2015 CAJUN NATIONALS RACE REPORT

Filed under General on March 07, 2015 | Comment(s)

WORDS AND IMAGES BY: Jason McGuire

With all of the crazy weather throughout the country, it was a mystery on if I was going to make it here or not for the event. Luckily Mother Nature held strong for me and I made it from Phoenix to Dallas and on to Monroe before the Friday night pre-race was over.

Entering the track at the Ike Hamilton Expo Center, the bright rust colored dirt lit up like a Christmas tree. As I mulled through the crowed to get a look at the track, the vibe of all in attendance seemed to be quite high. Everyone was pumped for the weekend and ready to see what lied ahead as we enter Saturday and Sunday action. 

SATURDAY:

Entering the day, the track was in prime condition. This year’s layout was back to the tradition double-U compared to the previous inner-outer U. Out of the gate riders were faced with a pretty big double for an indoor track – which then left a deep step up going into turn one. The second straight featured a almost stubble like feature followed by a gigantic triple step-up that rocketed riders to the top of the second turn. Similar to last year, the exit of turn two is a small bonsai going into a rhythm section, which then leads you out of turn three and across the line after a small double and a sizeable step-up.

With the track ready to rock and the main events set to kick off with the A Pro class, it was a toss up on if the rookies were going to take the win or if one of the veterans, Brandon Elmore, could make it happen. The first two mains had Doublecross’ Kenny Gustafson showing his rookie determination and pulling away with the wins, which left him with low points as they entered the third and final main event. The third main had the four main guys squeezed tight down the first straight, but it was Brandon Elmore from Texas that had the advantage. Elmore held on to take the win with Gustafson following closely in second. When the points were finally tallied up and finalized, Gustafson took the overall with Elmore in second and Redline’s Hunter Pelham rounded out the top three – a big accomplishment after his tough crash in the first round of qualifying earlier in the day. 

One rider in the women’s cruiser class that has really stuck out over the last handful of races is Jamie Windholz. The Ssquared Bicycles rider has been absolutely tearing up the 17-20 girls cruiser class. Once again the Missouri native was able to handle business as usual and pick up the win over Emily Mundahl and Jena Sagendorf. Look for her to be out front again tomorrow and also try and better her third place finish on her class bike. 

Before I left for this weekend’s event, our Videographer and Assistant Editor of PULL Magazine George Vick told me to be on the lookout for Bloodline Racing’s Noah Miguel. The nine year old from Texas has really put himself on the map this year and with him now on my radar, I was not as shocked to see him rocking the 9-cruiser class. Noah came out on top over Jesse Lepore (2^nd) Cannon Wood (3^rd) and Gage Kooyers (4^th). All of those riders have had a ton of accomplishments and to come out on top over them is a huge accomplishment. Not to mention he also took the win, securing the double, in 9 expert. Be on the watch for this young man and if your team needs a wicked fast young gun, you might want to take a look at Miguel.

Another Ssquared Bicycles young lady made an awesome move today to take the lead in the 14 girls class. Another Missouri native like her teammate Windholz, Kaitlyn Deters is one of the most determined riders in the country. For some, lining up in the gate with a National #1 title holder (Olivia Armstrong – 2014 National #1 Girl Cruiser), it can be intimidating, but not for Deters. The gate slammed down and Armstrong looked to have the advantage into turn one, but it was Deters lurking on the inside and ready to strike like a venomous snake. Strike she did as she took the underneath and shut Armstrong down. The rest of the lap was now a battle to keep the door shut and Deters was able to do just that, which would land her the win. Armstrong will definitely be looking for redemption tomorrow, and it could be one of the most exciting races of the day.

Chrystofer “Super Sonic” Davis is probably one of the most dedicated sixteen-year-old racers on the circuit. While on the phone with his dad the other day, he was telling us that if he is not training, he is studying film and analyzing every aspect of his performances to make sure he perfects every aspect of his race. Well for Super Sonic Davis, that work finally paid off after he broke the sound barrier, and the spirits of his 16 expert competition with a huge win today. If he can double it up tomorrow, there is no doubt his confidence will be at an all time high. Watch out, this kid is fast!

