MOON ROCKS (Oct. 30) – MRANN staged its traditional Halloween/Nevada Day race at the Moon Rocks OHV area. While the day began nice the weather went downhill after the Big Bike start..
This race, the Halloween Hare Scrambles, was named the Moonrocks Revenge 100 and hosted by the Rimbenders and Cheaters Motorcycle Clubs.
The big bike course was 25 miles long so to be classed as a finisher a rider, unless they were over 60-years old, had to complete two laps. But the other winners needed to do all three laps.
“The race was pretty good but my Camelback isn’t working so I only got water in the pits,” Austin Serpa said after taking first overall. I battled with Dan (Capparelli) for a little bit as he passed me in the first pit. Then he was in the bushes and I just passed him.”
Experts, Amateur, and Novice riders line up in their respective classes and start one at a time. A banner on the hill ahead of them is raised then lowered, and the group is off.
When the Experts launched Serpa took off but was soon being chased by Capparelli as they tore around the course. It took most of an hour before they reached the pits and Capparelli had a better start so he got out first.
Now the chase was on as the youngster, the defending overall MRANN points champion, was after the veteran.
Due to Friday’s rain and the rain that began shortly after the big bikes started their races there was no dust although the mud in places could be slippery.
Austin Serpa on his way to winning the Big Bike race on Sunday.
Asked about his favorite part Serpa said, “The waterfalls as I just love those things. While the ups were cool, I just loving dropping down them.”
While both leaders had clear sailing until the final lap when they began to catch lap traffic.
“I got quite a bit of lap traffic on the last lap, some of them wouldn’t move so I kind had to be patient,” Serpa said. “The whoops just made my back sore as I haven’t ridden a whooped out race in a while.”
He mentioned that his bike had Air Forks for suspension and then thanked his parents, Carson Motor Sports, Bell Helmets, Kline Gear and all those that helped him in the pits.
Dan Capparelli led during part of the second lap but finished second overall on Sunday.
When Capparelli finished the race he described the pass that gave Serpa the lead.
“I was actually trying to hold him up a little bit and to be honest using some old school racing and roost him a little bit. The course was really, really rough,” he said. “I thought I had Austin, got on him in the last loop and then one of the lappers on the waterfall didn’t want to go down so I kind of had to wait for him and Austin got away.”
Then he thanked Patten in Grass Valley that does his suspension, his wife for coming out, Mika Handle bars, Fly Racing, Concours Auto Body, Reno KTM and KTM.
When the Amateur line was launched Chuck Faul led the charge as the riders raced across a field then made a left turn onto the course, which is a dirt road.
Further back was Tyler Thompson, who was on a mission and by the second lap was on point and closing with the slower experts. He along with the rest had to deal with a stead rain that made slick parts even worse and made handling a bit tricky.
All during the race a bunch of riders decided to end their day after two laps but those wanted to win their class or score as many points as possible kept going through the third lap.
Thompson was the first Amateur that completed all three laps and was 14th overall at the finish. At that time the winds picked up, temperature was dropping and the rain becoming intense.
“That was really fun, perfect dirt, perfect course, well the whoops were kind of a bummer but we got through those,” he said. “The sun came out for the last lap so it was really good.”
Then he thanked his girlfriend Kalie, the Trail Blazers Club, the club for putting on a great race.
A bunch of riders decided to only complete two laps rather than brave the weather and go for three laps.
As things got worse the first Novice finally made it to the finish and would end up 24th overall for the day.
“This is my first desert race, something I never expected, definitely and experience and fun,” Trent Cocking, who got the holeshot said. ” I race moto. The course was really good the first two laps, the last lap I couldn’t see as I kept getting water in my tear offs. It was kind of hard but just taking it easy as I didn’t want to get hurt.”
Then he thanked his parents and Reno Motor Sports for all their help.
• On Saturday the weather was a lot better once the low fog lifted and Friday’s rains made sure there would be no dust. And there were pretty good-sized fields for the three races.
In the Pee Wee race, which started the day, Landen Williams won and some riders wore costumes during the race.
Landen Williams heads for the checkered flag as he wins Saturday’s Pee Wee race.
The biggest field was the Mini Bike/VWomen/Bomber race that had 54 riders.
The large field had separate starts for each group that numbered from two to many. All the races but the Pee Wees use the same start area but the Saturday riders use a short course in a timed event.
Several motocross riders came over for the weekend and one of them Danny Hillyer ran away with the Mini Bike portion of the second race while Taylor Kemp won the V Women’s class and Tyler Thompson topped the Bomber class.
After this was completed there were the team races. Two riders that would switch off each lap and the team of Chattin/Stone beat Levie/Capparelli.
Next up is the season ending event in Winnemucca on the weekend of November 12 and 13. As usual the Pee Wees, Mini Bikes, V Women and Bombers plus team races are run Saturday with the big bikes running a long course on Sunday.
