Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1437138
INTERVIEW I 2 0 21 A M A G N C C N A T I O N A L C H A M P I O N B E N K E L L E Y P106 Kelley rebounded with a domi- nant win at the penultimate race in West Virginia, beating Baylor by over two minutes to retake the points lead heading into the se- ries finale at Ironman Raceway. "After winning the Buckwheat GNCC, I was coming into the last race feeling really good," said Kelley. "I like the Ironman and I wanted to put in a solid round to wrap up this champion- ship, then the weather threw a huge curveball." Heading into the Ironman, Kel- ley needed only to finish second if Baylor won the race to claim the title, but all hell broke loose the day of the race when torren- tial rains turned trail into creeks and ditches into ponds. "That was definitely stress- ful," said Kelley. "I got to the track at nine and that's when it started raining. It just did not let up all day. The whole place was flooded. I was wondering, are we even going to race?" The tension was intense as deep-water crossings threatened to derail the race. Racer Produc- tions did a great job of rerout- ing the course, cutting out the deepest of crossings, and the race was shortened from three hours to two. Still, it was a fight for survival more than a race. Riders were all but unrecog- nizable when they exited the first turn as water and mud sprayed off churning tires and into the air. The race took a dramatic turn when neither Kelley nor Baylor were among the top 15 when the front-runners came into the view at the end of lap one. Did they take each other out? Were they stalled out in a creek? Despite the massive buildup of the title race, everything was pretty much decided halfway into the first lap when both Kelley and Baylor downed out their bikes in the wetness. When Kelley finally got going, he found himself in 88th overall, while Baylor got underway not far behind. "When the bike died, I knew it was from the water, but I kind I DON'T SET MY BIKE UP ANY DIFFERENTLY, REALLY, TO BE HONEST. I'VE TRIED DOING DIFFERENT THINGS, TALLER BARS, HIGHER SEATS, ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF AND IT ALWAYS JUST FELT WEIRD. IT MAKES THE BIKE HANDLE WEIRD. SO, I JUST RUN IT AS IT IS. Kelley, who hails from Connecticut, cut his off-road racing teeth racing the NETRA series in New England.