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/570763
IN THE WIND P34 JASON THOMAS TOPS BIG LUMPY OMA XC I t was a cool, fall day in rural Dayton, Iowa, September 13, with perfect dirt and equally per- fect race conditions, and KTM/ Maxxis/Klim's Jason Thomas appeared to be on a mission at the OMA Nationals Big Lumpy XC. The Dirt Wise KTM 250-mounted racer from Eng- land captured the FMF Holeshot Award money in both motos, and he took home the overall for the day with a victory in race one and he followed that up with second place in race two. "I got two holeshots," said Thomas. "I was able to win the first one. I led the last one until maybe a mile before the finish. I fell over in a rut; just a stupid mistake. I knew I had to get second for the overall if Jimmy [Jarrett] won. I was able to make a pass on Nick [Fahringer] right there at the finish line. I came away with the overall, and it's a good day." Jimmy Jarrett, on the JJR/ Pointview Cycles/Moose KTM, scored second overall by follow- ing up a third-place finish in the first race with a win in the second go-around. Third place on the podium was Nick Fahringer on the Kenda/Moose Husqvarna, with a disappointing fourth- place finish in race two, after scoring second in race num- ber one. In the Pro 2 class, it was Alex Witkowski on the MX Parts Now Beta coming away with the class victory and sixth place overall following his race one victory and a second- place showing in race two. Series points leader privateer Shane Klimek and his Suzuki RM250 two-stroke took second in race one, but ended race two with just one lap after tearing off a footpeg during an incident with a tree. The Husqvarna of Kyleer Vance pulled out a consistent 4-4 result, netting Vance second place in class as well as seventh overall. Rounding out the Pro 2 po- dium was KTM-mounted Nicho- las Swenson from Greenfield, Minnesota. KTM rider Jojo Bowden, of Lockport, New York, came back to win moto two with a margin of 46 seconds on class winner Alex Witkowski after completing only two laps in race one. John Gasso MISSION MOTORCYCLES FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY I n a somewhat unsurprising twist of fate, Mission Motorcycles has filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, a move that will see the company liquidated in order to pay its outstanding creditors. The situa- tion is so bad, according the Mission Motorcycles CEO, Mark Seeger, the company cannot even afford an attorney. The move puts an end to a company that had failed to deliver road-going machines for the select few who had put down deposits, which now look like they have vanished into thin air. Mission had been in financial hardship for some time, and was reliant on Mission Motors (a com- pany that had earlier closed its doors) for design PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN GASSO Jason Thomas claimed the overall win at the Big Lumpy OMA in Iowa.