Photo Report | 2016 Mini O’s | Thursday – MX Begins

By Billy Rainford

Today was all about the motocross track at the 45th Annual Thor Winter Olympics. All of the Supercross champions were crowned Wednesday and we all shifted our attention 90 degrees to the famous Gatorback track.

They got through a bunch of mx practice Wednesday, but there were still a bunch to run. With 2284 entries, there were a lot of bikes to get their turn on the track for practice!

The temperature has been riding constantly throughout the week and today it was actually a bit of a factor…for me at least. Here is a look at some of the action from Thursday at Gatorback Cycle Park.

When I poked my head out of my tent, Sam Cannella was hard at work getting Marco’s bike ready for the MX track.

Matt Crown is here without Joey and racing. His bike was all ready when the sun came up.

Here’s the lay of the land. That’s the Cannellas on the right, Matt on the left, and that’s my 8-person tent in the background.

Beside us in Eve Brodeur’s pit. She’s racing Schoolboy 2 and College this week in preparation for the final round of the WMX series Saturday.

If you walk straight ahead from the Brodeur’s place, you find the Gourlays’ rustic pit.

That’s Canadians #53 Bjorn Viney on the left and #327 Brandon Gourlay on the right enjoying the morning sunshine.

Check out their set up. That could be the smallest tent I’ve ever seen! We joked that they can actually walk right into those things. (They’re not the tallest family)

I scored some great coffee and toast with crunchy peanut butter.

Classic van set up.

I wandered over to the Watlings’ pit but they were out on the track for practice.

Matt after his practice. He was promising himself he wasn’t being serious about the actual races…

Westen Wrozyna was up early and chomping at the bit to race.

Matthew Cemovic ready to hit the track.

Sam has never been here before. Here he is watching Marco during practice. His biggest fear was going back to the pits to explain that yes, Marco had in fact been docked 5 positions for jumping on a yellow in the moto he got 4th in.

“Had better day, Lois…had better days.” ~ Peter Griffin

Look at that head of hair! Matthew had better hope it’s true that men’s hair comes from the mother’s side. It sure didn’t in my case!

Time for the first gate drop in the 250B Ltd. class.

#128 Carter Halpain continued his winning ways and won heat 1. I always figure taking the inside gate means you’re serious about trying to win.

#50 Austin Winslow won the 2nd.

#75 Evan Ferry had his way with the first heat of 85 (9-11) Ltd. field.

#22 Preston Masciangelo took 14th in the second heat.

Rockwood, ON rider #25 Tristan Dares was 30th in the 3rd heat.

#50 Gregory Rovers (also from Rockwood) was 31st in heat 1 of the 250C Ltd. class. Sorry I missed you all week, Gregory.

These guys put on a great show in the Masters 55+ class. #929 Samuel Allen Jr. took the win in the last couple corners.

There he is! #852 is Riley Clapp from Amhurstburg, ON. He finished 21st in heat 2 of 51 (7-8) Ltd.

He gets 2 since I missed him all week. (It’s the same corner…I didn’t work all that hard for the deuce)

Nobody was going to beat #30 Jordan Jarvis today. She took the Girls (12-16) class and will be fast Saturday in the WMX final round.

A golf cart full of Canadians. That’s the Watlings and the Filipeks.

Matt happy to be racing again. He said it’s been 2 years for him.

#133 Jordan Bailey got out to the early lead in the first 250 A moto. You can see Canadian #34 Westen Wrozyna over his left shoulder, not far behind on lap1.

Westen was up in the top 10 early and ended up 14th at the flag.

Jordan was under fire from #71 Challen Tennant.

#37 Sean Cantrell took the win over Bailey and Tennant.

#325 Stilez Robertson took the Supermini 1 heat 1 win.

Yes, question at the back from Jalek Swoll? Jalek won his heat in Schoolboy 1.

Um, I know Matt Crown isn’t the tallest guy in the world, but what’s going on in this photo???

#101 Matthew Cemovic took 21st in heat 2 of Supermini 1 and will head to the consi.

#494 Thomas Rendall was 28th in the 2nd heat and will meet Matthew in the consi.

Canadian #53 Bjorn Viney looked great getting 10th in his heat but was really favouring his left wrist after he crossed the line.

That’s one way to get in a photo report.

These Cemovic kids are pretty talented. Estrella baked these special Thanksgiving cookies and Matthew sets up his own snow cone stand to make some cash at the races.

Haiden Deegan won his heat in 65 (7-11).

Something told me the dude on the far side didn’t really want to get the start.

I joked with #196 Chloe Metcalfe that when I turned and took a photo of her it looked like she was getting slapped in the face. Yep, it really does.

Marco Cannella cruising around in his cool Canadian Fox gear.

The 450 A first moto was before both of them, though.

#91 Justin Cooper took this one with Tennant trying everything he could to chase him down.

Cantrell didn’t get a good start and was a fairly distant 3rd.

Women’s 14+ moto hits the first turn with #25 Estrella Cemovic in the mix.

Chloe said she loved the 250 2-stroke on the Gatorback track and finished 25th after suffering some intense arm pump.

Estrella had a solid race and finished 8th.

#46 Marco Cannella blasts off down the start straight in his Schoolboy 2 heat.

#82 Garrett Marchbanks was out front but Marco kept him close.

Marco would take a very solid 2nd in the heat.

Andrew pushing #184 Tanner Ward’s bike to the 2nd Schoolboy 2 heat.

Tanner was 10th when the flag flew.

#141 Eve Brodeur and Vanessa Paquette prep Eve’s gate in the Schoolboy 2 heat.

Eve finished 28th.

#99 Lance Kobusch was leading the 2nd heat until the final corner. I snapped so many photos of him going berserk, I almost ran out of film! My money is on him in the consi…