Words and photos by Scott Lukaitis
The 33rd annual Kawasaki Race of Champions has come and gone but not without some great race action. Racing on what was one of the roughest tracks in recent memory the 600+ racers were treated to multiple lines in virtually every corner and if not for the rainstorm that arrived on Saturday afternoon track conditions would have been excellent.
Here is a rundown on some of the classes from Saturday’s racing action.
50cc race action:
Chuck Rostein’s 3-1 motos were enough to beat Justin Cokinos (2-2) and Evan Knoll (1-3) for the overall victory in the 50cc 4-6 stock class while long-time rivals Steve Moquin and Devin Kusmider would swap moto wins with Kusmider taking the first moto followed by Moquin in second and Bryton Carroll in third. Moquin and Kusmider would switch places in the second moto giving Moquin the overall victory. Carroll would again finish third for the final step on the podium.
Steve Moquin
65cc race action:
The 65 class was an all Massachusetts affair as Jacob Beaudoin from Lanesborough Massachusetts was the 65cc 7-9 class winner while Jake Pinhancos from Rochester Mass was the 65cc 10-11 winner.
Jake Pinhancos
85cc race action:
Honda backed Cooper Webb made his first appearance at Raceway Park and was the man to beat in mini bike action. He was a double class winner taking the victories in both the SuperMini and 85cc 12-15 class.
Loretta Lynn’s champion Alexander Frye was your 85cc 9-11 class winner over Brandon Hartranft and Todd Maksymiw.
Cooper Webb
Novice class race action:
Loretta Lynn’s champion Jesse Pierce was a double class winner taking both the 250 and Open Novice class victories.
Jesse Pierce
Amateur class racing:
Suzuki backed Frankie Lettieri was the overall winner in both “B” classes. Lettieri won the 250 class over Seth Rarick and Luke Renzland while in the Open class it was Nick Desiderio in second and AJ Catanzaro in third.
Frank Lettieri
Schoolboy race action:
Suzuki mounted Nick Desiderio was a perfect 1-1 in 4 stroke schoolboy racing he was followed by Eric Goodson (5-2) and Joey Peters (4-3) for second and third.
Nick Desiderio
Collegeboy race action:
Team Green racer Cody Robbins was the class of the field in the Collegeboy class. His (1-1) was good for the overall followed by William Shatrau (3-2) and David Szymansky (7-5) for third.
Cody Robbins
Vet class race action:
The 25+ Expert class was a Kawasaki top three with Gaylon Dickson (4-1) taking the win over Keith Johnson (1-4) and Chris Chomko (5-2). Dickson was a double class winner taking the 40+ Expert class overall followed by Barry Carsten and Jim McIlvaine for second and third while Keith Johnson was the 30+ Expert winner over James Evans and Barry Carsten.
Honda-mounted Ken Blackwell won both 45+ class motos for the overall win over John Delgrosso and Robert Chayka.
Gaylon Dickson
Sunday’s racing took place under sunny skies and warm temperatures. Slight rain the night before and a deeply ripped track signaled the sign of things to come as today’s track would be rougher than the day before.
250 expert class racing was all over the place as no one could claim dominance in the class. The first moto was won by Phil Nicoletti followed by James Decotis, Robbie Marshall, Broc Schmeylon, and Dakota Kessler rounding out the top five. The second moto saw Marshall take the victory followed by Michael Leib, Nicoletti, Decotis, and Schmeylon. Marshall was the overall winner (3-1), followed by Nicoletti (1-3) and Decotis (2-4) for second and third.
Robbie Marshall
Open Expert class racing was all Lowell Spangler as the Team Green rider was a perfect 1-1. Behind Spangler in moto 1 was Michael Leib, James Decotis, Bryan Wallace and Phil Nicoletti. The second moto again saw Spangler taking the victory followed by Nicoletti, Marshall, Sean Lipanovich and Ronnie Stewart. Spangler’s 1-1 gave him the overall followed by Nicoletti (5-2) and Leib (2-6) for second and third.
