Laurette Cushman Is the Voice of Supermoto
Laurette Cushman AMA Supermoto Series Announcer
It was another amazing Supermoto race weekend! For round three, we stopped in Tooele, UT, just outside of Salt Lake City and the riders competed on one of the best, if not the very best, supermoto tracks in the States. It was incredible! Two technical dirt sections at either end of the asphalt track and a 900 foot long main straight!
Hometown kid Cassidy Anderson was slated as the early favorite to run away with the Premier Class win and rightfully so as he set the day’s fastest time in the one minute and forty-seven second range. So Speedy! However, Mark Burkhart, Troy Herfoss and Jeff Ward were not about to let him escape that easily as these riders were setting super low times throughout the day. Before I give away any more details, let’s move onto the 250cc Lites class results first!
Troy Lee Designs Honda rider David Pingree jumped off the start to collect the holeshot, while his main competitor Graves Yamaha rider Brandon Currie slid in right behind him and it was game on! Fighting for third place was Dalton Dimick, Adam Cini and first timer in an AMA Supermoto event was Supercross rider, Josh Hansen. The eight lap main went quick as “Ping” and Currie battled it out on the track, barely a second apart at any given time. When the checkers dropped it was Pingree, Currie in second and Hansen rounding out the podium.
The Unlimited race was crazy from the beginning. Nice-guys, Gary Trachy and Travis Marks jumped the start and both were flagged down for a stop-and-go penalty. Benny Carlson ripped off the starting line and grabbed the holeshot on his Aprilia and KTM Race Boss, Kurt Nicoll moved in behind him. Darryl Atkins, Josh Chisum, David Baffeleuf and Robert Loire jockeyed for position. Baffeleuf crashed and ended up with two broken bones in his wrist. Atkins held tough for a while but eventually slipped back in the field, and then Loire was also cited with a stop and go penalty. Carlson pounded the track and wheelied over the finish line in first, Nicoll grabbed second and slightly overwhelmed but ecstatic KTM privateer Josh Chisum collected his second podium of the season. Brian Capper on the factory KTM racer took 4th.
The Premier class was full of fast-paced action as well. Cassidy Anderson took charge right away and led the 450cc riders around the first hair-pin turn on the track while Jeff Ward, Mark Burkhart, Micky Dymond, Troy Herfoss, Steve Drew and Chris Fillmore waged war for the top spots. In an unexpected turn of events, Anderson hit the deck before the second dirt section which allowed Ward and Burkhart to get around him. Anderson jumped up and restarted in thirteenth. With his adrenaline pumping and the fans cheering him on, he fought all the way back up to fifth position. Meanwhile, a newer and calmer Burkhart patiently waited for his opportunity to pounce on Ward. He soon found it and screamed out of the first dirt section as the new leader. Ward later explained that he had been battling a terrible cold for two weeks and had little chance to ride. Still, Ward gave credit to Burkhart and said he just didn’t have anything for him. Burkhart finished four seconds ahead of Ward and it was Chris Fillmore who collected his first podium finish of the season in third place.
As usual, it was a weekend packed with surprises and tons of speed! Governor of Utah, Mr. Mike Huntsman came out to the track as the Grand Marshall during opening ceremonies and stayed throughout the event to cheer on the supermoto riders. Not only were there hot temperatures, but hot action out on the track as well!
That’s it for the Supermoto updates. We’ll see you at the fourth round in Detroit, MI on July 8th!
See you at the races!
