VURB PRO AM CLASSIC
Author: Wes Williams	Features | Thursday, 15 October 2009 16:34

Photography: Ryne Swanberg / Wes Williams

We said it once before in the amateur report, likely a few other times in a few other places, and we'll say it 1,000 more times without hesitation - the Vurbmoto Motosport.com Pro Am Classic was absolutely sensational.  Cloudless blue skies and perfect 85 degree weather led us to some of the best racing we've seen in recent times, and likely won't see again until the Mini O's in November.

The amateur classes have been covered and beat to death, but just incase you haven't seen the article on Jeremy Kress, be sure to check that one out; great kid and big heart that will take him far.  Nonetheless, there were about 14 youth classes at the Pro Am Classic, and here's how a few of them went down.

The 85cc hired guns were slim pickins' with the names of Cooper Webb, Chase Bell, and Aaron Leininger.  Cooper Webb, just coming off a recent injury, was the talk of the town in all of the older 85cc age groups.  Hired gun or not, chances of running with Mr. Webb were nil.  Coop won  all of his 85cc motos in dominating fashion, proving why the North Carolinian got the invite, not to mention a round trip ticket for next year's event.  He also mustered up the courage to run a fourth class, Schoolboy 1, aboard his Honda 150cc fourstroke.  While greatly underpowered and under aged, Coop held strong and did battle with some great youth racers taking an impressive 7^th overall.

Other notables in the older 85cc age brackets include Kyler West, Carter Oldknow, Donny Brown, Lane Staley, Chase Bell, and Aaron Leininger.  While this entire field varies in age, the Vurb Pro AM Classic had nearly every single 80 class ever invented to allow them to do battle against each other on numerous occasions.  This allowed each and every one of these racers to have the moments of glory, and show the speed they are capable of.  The most amazing battling, however, happened in the 85cc 7-11 class, consisting of Kyler West, Chase Bell, and Donny Brown.  These guys looked like veteran pros racing around the Bremen circuit, staying within mere bike lengths of each other lap in and lap out.  Dicing, rubbing, and racing was the name of the game in this one, which is why it made it one of the most memorable classes of the VPAC 2009.  In the end, Bell would swap moto wins with Donny Brown, giving the overall to the #24 Kawasaki, followed by Kyler West and Donny Brown.

85 12-15 yrs: 1. Cooper Webb (Hon);2. Aaron Leininger (Suz);3. Lane Staley (Kaw);4. Chase Mccullers (Kaw);5. Chad Slater (Suz)8
5-150cc 7-11 yrs/85cc 9-11: 1. Chase Bell (Kaw);2. Kyler West (Ktm);3. Donny Brown (Yam);4. Austin Clark (Yam);5. Julian Kempany (Kaw)z
85CC 9-13: 1. Cooper Webb (Hon);2. Kyler West (Ktm);3. Carter Oldknow (Suz);4. Donny Brown (Yam);5. Aaron Leininger (Suz)
Super Mini 80cc - 150cc 12-16: 1. Cooper Webb (Hon);2. Lane Staley (Kaw);3. Aaron Leininger (Suz);4. Carter Oldknow (Suz);5. Brandyn Clark (Yam)

Chase Bell was also on a mission aboard his 65cc machine, but Jake Pinhancos, our hired gun out of Rochester, MA, wasn't going to let the win be easy.  The two diced both motos, but the end result had Chase Bell taking both moto wins for the overall.  It looks like Chase Bell will be back in 2010 to defend his golden ticket in multiple classes.

Pinhancos, however, came back swinging in the 65cc open division.  Bell was absent, but that didn't detour the #01 KTM from doing what he came to do - win.  Close battling ensued between the runner ups of Jacob Beaudoir, Tristan Lewis, and Blake Ashley, but no force was big enough to reckon with Pinhancos.  Looks like the best of the south will have to wait until 2010 to stake claim on the Northeastern speedster's Golden Ticket.

65 cc Open: 1. Jake Pinhancos (Ktm);2. Jacob Beaudoir (Kaw);3. Tristan Lewis (Cob);4. Blake Ashley (Ktm);5. Jake Matthews
65cc 10-11 yrs: 1. Chase Bell (Kaw);2. Jake Pinhancos (Ktm);3. Taylor Benton (Ktm);4. Shaun Leais (Suz);5. Mason Beasley (Ktm)

As always, the 50cc classes were fun to watch.  The little guys stayed close, and somehow managed a feat that just shouldn't be possible; getting a 50cc machine around a rough, rutted, whooped out track like Bremen.  Adding to the "most exciting of the weekend" list, the 50cc Open was more than a treat.  Kobe Heffner and Kyle Lucas squared off in a battle of 1^st gear pinned, seeing as they have no other gears.  This battle is classified as a much watch, and can be viewed in the SUNDAY RECAP VIDEO.  Heffner took top honors in the open and 7-8 class, while Justin Cokinos topped the charts in the 4-6 class.

50cc 4-6: 1. Justin Cokinos (Cob);2. Ezra Poole (Cob);3. Bo Hatcher (Ktm);4. Jackson Gray (Cob);5. Ryley Alston (Hon)
50cc 7-8: 1. Kobe Heffner (Cob);2. Preston Johns (Ktm);3. Justin Finnegan (Ktm);4. Kyle Lucas (Pol);5. Ben Gilleland (Cob);
50CC OPEN: 1. Kobe Heffner (Cob);2. Kyle Lucas (Pol);3. Justin Cokinos (Cob);4. Westyn Hilliard (Ktm);5. Ezra Poole (Cob);|
50cc shaft: 1. Lukas Lewis (Yam);2. Jake Woodall (Yam);3. Cameron Gilleland (Yam);4. Dutch Aronson (Yam);
50cc XR/50 honda/ktm: 1. Bo Hatcher (Ktm);2. Conner Watts (Hon);3. James B Hammock (Ktm);4. Griffen Wheeler (Hon);5. Noah Adams (Hon);

While hired gun Jessica Patterson was absent from the event, that didn't hurt the racing in the women's class one bit.  2008 Champion and 2009 3^rd place Loretta Lynn's finisher, Serratia Gonzalez, was our sole Golden Ticket holder in both women's divisions on the weekend.  While each class had it's own stacked competition, Gonzalez was able to walk away with both overalls, and yet another Golden Ticket for 2010.

Women 12yrs + 99cc/250cc: 1. Serratia Gonzalez (Ktm);2. Toni Kirby (Kaw);3. Crenna Arslaster (Kaw);4. Jenna Williamson (Kaw);5. Mariah Mcneill (Kaw)
Girls 9-13 65cc-112cc: 1. Serratia Gonzalez (Ktm);2. Mariah Mcneill (Kaw);3. Abby Jacks (Hon);4. Jenna Williamson (Kaw);5. Alexandria Steinhaner (Kaw)

 

The First Moto of 65 10-11 and 7-9 Prepare to take off

The Futures of Tomorrow

Kobe Heffner Bored in the Red Bull Podium Area after his 4th Win on the Day