Hofmaster, Johnson Slay the Slop Mendota, Illinois - June 16 By Neil Dornik
M
other Nature wreaked havoc on the Megacross Pro Am this Saturday evening. An afternoon filled with sunshine and a cool breeze led everyone to believe we had dodged the bullet, that the storm had passed. We were wrong. It all went down at about 8:30; any class who had not completed their heat race would get a little wet, and the fast guys would get really wet. With cash, ProAm points and bragging rights on the line in the 250A and Open A classes, there was no holding back! The stands were holding a lot of extra spectators, and for good reason. Many of the area’s fastest riders were in attendance, along with out of state pro riders looking for points they need to run professional events. The added cash purse didn’t hurt either. All the classes were filled, youth, vet and everything between, there was well over 300 entries. The ProAm classes were seriously stacked. Thirty-one riders in the 250A class. Twentyfour in Open A. With the unfortunate turn of weather, everyone got to run a heat race, and those results turned into finals for the evening, again proving that heats races matter. This was easier as none of the regular classes needed to be split. For the ProAm riders, it was a different situation. With so many riders, they ran heat races, and even a last chance qualifier in the 250A class. This left two sets of winners, so
a main even for each had Tommy Hofmaster had an excellent night, topping it off with the Open A class win. (photo, before the rain fell) to run... regardless of conditions, payouts needed to get paid, points awarded, and we still needed to determine winners for the evening, regardless of conditions. This was likely one of the hardest decisions the leaders at Megacross had to ever make and well the did the best we could, making the right call. Lightning held off long enough to get it done... but conditions were sloppy to say the least. The Pro riders showed their skill on this night for sure. As the other classes finished up their heats, weird clouds firmed above our heads at the track, and droplets started hitting the dirt, hard. Riders and their crews were prepping motos, after the first couple corners you themselves and their machines back in the pits couldn’t tell rider from rider, number from to prepare for the moto. Tear-offs, Roll-offs, number, unless you were up on the track. rain suits, foam, WD-40, anything, they could In the slop and the mess it was Tommy do. “Open A Pro Main Event to the line!” Hofmaster who put his Yamaha out front in they called. By this time, a few races had alheading into the first corner in the Open A ready ran on the soaked track, with rain still main. Rain or shine there was a big purse on pouring down. We lined them up and sent the line and these Pros were hungry, and they them off, and tell you what, for both these pro
Chad Johnson getting the jump on the Open A class in the heat race... before the storms came in. He won the Main.
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CYCLE USA, July 2012