The 2015 Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross National Championship Awards Banquet is only a week away. This means that soon the season will officially be over and attention can be turned toward 2016. Before we go that far though I wanted to glance back before we move forward. There is plenty to reflect upon and honestly it will be hard to convey the true challenges faced along the way, but don’t think that each one doesn’t have a story. I will take a look at the Amateur classes this week and then onto the youth next week.

If we start from the top of the list, we see the Pro Am class where Nick Gennusa captured the title in this one. Nick as well finished top five in the AMA Pro ATV class and opened many eyes to his talent and ability. After a year of riding with the Wienen Motorsports team and moving into the Pro Am class, Nick came into 2015 determined not to let whatever pit he fell into consume him and when the new season started Nick moved up to AMA Pro ATV, and he let his presence be known at the inaugural Daytona ATV Supercross. The entire season was filled with great rides in both classes and he was able to beat one of the up and coming prodigies in Cam Covil for the title. Look for Nick’s presence to be felt again this year in what may turn out to be one the most highly competitive pro classes we have seen in some time.

The next to look at is the new Pro Sport class, which is possibly one of the best additions to the Amateur class in some time. It has actually helped produce a stepping-stone from Amateur to Pro Am to Pro. The Pro Sport class had one the best-seeded lineups of any of the classes this year. Cam Covil, Sam Rowe, Cole Sepesi, Dylan Temellen and Pablo Vera were all forces to recon with within that class. Another name to watch out for that didn’t score so well overall due to missing a few rounds with injury and that is Parker Wewerka.

Cam Covil may have won the title over Sam Rowe, but they each had their own share of bad luck and/or lingering injuries. The results may not reflect that, but if you know the whole story for each then you would understand that this is just the beginning of this battle and the future looks bright. Cole Sepesi, who moved directly from youth to Pro Sport and Pro Am, also showed a lot of promise and for this class next year will get even more interesting as new talents are moving up and stepping in.

The Open B class saw what appears to be a somewhat dominating season for Payden Lingle. Lingle is another rider we have watched grow up and move through the ranks of ATVMX. Lingle won by some 43 points, but the battle for second between Michael Perkins and Zach Kaczmarzyk eded in a tie with Perkins winning the tie-breaker. This was a good class to watch and is a good class to look into the future with because some of the up and coming names will be very recognizable in the next season or so. Some of those names could include Vince Mirman, Tyler Osborn, Johnny Lorio, Hunter Ridenour, Tommy Vossman, Drake Koeling and Brandon Cesaroni. And yes, that is the entire top ten and if you follow this sport be ready for each one of these talents to get your attention soon.

The Open C class is a hard one to read, but by all indications we may have some things happening there. Damon Smids rode an amazing season to capture the title, however, we may have witnessed the coming of age for the second place rider Jesse Voiles. Jesse is familiar from the youth ranks, but now on the big bikes he has taken his time becoming the factor. That all changed as the season progressed and I look for a whole new Voiles come 2016. Smids is without a doubt going to move up the ranks quickly and I really am excited to see what he is able to do in the B classes.

The 450 A class is another class featuring some of the nation’s best talent. We have rung the Westley Wolfe bell nearly all season with his amazing MX rides coupled with his GNCC talent. Westley won both disciplines and actually three national titles. He finished number 17 in GNCC and then won his first ever XC2 Pro Am race in GNCC. He will be back again next season moving up some to Pro Sport and Pro Am for ATVMX and will be seeded the top XC2 Pro contender heading into that new season. Westley is without a doubt something special and has a lot to give race fans in the future if everything stays on track.

In the shadows of Wolfe 450 A and Production A class is Haedyn Mickelson. Mickelson is another rider on his way to becoming one of the big names in our sport. My prediction for Haedyn is a simple one, I predict he will be back with more fire and determination than ever and that we may get to see a glimpse of the full potential he holds next season. Hot on his heels though is another wave of riders that soon could be mixing it up in the premier AMA ATV Pro class.

It’s hard not to feel the best in our sport is yet to come when you look at field of talent working their way through the ranks. The Production B class is another that introduced us to some fairly competitive racing. Sky Volkamer won the title but again those names lurking in the background are names we may soon know by heart.

The C classes are as unpredictable here as anywhere and Jacob Stevens was able to take the title in the Production C class. Jesse Voiles was in the class but didn’t fare as strong as in the other class but many of the same names are included and names like Nick Weber and Brandon Smitley. These are two names that may be pushing themselves to the front for 2016.

This past season may have been one of the most exciting our sport has seen in some time. I realize some numbers were down and rider attendance wasn’t what everyone had hoped for but the big picture is that the core of the ATV Racin’ Nation was there. The core gave us a glimpse of the strengths of the nation and the glimpse I got is that we have never been is as good a situation talent wise as we are now. If this pattern continues the talent pool lining up in the pro class will be staggering.

That’s it for me for now. Let’s check in with Gloop and Ken “my racing season is finally over” Hill. Till next time, God Bless Your Heart and All Your Vital Organs. 

In the Loop with Gloop:

Less than 10 days now until we head to the Kalahari Resort for the first time ever for the 2015 Awards Banquet! Everyone make sure to square away your rooms and tickets before the 17th. This is going to be a night you do not want to miss!

Chad Wienen looks to be having a blast riding in Argentina.

Keeping up with Ken Hill:  

Well, the 2015 racing season is officially over for me as far as action goes! There is always a chance someone will do a double backflip off the stage at the remaining two banquets but for the sake of argument, 2015 is a wrap! I finished up the season with a third consecutive run to Indiana, and now I can kick back and try to enjoy the off-season! I tease folks about loving this job just so I can have the downtime during the hunting season and the wife tells everyone that by the time hunting season is over I am ready to get back out in the world and away from home where I will be hunkered down for the next 4 months. 

Now the off-season doesn’t really mean “off” as there is plenty to do, but the time traveling is gone as well as the extended trips. Many of you wrapped up your season at Loretta Lynn’s back in August while others continued racing local or regionals so as a group, we all have a slightly different schedule and use the free time in different ways. This became the topic of discussion I had the other day, and it relates to social media. 

The question arose on whether I thought the riders have been sharing the series info enough? I replied that I had seen an increase in what they have shared especially when the RacerTV announcements have been made with that particular rider used in the announcement. Lets face it, it is wicked cool to see you burning a corner or flying high in an image and when that image has some relevant info that helps us all and it is a pretty big win win situation. So I ask again, please, everyone do everything you can to help us drive the information out there when you see it posted. Now I do realize that some just need a clean break and want nothing to do with racing for a period of time once the season is over and that’s cool, you are not alone! We all get that way so this is not a guilt trip it is just a constant call for everyone to push the share button when you can!

I also thought that we could include some short video clips, as this seems to flow with much of the younger generation of racers who live to watch them. My own two kids are non-stop phone to face laughing or standing there with jaw agape as the next or latest video is played. This video revolution plays well into social media as the videos are watched or sent out to a larger audience, so keep that in mind on your own social media efforts throughout the year. I actually did some recording for fun and will be using some short clips to fill in some of the dreaded black hole that becomes the bane of my online existence during the off-season as I look for content that doesn’t bore you to death! 

Ok, that is all from me this week. It will take a few days for this being done running to soak in and then I can start enjoying things and start bugging a few of you each week to add to Site Lap. If you have not made your banquet plans you had better get on it. This place looks like a blast and spending some time with everyone away from the track for a season ending good time is a must do! Be safe and I pray for everyone to have safe travels to and from where ever they may be headed!