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Going fast and turning right

Tuesday was TT day at the Dirt Track Grand Championships

July 3 – Take your basic short track, throw in a longer front straight, a hairpin turn, a jump and that all-important right turn, and you've got a TT, and that's what the competitors of the AMA Dirt Track Grand Championships raced Tuesday, with one rider — Michael Martin of Lockeford, California — winning two races for the day and others taking home individual titles.

As the second of four days of competition, the TT offers the best amateur dirt-track racers in the country a second chance to score points that work toward the event-ending overall titles, called Grand Championships. Prove you're the best over four distinct styles of racing — short track, TT, half-mile and mile — and you win a Grand Championship. The best of the best goes home with the coveted Horizon Award, for the dirt-tracker with the best chance of a pro career on the horizon.

Once again the sun was blazing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, but the temperatures only served to heat up the competition in the nine youth divisions. Top winner on the day was Michael Martin, who blitzed the littlest classes, winning both the 50cc PW class and the 50cc Senior class, leading both from flag to flag. In 50cc PW, Jordan Schoen of Marion, Wisconsin, took second, while Ethan Gillim of Philpot, Kentucky, rounded out the top three. In 50cc Senior, Hayden Gilliam of Phillpot, Kentucky, took second, with Tyler Whitecotton of Indianapolis was third.

The day also saw an oddity in dirt-track — a race with a total of eight re-starts, as the competitors in the 85cc Modified 7-11 class gave no quarter, and many riders went down, none seriously. Despite two breaks, one of which allowed the riders' crews to top of the gas tanks with fuel and the riders with water, race officials called the race after the last red flag, with a majority of laps completed. Travis Myers of Breckenridge, Michigan, who consistently took the holeshot and ran at the front for just about every start, took the win after a very long day in the saddle. Cory Hildebrand of Milford, New Hampshire, was second, with Bobby Fong of Stockton, California, in third.

Tuesday's Complete TT Results

Highlights of the first group's racing:

50cc Junior: The little guys are just fun to watch. They may be small, but they take their racing seriously, and a few of them were even getting micro-air off the TT jump, but it took a little body English to make it happen. Bailey Spence of Rising Sun, Maryland, took top honors despite a serious challenge from early leader Kyle Schlimme of Narvon, Pennsylvania, who finished second, with Jake Lewis of Princeton, Kentucky in third.

65cc DTX: It's never good to take a fall, but it really puts a damper on things when you're in the lead. After pacing the field masterfully for every single lap, Clayton Von Moss of Friendship, Wisconsin, slid out in the first turn of the final lap, handing the lead and the victory to Patrick Jacobsen of Montgomery, New York. Von Moss re-mounted to finish fourth, but second place went to Hayden Gillim of Philpot, Kentucky, with Nick Page of Goodrich, Michigan in third.

65 Modified 7-11 Premier: He may have bobbled in the 65 DTX class, but Clayton Von Moss did everything right in this class that is considered a stepping-stone to the bigger bikes. Despite tough competition from Patrick Jacobsen, who never is at a loss for speed, Von Moss led every lap to take the win, while Jacobsen took second, with Chad Cose of Fremon, California third.

85cc DTX 9-13: Another race that saw its share of red flags (and no serious injuries), Austin Greenland, who consistently pushed to the front or led most of the starts, came way with the win despite a last-turn, last-lap pass attempt by Travis Myers that came up just short. Third place was Brandon Robinson of Oxford, Pennsylvania.

85cc Modified 12-15: The class previously known as the schoolboy class never fails to provide a great show of skill, and it was Christopher Miller of Bergen, New York, who came out on top, leading from the start despite a mid-race challenge from second-place finisher Danny Stookesberry of Ottowa, Iowa. Shane Narbonne challenged for second late in the race but couldn't make a pass in time to finish third.

125 Mod Premier: The riders on the biggest bikes of the youth portion of the day made the most of the well-groomed TT course, with Gary Conklin of Harpursville, New York, taking the win after leading the entire race. Aaron King, showing great form after what must have been a strong practice program since last year, finished second, with Justin Hanna of Bell, Iowa, finishing third.

If you want to go fast on a 50cc bike, getting aero sure helps. Mark Martin demonstrates on the way to the win in the 50cc Senior class.	The jump was smaller and closer to the corner than for the Grand National race held at the Springfield Fairgrounds, but it didn't stop the big bikes from getting air, as Christopher Miller showed in the 85cc Mod 12-15 class en route to the win.	On a slightly more powerful bike, Michael Martin got air you could actually see out of a 50cc Senior bike.
Way out there in the cushion is Travis Myers, trying to make something happen on a last-lap, last-turn pass attempt against winner Austin Greenland. It was a good move, but not quite enough to take the win. You can't say the kid didn't try...	They look like dirtbikes because they are — and they're cost-effective ways to learn dirt-tracking. Clayton Von Moss apparently learned quite a bit, and took home top honors in 65cc Modified 7-11 Premier.	See where his eyes are looking? Straight down the track at the finish line, where Travis Myers will take the victory in the 85cc Modified 7-11 premier class.
Small bikes, big plans. Bailey Spence (37) kept the power to the ground to hold off a strong challenge from Kyle Schlimme in the 50cc Junior class.