BAYLOR BACK ON TOP AT OMA ROUND THREE
R
ound number three of the
2016 Off-road Motorcycle
and ATV Nationals (OMA), the
Moonshine XC, was held on
a warm and dry day in rural
Newark, Missouri, June 4. With
a DNF at round two fresh in his
mind, reigning series cham-
pion Steward Baylor of the SRT
Off-Road KTM team was look-
ing for redemption. Meanwhile
young Mike Witkowski of the
RPM Racing KTM team, fresh
off his first OMA victory at round
two, was shooting for a repeat
victory. Over on the Pro 2 side,
Gieson Yamaha's Cody Barnes
and Obermeyer Suzuki's Duell
Murphy had their sights set on
each other also. This would be
a good day of racing, and it took
place with the two-race format,
which essentially becomes two
45-minute all out sprints.
The start of race one saw
Witkowski jump out to grab the
FMF holeshot and take the point
on what turned out to be the first
of three laps and just over 54
minutes for the moto. "The first
moto I took a wrong turn and
went to third," recalled Witkows-
ki. "It was (Nick) Fahringer, Stew
(Baylor), and me." According
to Baylor, that was the oppor-
tunity he needed to get back
in the race after a slow start.
"The guys up front made some
mistakes the first lap and put me
back in the mix of things," said
Baylor. When the dust settled, it
was Baylor ahead of Witkowski
by less than two seconds,
followed just over one minute
later by Fun Mart Suzuki's Adam
Bonneur, who took third place
just over two seconds ahead of
IN
THE
WIND
P36
Defending champ Stew Baylor took
top honors at the Moonshine XC
OMA race in Missouri.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
JOHN
GASSO
