RPMX 5/27

Mic Sowa

Darren Edsall

For many years, New Jersey motocross hero Mickey Kessler dominated the Expert-class action at Raceway Park. Kessler has since retired from racing, and he’s now the man in charge of track design and maintenance, but his son Dakota is making him proud. After rising through the minibike and Amateur ranks, Dakota is now an Expert, just like his dad. In his first season as an Expert, Kessler has been riding well, but he hasn’t scored an overall victory yet.

Jason Harper
The first 250cc Expert moto saw Dragon/SoBe Honda rider Anthony Roth (14) and Mount Holly Suzuki rider Jason Harper share the holeshot. Going up the Staircase, Roth took the early lead, over Harper. Early in the moto, Harper pulled off with bike problems, leaving the running order Roth, KTM rider Ryan Gainey, and Honda rider Darren Edsall. Working their way through the pack after poor starts were KPS Suzuki rider Dakota Kessler and No Fear-backed Kawasaki rider Dave Ginolfi. Those latter two riders’ battle eventually took them into second and third, with Ginolfi leading the way. Gainey got back around Kessler, pushing him back a place. The moto ended with Roth out front, followed by Ginolfi and Gainey.
In moto two, Ginolfi put his Kawasaki out front, followed by first-moto winner Roth and Gainey. Ginolfi led until about halfway, when he stalled his bike in a corner, dropping back to fourth and handing the lead to Roth, who went on to take the win, with Harper in second and Gainey in third.
Roth (1-1) won overall, followed by Gainey (3-3) and Ginolfi (2-4).
The first 125cc Expert moto blasted off the line, with the day’s holeshot king, Roth, putting his Honda out front. Gainey got by Roth going up the Staircase, but Roth retook the lead in the back section of the track. At the end of lap one, it was Roth out front, with Gainey, Brian Wallace, Kessler and Pete Devlin close behind. Those five riders were so close, you could have thrown a blanket over them.
Roth continued to lead, with Gainey and Kessler close behind, and the trio pulled away from the rest of the pack. When Gainey washed out in a corner, Kessler made the pass into second and set off after Roth, but he ran out of time and had to settle for second. Wallace ended the moto in third.

Anthony Roth
Moto two saw Roth grab yet another holeshot, followed by Gainey, Wallace and Kessler, but not for long, as Kessler was a man on a mission. First he passed Wallace; then he passed Gainey in the front section of the track; and finally he passed Roth in the middle of the track. Kessler held on for the moto win. With his 2-1 moto scores, this was the first overall Expert-class win for Kessler. He was followed by Roth (1-2) in the moto and overall. The consistent Wallace was third in the moto and overall.
Results
65 (7-9): 1. Justin Cooper (KTM); 2. Brandon Hartranft (KTM); 3. Miguel Correla (KTM); 4. Brian Engdahl (KTM); 5. Marvin Ellis (Kaw).
65 (10-11): 1. Joseph Galbraith (KTM); 2. Keith Pierce (KTM); 3. Evan Iuzzolino (Kaw); 4. Steven Suydam (Suz).
85 (7-11): 1. Jacob Hartranft (Yam); 2. Justin Cooper (Yam); 3. Tyler Betsch Jr. (Suz); 4. Keith Pierce (KTM); 5. Miguel Correla (KTM).
85 (12-13): 1. Brett Cooper (Yam); 2. Justin Maclay (Suz); 3. Evan Priester (Hon); 4. Adam Scicchitano (Suz); 5. Richie Trevelise (Suz).
85 (14-15): 1. Christopher Duymich (Hon); 2. Justin Garzone (Suz); 3. Damon Benefield (Kaw).
JR MINI (9-13): 1. Jacob Hartranft (Yam); 2. Brandon Hartranft (KTM); 3. Richie Trevelise (Suz); 4. Matthew Gahrmann (Suz); 5. Tyler Betsch Jr. (Suz).
S/MINI (12-15): 1. Christopher Duymich (Hon); 2. Jesse Pierce (Suz); 3. Adam Scicchitano (Suz); 4. Justin Maclay (Suz); 5. Connor Vail (Suz).
125 NOV: 1. Michael Sowa (Suz); 2. J.T. Milne (Hon); 3. Austin Harvey (Kaw); 4. A.J. Kurdo (Hon); 5. Thomas Sherby (Hon).
125 AM: 1. Larry McVay (Yam); 2. Daniel Fodor (Suz); 3. Jon Reber (Suz); 4. James Henshaw (Yam); 5. Paul Meier (Yam).
125 EX: 1. Dakota Kessler (Suz); 2. Anthony Roth (Hon); 3. Bryan Wallace (Yam); 4. Ryan Gainey (KTM); 5. Robert Malkiewicz (Kaw).
250 NOV: 1. Michael Sowa (Suz); 2. Tom Greenhoe (Yam); 3. Alex Stavola (Kaw); 4. Matthew Majewski (Hon); 5. Jon Colatrella (Hon).
250 AM: 1. Daniel Fodor (Suz); 2. Jason Hess (Hon); 3. Michael Voorhees (Hon); 4. Paul Meier (Yam); 5. Ash Gaskill (Hon).
250 EX: 1. Anthony Roth (Hon); 2. Ryan Gainey (KTM); 3. Dave Ginolfi (Kaw); 4. Dakota Kessler (Suz); 5. Bryan Wallace (Yam).
OPEN 4-STRK: 1. Charles Sherby Jr. (Hon); 2. Frank Lettieri (Suz); 3. Joe Reilly (Suz); 4. Jon Reber (Suz); 5. A.J. Kurdo (Hon).
WMN: 1. Rachel Engdahl (Suz); 2. Meaghan Metz (Yam); 3. Jennifer Singleton (Yam); 4. Emily Suydam (Hon); 5. Tammy Longacre (Hon).
SCHBY (12-15): 1. Frank Lettieri (Suz); 2. Charles Sherby Jr. (Hon); 3. Sal Calamita (Hon); 4. Larry McVay (Yam); 5. Ed Molfetta (Yam).
CLGBY (16-24): 1. Jason Hess (Hon); 2. Ash Gaskill (Hon); 3. Brian Kilduff (Yam); 4. William Francisco (Yam); 5. Joseph Chmielewski (Yam).
25+ AM: 1. John Ward (Hon); 2. Gregory Jaronczyk (Suz); 3. Ed Graham (Suz); 4. Mike Biondo (Hon); 5. Cristian Dutra (Hon).
25+ EX: 1. Jason Harper (Suz); 2. Darren Edsall (Kaw); 3. Carl Anderson (Hon); 4. Jerry Seip (Hon); 5. James McIlvaine (Hon).
30+ NOV: 1. Jose Romero (Hon); 2. Joe Unger (Hon); 3. Lawrence McVay (Hon); 4. William Loften (Yam); 5. John Senepole (Hon).
30+ AM: 1. John Ward (Hon); 2. Kevin Kerr (Hon); 3. Doug Kitchell (Hon); 4. Russ Myers (Hon); 5. Ed Graham (Suz).
30+ EX: 1. James McIlvaine (Hon); 2. Jerry Seip (Hon); 3. Ken Blackwell (Hon); 4. Brian Smith (Hon); 5. Chris Prenderville (Suz).
40+ AM: 1. Doug Kitchell (Hon); 2. Stanley Poulsen (Hon); 3. Russ Myers (Hon); 4. Phil Spagnola (Hon); 5. Chris Suydam (Hon).
40+ EX: 1. James McIlvaine (Hon); 2. Larry Harper (Suz); 3. Joe Reilly (Suz); 4. Rick Rosseter (Yam); 5. Bob Sorenson (Hon).