Lowell Spangler
In exhibition class racing Jake Pinhancos was the Kessler Cup winner for 65cc racers, Cooper Webb was the winner of the Top Gun Minicycle Shootout for 85cc racers and Jason Brooks used a late moto pass on Seth Rarick to take home the Iron Man classic victory and a new motorcycle.
Ironman Classic Podium (l-r) Seth Rarick, Rich Trevelise, Jason Brooks, Jacob Hayes
Saturday’s Results:
125 2 Stroke: 1. James Coen (Kaw); 2. Ryan Roller (Yam); 3. Nick Feindt (Yam); 4. Rich Lechner (Ktm); 5. Max Fuchsman (Yam);
25+ Amateur “B”: 1. Ryan Reid (Kaw); 2. Billy Kibler (Suz); 3. Jim Kooinga (Kaw); 4. Wesley Turner (Kaw); 5. Kenneth Rand (Ktm);
25+ Expert “A”: 1. Gaylon Dickson (Kaw); 2. Keith Johnson (Kaw); 3. Christophe Chomko (Kaw); 4. Michael Davis Jr (Hon); 5. James Evans (Kaw);
25+ Novice “C”: 1. Steven Jose (Hon); 2. Jose Reinoso (Yam); 3. Matt Mcauliffe (Hon); 4. Luiz Peregrino (Suz); 5. Anderson Zanette (Ktm);
250 Amateur “B”: 1. Frank Lettieri (Suz); 2. Seth Rarick (Ktm); 3. Luke Renzland (Yam); 4. Joey Peters (Yam); 5. Kameron Page (Yam);
250 Novice “C”: 1. Jesse Pierce (Suz); 2. Matthew Toth (Suz); 3. Nicholas Grosso (Kaw); 4. Jim Kooinga (Kaw); 5. Lewis Mackay (Hon);
30+ Amateur “B”: 1. Ryan Reid (Kaw); 2. Michael Adams (Kaw); 3. Wesley Turner (Kaw); 4. Robert Chayka (Yam); 5. Michael Lewis (Hon);
30+ Novice “C”: 1. Jose Silva (Suz); 2. Renato Basilio (Yam); 3. Brian Emery (Hon); 4. John Kelly (Suz); 5. Taylor Mark (Yam);
30+ Vet Expert “A”: 1. Keith Johnson (Kaw); 2. James Evans (Kaw); 3. Barry Carsten (Kaw); 4. Gaylon Dickson (Kaw); 5. Jason Harper (Suz);
40+ Senior Amateur “B”: 1. Patrick Muro (Hon); 2. Michael Lewis (Hon); 3. Robert Chayka (Yam); 4. Dean Mauro (Kaw); 5. Roland Beck (Kaw);
40+ Senior Expert “A”: 1. Gaylon Dickson (Kaw); 2. Barry Carsten (Kaw); 3. James Mc Ilvaine (Hon); 4. Rich Jarvis (Yam); 5. Chris Prenderville (Suz);
40+ Senior Novice “C”: 1. Renato Basilio (Yam); 2. Jose Silva (Suz); 3. Raymond Dobbin (Kaw); 4. Jochy Gomez (Suz); 5. Harry Moore (Hon);
45+: 1. Ken Blackwell (Hon); 2. John Delgrosso (Suz); 3. Robert Chayka (Yam); 4. Michael Billy (Yam); 5. Gerard Ricciardelli (Kaw);
50cc 4-6 Stock: 1. Chuck Rostien (Cob); 2. Justin Cokinos (Cob); 3. Evan Knoll (Ktm); 4. Xavier Kennedy (Cob); 5. Cody Hegeman (Cob);
50cc 4-8 Oil/Auto/Shifter: 1. Xavier Kennedy (Cob); 2. Deegan Harper (Ktm); 3. Michael Tompkins (Ktm); 4. Christopher Feeley (Hon);
50cc 7-8 Stock: 1. Steven Moquin (Ktm); 2. Devin Kusmider (Cob); 3. Bryton Carroll (Cob); 4. Hunter Shaut (Cob); 5. Scott Byron (Cob);
