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/1545207
Tulsa Tests the Next Generation T he third annual Next Gen MotoTrials Central Regional Championship brought two full days of youth and women's trials competition to Tulsa Mountain Ranch in Tulsa, Oklahoma, May 29-31, with riders facing heat, slick terrain, and a demanding schedule across the weekend. The event featured classes ranging from Strider riders through 15 and Under Expert Sportsman, along with women's divisions from Beginner to Ex - pert Sportswoman. Competitors rode eight sections each day across four loops, with a four- hour time limit adding pressure as temperatures climbed to 91 degrees on Saturday and 93 de - grees on Sunday. Friday's heavy rain left the property slippery, creating an added challenge as riders worked to find traction on the Oklahoma terrain. The weekend also carried a strong community atmosphere. Friday included a Trial des Na- tions fundraiser followed by an ice cream social, while Satur- day evening brought everyone together again for a fish fry. Those moments fit closely with Next Gen MotoTrials' mission to empower, foster, and support the next generation of trials riders. On the competition side, Beta USA teammates Bennett Hubner and Abigail Buzzelli came away as overall winners. Hubner controlled the Youth-A Expert Sportsman class, winning Saturday with 11 points before improving to just five points on Sunday. In Expert Sportswoman, Buzzelli and Trial Store USA's Kylie Glueck delivered one of the weekend's key battles after both moved up to the class this year. Buzzelli won Saturday, while Glueck answered back with the Sunday victory after Buzzelli suf- fered a hard crash in Section 1. By the end of the weekend, the Central Regional once again showcased exactly what Next Gen MotoTrials was built to sup- port: developing riders, growing confidence, and building com- munity around the future of the sport. The series continues with the Next Gen MotoTrials Eastern Regional Championship at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tennessee, June 19-21. Stephanie Vetterly YOUTH A EXPERT (Top 5) 1. Bennett Hubner (Bet) 5 2. Thomas Keady (TRS) 28 3. Preston Blumhorst (Bet) 34 4. Bradyn Miller (Bet) 77 5. Gage O'Niell (Bet) 87 WIND IN THE P52 Bennett Hubner topped the Youth A Expert class at the Next Gen MotoTrials event in Oklahoma. PHOTOS: OLIVIA CUNNINGHAM