 The
other three brothers from Owensboro, Kentucky
July 2 – It
was short-track time at the Grand Championships Wednesday, as the small
bikes raced at one of the nicest facilities in the country and one family
went home with a trio of National titles.
 The
Gillim boys — Hayden, Frankie Lee and Ethan (right) — all live in
Owensboro, Ky., where dirt-tracking apparently comes naturally. It is,
after all, the same place that produced another trio of brothers who took
the dirt-track world — and the road race world — by storm: Tommy,
Nicky and Roger Lee Hayden. And if the geographic connection weren't
strong enough, consider that the Gillims are related to the Haydens
through their father, Earl. For those keeping score at home, the Gillims
are Earl's brother's grandsons.
On Wednesday, Ethan Gillim earned wins in the 50 Pee Wee and 50 cc
Junior 4-6 classes. After notching the Pee Wee win going away, Earl came
back two races later to take over the lead after the passing holeshotter
Springer Derosear through turns two and three. Then he just stayed in
front until the flag. The results gave Earl the points lead in both
classes.
Then, in the next race, Hayden Gillim (no points for guessing who he's
named after), grabbed the holeshot in 65 DTX 7-11 and simply stayed in
front. He's tied for second in the class with Michael Martin, both of whom
are a single point behind leader Kevin Walter.
But the Gillims weren't the only family to collect more than one
National title on the short track. Austin Greenland took top honors in two
races Wednesday, adding to his points tally in both classes. In 85c DTX
9-13, Greenland, of Spring Mills, Penn., Greenland had to work hard for
the win, coming back from a fourth-place start to second before a red-flag
restart, then passing into the lead on the first lap back. It was only
then that he was able to open a huge gap — actually lapping back into
the field, to win. Greenland is tied for first in the points with Brad
Baker of Chehallis, Wash.
In 85cc Modified 12-15, Greenland proved he would not give up tying the
holeshot with Cory Hildebrand of Milford, N.H., and holding the low line
through the first three corners to take over the lead finally on the front
straight. Then he never looked back and finished with the flag. He leads
the class by 7 points over Cody Anselmi of Lodi, Calif.
Perfect scores so far came from four racers who had two out of two
wins. Aside from Ethan Gillim, Ian Keith nabbed a second win in 50cc Sr
7-8, Michael Martin took another win in 65cc Mod 7-11, and Aaron King won
again in 125 Mod.
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Yes,
there is something in the water in Owensboro, Kentucky
Good things apparently come in threes when it
comes to dirt-track racers from that little town in Kentucky that the
road-racing Hayden brothers made famous. This time around at the AMA
Progressive Insurance Grand Championships, it's not the sons of Earl
Hayden, Tommy, Nicky and Roger Lee, who are winning.
Now, it's the Gillim boys — Ethan, Hayden and
Frankie Lee — who all live in Owensboro as well. They're the grandsons
of the brother of Earl Hayden, the father of the Hayden boys, two of which
race AMA Chevy Trucks Superbike classes, and a third who is a Honda
factory rider in MotoGP. And like their older cousins, the Gillims have
already snagged sponsorship.
The sponsorship starts young in the sport, and
Ethan and Frankie have support from Cobra on 50cc bikes, while Hayden has
Suzuki support on 65. The family brought an astounding 13 bikes down for
the races — 12 race bikes and a pit bike.
That number look familiar? Hayden Gillim runs Nicky
Hayden's number. Must be lucky
"They seem to do real well at it," says
father Frank Gillim." Earl's given us so much advice that it's
difficult to single out the best piece. Probably just to make they're
having fun and not to put too much pressure on them."
Gillim family tuner Tryce Welch of Fast Forward
Racing says the Gillims have
been riding since about the time they could walk, and they practice at
probably the most famous track in all of Owensboro — the one in Earl
Hayden's yard.
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The Rest of the Races:
50cc Senior 7-8 Premier: Ian Keith of Brimfield, Ill., took the
holeshot and held it even after a red-flag restart. second place Jake
Lewis of Princeton, Ky., put a last lap pass on third place Bailey Spence
of Rising Sun, Md. to round out the podium.
85cc Mod 7-11 Premier American Suzuki: Brad Baker wheelied off
the line and still put down enough traction to get the holeshot, and hung
on all the way to the flag. Second place Kyle Anselmi of Lodi, Calif.,
held off the rest of the chasing pack for second, while Ricky Boley of
Newark, Ohio, took third.
125 Modified: Aaron King of Dysart, Iowa, once again walked away
with the win, holding off Travis Myers of Breckenridge, Mich., in second
and Cory Hildebrad of Milford, N.H., in third.
65 Mod 7-11 Premier: In what is rapidly becoming the Michael
Martin show, this class was once again led through the first turn by the
rider from Lockeford, Calif. He stayed on to win going away, with Michael
Johnson of Mount Morris, Mich., in second and Trent Hawkins of Sanford,
Mich., in third
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