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Photos by Stephani McIntyre
Joe Byrd wins at Dirt Days MX
August 18, 2005 – Tennessee native Joe Byrd (#7) topped all other Pro ATV racers in the final round of the ATVA/ITP/Moose Grand National Championship Motocross Series at Dirt Days in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, August 13-14.
The win makes it two years in a row that Byrd won the event. It was round 12 of the series.
This year is the 20th anniversary of the ATVA crowning champions in the GNC series, and Dirt Days at Hurricane Mills made history with just under 1,000 entries. It's the only track in the country that hosted all 20 years of GNC-MX racing.
Byrd was looking very strong in practice, and looked to be the favorite to win. But he shocked everyone when he took a spill that required several stitches to his scalp by resident physician Doc Ragon. Thanks Doc.
In the first moto, many wondered whether the injury would slow Byrd. It didn't.
Byrd
shot his Honda TRX450X to the front of the pack to take the lead at the first
turn. Charging behind Byrd was Tavis Cain (#6), Travis Spader (#30) with his
shiny red chrome plastic (right), John Natalie (#13) and Tim Farr (#4).
Byrd quickly went to work opening up a lead, while Natalie and Cain battled for second. After getting past Cain, Natalie went on the hunt for Byrd and a real battle followed.
The
weather was hot but the racing action was hotter! Natalie would challenge Byrd
at every opportunity, but Byrd put a schoolin’ on Natalie and continuously kept
the door closed on any opportunities to pass.
Pat Brown (#199), who was sixth at the start, rode one of his
best races of the year, picking off riders in front of him to move up into third
place behind Byrd and Natalie.
But this wasn't his day. With the white flag in sight he landed hard, breaking
his axle.
With all the action going on up front, many didn't see Doug Gust (#55) working his way from ninth up to fourth.
When the gate dropped for the second moto, it was Byrd out front again, followed by Spader, Jason Dunkelberger, Brown and Jeremiah Jones (#2). Several ATVs tangled in turn one with Natalie ending up on the ground. He walked away shaken and was unable to race.
Up front, Byrd looked even faster than in the first moto, opening a huge lead with no one close enough to make a challenge.
Brown passed Dunkelberger and Spader for a solid second place while Spader maintained third, with Keith Little (#12) knocking on the back door the rest of the race.
At
the checkered flag for for the second moto, it was Byrd, Brown, Spader, Little
and Gust. Gust, in his signature come-from-behind charge, moved from ninth place
at the start up to fifth place at the end.
The winner for the event was easy to figure with Byrd going 1-1. Spader was second with a 5-3 and Gust's 4-5 gave him a solid third-place finish.