Media Allstars | 2013 Season Rolling Along
by: Danica Boehm
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 | 4:15 PM
Media Allstars
2013 Season Rolling Along
Morehead, KY- It’s really hard to believe that the 2013 ATV MX Nationals presented by Mt. Dew is already heading into the midway point. With the weather playing a huge role in both riders results and morale it seems that most racers are just happy to have survived the first 4 rounds of the series. Many of the points races are starting to shape up and Media Allstar riders find themselves right in the thick of the championship battle in their respective classes.
Round 3 at Ballance Moto-X in Bowling Green, KY saw the team start to get some momentum. First year team rider Graham Gardner #22 showed us that spending all that time at the Jeremiah Jones Racing School is paying dividends. Graham landed on the top spot of the podium in the ever competitive Production A class as he used 4-1 moto scores to take home the win! Media Allstar Alumni rider Jake Brattain #104 decided to come out of retirement in style as he went 1-1 for the win in the 4-stroke C class at Ballance MX. Two other riders taking home moto wins for the team at round 3 were Jake McGraw #83 who won his heat race in Production A and Chance Beverly #9 took home a win in the 4-stroke B main. McGraw ended up 3rd overall in the Production A class which gave Team Media Allstars 2 out of 3 spots on the box in one of the fastest amateur classes. Beverly’s win was monumental in that it was his first National Moto win. The Cynthiana, KY rookie rider pulled the holeshot on his MotoXperts powered Honda and never looked back. Team Manager and long time team member Chase Cunningham #419 looked to be getting his form back as he earned a 3rd overall in the highly competitive Junior 25+ class. The team as a whole put up some nice numbers for the weekend with: 2 Overall wins, 5 Moto wins, 4 Podiums, 9 moto podiums, and 7 Top 5 overall finishes.
Round 4 in Rossville, IN at Wildcat Creek MX turned out to be the best track conditions riders have got to see all season. Several inches of rain Thursday left the track crew having to tow people into the pits but the soil on the track itself handled the moisture to perfection and the races went off without a hitch. Round 4 also played host to a first for a certain Media Allstar rider as Pake Shinn #58 made the long journey from Oklahoma to race his first National. Shinn is part of the MAS TQRA racing efforts and (after winning several TQRA championships) was super excited to finally be putting himself to the test against the fastest ATV racers in the world. Pake faired very well as he collected 3-4 moto scores for 4th overall in the 4-stroke A class and it’s safe to say that his competitors won’t be asking who the new kid is in 2 weeks when the series heads into Sunset Ridge MX in Walnut, IL. Graham Gardner #22 and Jake McGraw #83 are starting to make a heck of a 1-2 punch in the A classes. Gardner just barely missed taking the overall again in the Production A class as he went 2-2 for 2nd , while McGraw used a 7-4 score to take 5th. Jake also used a 7-4 score in the 450A class that earned him a 3rd overall and moves him into 3rd place in the points race in that class. Another Rookie rider that has made strides this season is Michael Perkins #94. The Tennyson, IN native used two 3rd place moto finishes to claim a 3rd overall in the 450B class. While we’re on the subject of Rookie riders Chance Beverly #9 put in two solid performances at Wildcat Creek as he earned 5th place overall in both the 4-stroke B and Production B classes. Alumni team rider Brittany Snider #72 also put in a solid performance in the Woman’s class to add a little diversity to the race report. Snider went 4-3 for a very impressive 3rd overall! Chase Cunningham #419 had his best ride of the season as he missed out on the overall in the 25+ class by less than a second but taking home 2nd overall puts up to the number 2 spot in the points race. The team captain also brought home a 5th place overall in the Open A class capping off another nice weekend for Team Media Allstars with: 5 podiums, 8 moto podiums, and 10 top 5’s.
Just less than 2 weeks for the team to prepare before they hit the road to do battle in the land of Lincoln, as round 5 of the 2013 ATV MX Nationals will take place on May 24-26 at Walnut, IL’s Sunset Ridge MX. This round will also serve as a fundraiser and a show of support for the fight against Breast Cancer. Many of the riders and teams will be sporting as much pink as they can find for a great cause. We hope to see you there!