
The JGR/Yoshimura Suzuki Slade Varola led every lap of the Super Mini 2 (13-16) class to take a 1-1 victory. Mad Moose

One of the premier classes during Saturday’s Amateur action is the FMF Two-Stroke Challenge, and KTM rider Seth Brandenburg won both motos to claim the overall win. Tyler Jensma (YAM) was second with two second place moto finishes while Kyle Allison (KTK) was third.

KTM’s Max Miller also posted 1-1 finishes to win the Schoolboy 2 (13-17) division, while David Dabon (YAM) was second overall with a 2-2 performance. Am Pro Yamaha rider Jarrett Frye was third.

The Super Mini 2 (13-16) class was won by Slade Varola. The JGR/Yoshimura Suzuki rider led every lap of both motos to claim a 1-1 overall victory. Stav Orland (KTM) went 2-2 for second while fellow KTM rider Kayden Smith finished third in both motos for third overall.   

Austin Black (Suz) dominated the B class, winning both the 250 B and 450 B divisions. In the 250 B class, Jarrett Frye led all five laps of the first moto, with Black finishing second. In the second moto, it was Black leading every lap and posting the fastest time to win the race. In the end, Black took the overall win with a 2-1 moto tally, while Max Miller (KTM) went 3-2 for second overall. David Dabin (YAM) was third overall with a 4-3 finish. Frye did not start the second moto. 

The 65 Open (7-11) class saw a battle between Husqvarna rider Vincent Wey (Nick Wey’s son) and Seth Dennis (KTM). Dennis led the way in moto 1, leading the entire distance with Wey finishing second. In moto two, the roles were reversed and Wey led all laps to take the overall win while Dennis finished second for second overall. Kelana Humphrey (HQV) went 3-3 for third overall.

Wyatt Thurmon went 4-3 to finish third in the 65 (7-9) division. 
Wyatt Thurmon went 4-3 to finish third in the 65 (7-9) division.  Mad Moose

MX Sports Pro Racing’s expanded amateur racing program for the 2019 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship allows competitors from all over the country to race during a National weekend at all 12 rounds on the schedule, which will undoubtedly help the continued growth of the amateur racing component of the world’s most prestigious off-road motorcycle racing series. 

For information about the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, please visit ProMotocross.com.

RESULTS:http://2xpromotions.com/results/ 

About AMA Pro Racing

The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, features the world's fastest outdoor motocross racers, competing aboard homologated bikes from one of six competing manufacturers on a collection of the roughest, toughest tracks on the planet. The 12-round series begins just outside California’s famed Hangtown in May, and ends at Indiana's Ironman Raceway in August. The summer-long championship includes stops at America’s premier motocross racing facilities, with events in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Washington, New York and Indiana. Racing takes place each Saturday afternoon, with competition divided into two classes: one for 250cc machines, and one for 450cc machines. MX Sports Pro Racing, the industry leader in off-road powersports event production, manages the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. The series is televised on NBC, NBCSN and MAVTV, and streamed live on NBC Sports Gold. The title sponsor is Lucas Oil, a leading producer of premium oils, greases, and problem-solving additives, all made in America. More information can be found at www.ProMotocross.com. 

About the American Motorcyclist Association:

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join

Media Contact:
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