Jeremiah Jones makes history at Unadilla MX
Story by Bill Kresnak, photos by Stephani McIntyre
August 3, 2005 – Jeremiah Jones (#2) rode his Team Suzuki/Yoshimura ATV into history as the first Pro winner at the ATVA ITP/Moose Grand National Championship Motocross Series race at Unadilla Valley Sports in New Berlin, New York, July 30-31.
This was a race for the record books. Unadilla has hosted motorcycle racing for 36 years, but this was the first time the track has been used for an ATV race.
Promoter Greg Robinson, who was in the tower with his stop watch, said, "two weeks ago Jeremy McGrath’s best time was 2:30." As the Pro ATV racers took to the track, the stop watch registered 2:22, surprising everyone.
One of the largest spectator crowds this season lined the track for the first Pro moto as the 20 fastest ATV MXers in the series lined up for the start.
Like so many times this season, John Natalie (#13) grabbed the holeshot and launched his Honda into the first turn, followed by Travis Spader (#30, above, right) on a Yamaha. Jones was running third, Joe Byrd (#7, above, middle) on a Honda was in fourth, and Jason Dunkelberger (#19), riding a Yamaha, rounded out the top five.
Natalie opened a huge lead while Jones went to work on Spader. This turned into on of the best races to date. Spader focused on riding his line while Jones tried everything he could to make a pass—inside, outside, high and low on the banked turns, coming alongside many times—but he could never make it stick.
While Jones was focused on Spader, Byrd and Dunkelberger would sneak up and put pressure on Jones. Byrd got the inside line in one corner to make the pass on Jones for second place.
On the last lap, with only half a lap to go, Natalie pulled off the track, his engine silent. Spader took the checkered flag, followed by Byrd, Jones, Keith Little (#12), and Dunkelberger.
In the second moto, Byrd pulled the holeshot and jumped out front, but Jones wasn't going to settle for second. He passed Byrd and set his sights on the checkered flag, taking the win.
Byrd finished second, and Luburgh (#8), on his Yamaha, finished third.
Where was Spader, who won the first moto? He got tangled in the start in the second moto and was in last place. He got on the gas and moved up, passing almost half the pack to 13th place for the moto and eighth overall.
This wasn't Natalie’s day. A hard crash in the second moto and a broken ground wire in the first moto combined to put him in a very unusual last place for the day.
In the overall standings for the day, Jones finished first, Byrd second and Ellis third.
After the champagne and trophy presentation for the history-making winners at Unadilla, ATVA Director Doug Morris called John Natalie and his crew up to the podium. Natalie had clinched the title for 2005 ATVA ITP-Moose Grand National Championship motocross series. Morris presented Natalie with the coveted National No.1 plate while the crowd cheered the victory and the cameras recorded the event.