VOL. 56 ISSUE 20 MAY 21, 2019 P29
smooth and smart, feeling happy
to be leading his first OMA Na-
tional event. Unfortunately, this
would not be Zach's day.
"The first lap I was hanging
behind them guys," said Sul-
zberger. "I fell down a couple
times, but I was able to catch
back up. Everybody was mak-
ing mistakes, and my bike was
working really good. I'm an older
guy out here, so I have some
experience. I think slowing down
makes sense sometimes. I was
picking really good ruts and
lines, and not getting stuck. I
just had a good flow going on.
I got in the lead and felt pretty
good. I was tightening up a little,
and Cole caught up to me, and
then I just went into a section
that I shouldn't have. It ended up
getting re-routed, and there was
one rut, and I just got buried.
That was the entire race; right
there, it ended it for me."
Cole Zuidema, who struggled
a bit after the start, put on the
charge midrace. The Morrison
HS Senior admitted, "It took a
while to get in a groove, but,
once I did, I started to ride
smart, and I made some good
passes."
When Sulzberger became
stuck, Zuidema was in a perfect
position and was able to lock
himself in the lead, finish the fifth
lap, and take home the victory.
Second-place rider Buddy
Fortune, the only other racer to
complete five laps of the unfor-
giving course, said, "I got an
okay start. My float was sticking
the whole race. Gas was pour-
ing out. I wasn't going out there
just to go all out. I was going
out to ride smart. Pretty much
survival mode. It was difficult;
very tough. I was leading at one
point, but just for a little bit, and
then I got stuck."
Fortune was able to wrestle
the YZ125 out of the muck and
continue racing to the finish. He
was 27 minutes behind Zuidema,
but he did finish the event in
second place.
Bryan Johnson filled out the
podium. "I got the last-place
holeshot, but I knew it didn't
matter," he said. "I just kept
picking them off, one at a time.
The next thing I knew, I was in
fourth. Then I was in third. Two
laps to go, and I held third. I
actually was in second for a
moment when I passed Buddy
Fortune out there, stuck, but he
got out before me, because he
had been stuck for a while, and
I just got stuck. I tried chasing
him down to the end, but he got
me by a couple minutes. I guess
everybody else got stuck, and I
didn't, as many times."
John Gasso
OVERALL
1. Cole Zuidema (KTM)
2. Tommy Fortune Jr. (Yam)
3. Bryan Johnson (Kaw)
4. Zach Sulzberger (Yam)
5. Chris Huffman (KTM)
6. Cody Vanderlaan (KTM) A Class
7. Matt McDonald (KTM)
8. Tanner Whipple (KTM)
9. Cody Toal (KTM) Vet A
10. Ben Cope (Bet) Vet A
Tommy Fortune
had a chance for
the overall win.