Day one brought some of the best races of the year, even on a track that is definitely shorter than your standard outdoor speedway. Tomorrow is shaping up to be just as good, if not better and we will be there to cover all of the action for you! Check back tomorrow with updates throughout the day and also the final race report highlighting the best races of the day. 

SUNDAY:

Leaving the hotel this morning it was evident that Mother Nature had no intentions of giving us a warm Sunday. Luckily, the indoor venue left riders nice and toasty during the qualifying rounds as we widdled the fields down to the main event classes. 

The A Pro class was once again a battle between the veteran and the rookies. In the heat of the battle Elmore was showing his veteran colors and laying down some serious speed and skills in front of the rookies, but that was not going to fly for day one winner Kenny Gustafson. For a second day in a row, Gustafson was making the precision moves necessary to hold off the charge from Elmore. Luckily he was able to make that happen and he secured the win followed by Elmore. Third place was also a repeat for Redline’s Hunter Pelham who had a terrible first round, but rebounded in the second and thirds to take the final spot on the podium. 

Hostile Elite was in full force this weekend, which only makes sense seeing as how their home base in Texas is just a hop, skip and crank across the southern edge of the states. Part of their crew was Jaycie Sinclair, and to say she has been killing it in the 11-12 girl’s cruiser class would be an understatement. This little girl has a ton of potential to go far in this sport and once again she was found out front quite a bit this weekend. Sinclair pulled out the overall win on both cruiser and class on both days. To top it off, her sister Haylie followed with a pair of seconds in class to make it the Sinclair sweep! 

A few months ago it was released that Rob McAllister was selling the BlackCrown brand – something that shocked quite a few people. While the sale of the brand was a big move, Rob has continued repping the colors and product as he competes in the 46-50-cruiser class. For the weekend, Rob was extremely productive against some tough competition. Saturday he was able to take home the win with his teammate Scott Swanson in tow, and day two brought him another solid finish with second place, just behind Vince Decastro. The class looks to be one of the premier cruiser classes for another year and chances are high the 2015 National #1 Cruiser title could be taken by one of these riders. The season is still young, so be on the watch as these guys battle it out all the way into November. 

The ever-competitive 15-16 girls class always has a gate full of talented young ladies that are all capable of taking the win. For Florida's Nicole Glowaty, her day was today. After a tough sixth place finish yesterday, she was looking for redemption. After her first round, there may have been some doubt as she had a fall and as many of us know, a fall on Sunday is never a good sign. However, that fall was not going to define her day as she rebounded and made the main. Once in the main, Glowaty powered out of the gate like a Ferrari and took off. With Ashley Cohen, Cayleigh Van Staalduinen, Abby Macleod, Destiny Dominguez and Shayla Blackmore all racked against her, it was no easy win. In the end, she was able to hold them off and take the win. With this confidence booster, the Florida rider could definitely be on the watch list through the entire year. 

One of the biggest standouts from the weekend was Doublecross' Ashton "Runaway" Kroon. He seemed to take the 12 expert class by storm on both Saturday and Sunday. The Texas based rider was leaving a path of destruction as he laid down some serious speed and style going wire-to-wire. I honest do not know how I have not noticed this young man before, but I now have little doubt that he could be one of the next top riders coming out of the southwest. Actually, if you take a look at Texas the last few years, the riders coming from the state have been wickedly talented. Watch out California, Texas is on the way to the top! 

The Cajun Nationals are a wrap and while seeing every indoor build get torn down is a bittersweet moment, we know that in just two short weeks the USA BMX big rig is rolling heavy into Rock Hill, SC for the Carolina Nationals. Not only is there going to be some of the best amateur action in the country, this event also marks the inaugural kick off for the USA BMX North American Supercross Series – something that you cannot miss.