Round 5 GNC-MX Nationals
Photos by Digital 219
Jeremiah Jones Wins in Maryland
May 4, 2006 – Jeremiah Jones (#2) muscled his Suzuki LT-R450 to a big Motocross win at the Budd’s Creek Speedway in Mechanicsville, Maryland, April 1-2.
Budd's Creek was host to the fifth round of the ATVA ITP/Moose Racing National Motocross Series.
For
the first moto, thousands of fans who lined the track cheered as John Natalie
(#13) pulled the holeshot.
The dirt was flying, and just inches behind Natalie was Pat Brown (#199), Joe Byrd (#7), Tavis Cain (#6) and Jones.
Early in the moto, Jones made a mistake and fell back to seventh place, but quickly recovered and started his charge.
Natalie opened a substantial lead over Byrd. Behind Byrd everything was changing lap after lap. Around the halfway mark Doug Gust (#55) moved up and was hot on Byrd, challenging at every possible moment.
Then Gust and Byrd tangled, bringing them both to a stop. That allowed Jones and Chad Wienen (#44) to move up.
With Natalie in his sights, Jones got on the gas and quickly caught and passed Natalie.
At the flag, Jones was first followed by Natalie, Wienen, Byrd and Travis Spader (#30).
Could Jones break his streak of bad luck and take an overall win on his new Suzuki?
As the gate dropped in the second moto it was Natalie in the lead, Jones hot on his heels, followed by Dustin Wimmer (#191), Brown and Keith Little (#12).
Natalie
and Jones quickly broke from the pack and opened a good lead. Jones quickly move
to the inside in a drag race up the finish line hill and took the lead from
Natalie.
Jones would continue to push, jumping higher and farther than most of the others on the track. A win for Jones looked like a certainty.
Byrd was deep in pack on ninth place, and Wienen was even further back.
Wimmer, meanwhile, was looking strong and did not want to budge from third place. But Jones was able to make the pass for third and immediately put pressure on Natalie.
Byrd and Wimmer would both pass Natalie, with Joe Haavisto (#75) and Gust following.
On
the podium, it was Jones with his first win of the season, Byrd in second and
Natalie in third.
In the national points battle, Byrd and Natalie are tied in points but Byrd has more wins so he leads, Gust holds down third, Haavisto is in fourth and Little is fifth.