Going into that weekend Dan Capparelli and Dennis Belingheri are in the running for the overall points championship, which comes with the Number 1 plate they’ll use next season..
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Reporter’s Note: This article was held up so I could get more results. By Thursday morning only the Saturday results were posted but for the full listing one needs to go to, www.racemrann.com as the entire results should be up soon.
And there is a photo gallery after the results.
RESULTS:
MRANN – Round 8
Moon Rocks OHV area
• Sunday, Oct. 30*:
Overall: 1. Austin Serpa, 2. Dan Capparelli, 3. Michael Barenback, 4. Drew Chattin, 5.Brody Honea, 6. Willy Heiss, 7. Corey Fletcher, 8. D.J. Crandall, 9. Sean Jones, 10.Ricky Dahlberg, 11. Donavyn Morris, 12. Titan McKibben, 13. Autin Wilson, 14. Tyler Thompson (1st Amateur), 15. Bryce Walker, 16. Chris Maas, 17. Randy Adams, 18. Ed Seller Jr., 19. Jesse Richardson, 20. A.J. Brumit , 21 Alek Simone, 22. Kurtis Grey, 23. John Levie, 24. Trent Cocking (1st Novice), 25. Devin Walker.
*- Partial results.
• Saturday, Oct. 29
+ Pee Wee Overall: 1. Landen Williams, 2. Lucas Dean, 3. Jacob Engelke, 5. Kadyn Morton, 6. Dreyson Rahlves, 7. Jesse Miller, 8. Issac Frandsen, 9. Peyton Maas, 10. Zane Wells, 11. Tyler Davenport, 12. Tucker Whitworth, 13. Genevieve Miller, 14. Wyatt Rankin, 15. Seth Rigsby, 16. Troy Pensotti, 17. James Manning, 18. Mason Baker, 19. Shea Zustawner, 20. Destry Rigsby, 21. Kali Belsler, 22. Hannah Engelke, 23. Christa Ponsock, 24. Mike Levie, 25. Charlie Albet, 26. Cash Connors, 27. Reece Gibbs, 28. Jacie Levie, 29. Quinn Connors, 30. Hayden Himphill, 31. Ryan Nelson, 32. Wesley Calder.
DNF: Rigsby Ama.
+ Mini Bike/V Women/Bombers Overall: 1. Danny Hillyer, 100 Exp., 2. Andy Fahey, 100 Ama., 3. Tyler Thompson, Bomber, 4. Mikey Majors, 5. Scott Martin, 6. Sean Dingley, 7. Taylor Kemp, Sat. Women, 8. Demetre Proutsos, 9. Zach Geddry, 100 Nov., 10. Caleb Bonnevill, 11. Carson Calder, 12. Zaza Frandsen, 13. Walker McGreal, 14. Amanda Ross, 15. Colleen Connors, 16. Annette Castillo, 17. Curtis Calder, 18. Taren Turnage, 19. Elliette Kennedy, 20. Chase Cannizzaro, 65 Exp., 21. Jessi Abplanalp, 22. Austin Hough, 65 Ama., 23. Blake Crane, 24. Kayla Faul, 25. Jordan Maas, 26. Sarah Gley, 27. Riley Wood, 28. Suzanne Anderson, 29. Kelly Miller, 30. Sheah Ferrara, 31. Danielle Horneman, 32. Morgan Martin, 33. Kenrick Martin, 34. Cassie Searle, 35. Gage Baca, 36. Erin Grieve, 37. Carson Gibbs, 38. Deanna Sorhouet, 39. Megan Ross, 40. Dalton Legenbauer, 41. Chrystal Ponsock, 42. Karen Loer, 43. Christian Courtney, 44. Angie Figg, 45. Garrett Dean, Blair Rankin, 47. Mackinze Dingley, 48. Josie Gibbs, 49. Alyson Wilson, 50. Miles Silva, 51. #48j, no name listed, 52. Nicole Ellsworth, 53. Luke Rechel.
DNF: Nikki Hannon.
+ Team Race Overall: 1. Chattin/Stone, 2. Levie/Capparelli, 3. Heiss/McCoy, 4. Hillyer/Hillyer, 5. Wilson/Wilson, 6. Sellars/Morris, 7. Rahlves/Dadak, 8. Engelke/Himphill, 9. Maas/Johnson, 10. Botelho/Rudd, 11. Fahey/Fahey, 12. Burke/Buke, 13. Brumit/Brumit, 14. Johnson/Richardson, 15. Listman/Scudder, 16. Johnson/Hdoges, 17. Thompson/Turnage, 18. Connors, 19. Haney/Taylor, 20. Fell/Dahlberg, 21. Maas/Burns, 22. Kolbet/Sorhouet, 23.Miller/Navarro, 24. Mast Kelly.