65cc 10-11: 1. Jake Pinhancos (Ktm); 2. Joseph Galbraith (Ktm); 3. Miguel Correia (Ktm); 4. Andrew Maroney (Ktm); 5. Sean Knoll (Ktm);
65cc 7-9: 1. Jacob Beaudoln (Kaw); 2. David “bandit” Milana (Ktm); 3. Gage Solis (Ktm); 4. Devin Kusmider (Ktm); 5. Tj Wittmer (Ktm);
85cc 12-15: 1. Cooper Webb (Hon); 2. Luke Palonicola (Kaw); 3. Scott Carpenter (Suz); 4. Jon Borrello (Yam); 5. Kevin Tompkins (Suz);
85cc 12-16 (Super Mini): 1. Cooper Webb (Hon); 2. Sean Ballard (Kaw); 3. Austin Simpson (Ktm); 4. James Coen (Kaw); 5. Austin Toskov (Yam);
85cc 9-11: 1. Alexander Frye (Ktm); 2. Brandon Hartranft (Yam); 3. Todd Maksymiw (Kaw); 4. Joseph Galbraith (Suz); 5. Makiyah Gorman (Kaw);
85cc 9-13 (Jr Mini): 1. Kevin Tompkins (Suz); 2. Arie Reachard (Yam); 3. Nathaniel Page (Kaw); 4. Connor Rowe (Kaw); 5. Makiyah Gorman (Kaw);
College Boy (14-24 years): 1. Cody Robbins (Kaw); 2. Willy Shatrau (Hon); 3. David Szymansky (Hon); 4. Andrew Mikolaichik (Kaw); 5. Jesse Deryke (Kaw);
Open 4 Stroke: 1. Jacob Hayes (Kaw); 2. Aj Catanzaro (Kaw); 3. Matt Babbitt (Kaw); 4. Austin Phelps (Kaw); 5. Chris Dumphy (Kaw);
Open Amateur “B”: 1. Frank Lettieri (Suz); 2. Nick Desiderio (Suz); 3. Aj Catanzaro (Kaw); 4. Charles Sherby Jr (Yam); 5. Jason Brooks (Yam);
Open Novice “C”: 1. Jesse Pierce (Suz); 2. Matthew Toth (Suz); 3. Jeff Mesler (Hon); 4. Stephen Vertucci (Hon); 5. Anthony Maladra (Ktm);
Schoolboy (12-16 years) 2-str: 1. Joey Peters (Yam); 2. Luke Renzland (Yam); 3. Eric Goodson (Kaw); 4. Christopher Duymich (Hon); 5. James Coen (Kaw);
Schoolboy (14-16 years) 4-str: 1. Nick Desiderio (Suz); 2. Eric Goodson (Kaw); 3. Joey Peters (Yam); 4. Luke Renzland (Yam); 5. William Bleich (Suz);
Women (16+up): 1. Marissa Markelon (Yam); 2. Julie Parizek (Kaw); 3. Mariah Andrew (Kaw); 4. Sonia Williams (Hon); 5. Brianna Degray (Suz);
Sunday’s Results:
250 Pro/Expert “A”: 1. Robby Marshall (Suz) 3-1; 2. Phillip Nicoletti (Hon) 1-3; 3. James Decotis (Suz) 2-4; 4. Michael Leib (Hon) 6-2; 5. Broc Schmelyon (Yam) 4-5;
Open Expert “A”: 1. Lowell Spangler (Kaw) 1-1; 2. Phillip Nicoletti (Hon) 5-2; 3. Michael Leib (Hon) 2-6; 4. Robby Marshall (Suz) 6-3; 5. James Decotis (Suz) 3-7;
Kessler Cup 65cc:
1. Jake Pinhancos (KTM); 2. Miguel Correia (KTM); 3. Andrew Maroney (KTM)
Top Gun Mini-Shootout 85cc:
1. Cooper Webb (Hon); 2. Scott Carpentar (Suz); 3. Alexander Frye (KTM)
Iron Man Classic:
1. Jason Brooks (Yam); 2. Seth Rarick (KTM); 3. Jacob Hayes (Kaw)
