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Words and Photos by Scott Lukaitis

Well the 2009 KROC begins tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Please if you enjoyed it let us know by commenting below on the website or on our Facebook page. Stay tuned all year long and NJ motocross explores motocross and other forms of racing in the Garden State, past, present and future.

Below is an article that ran in Cycle News as well as some photos.

Enjoy.

Futrell and Nicoletti Split KROC Green

Old Bridge Township’s Raceway Park

Englishtown, NJ

October 3-4, 2008

Words and photos by Scott Lukaitis

When a couple of friends laid out a motocross track in an empty New Jersey field thirty-three years ago little did they know what their track would one day become. The staff of Raceway Park ran a couple of races that first years and it their second yer of operation the Race of Champions was born. Originally sponsored by a local country club it was in the early 80’s that Kawasaki motors stepped in as the title sponsor. Team Green was in it’s infancy and so was the little track in New Jersey. Well time has served both well as Team Green and Raceway Park have grown to the professional organizations that we now know.

The Kawasaki Race of Champions or KROC is often a stepping stone to a successful racing career and over the years virtually every Team Green racer has made the annual pilgrimage to KROC. Guys like Billy Liles, Donny Schmidt, Eddie Warren, Ron Tichenor, Denny Stephenson, Ricky Carmichael, James Stewart all made their mark in the Jersey soil. What would 2008 hold? With the current state of the economy and high fuel prices one would wonder how the turnout would be. With over 750 racers on Saturday and qualifiers in Sunday’s pro classes the racers showed that the KROC is a must attend in Northeast motocross.

Saturday is amateur and Vet day at the KROC. Full gates were the order of the day and winning a class at KROC is surely a notch on your resume. Completing the full program as the sun set below the trees the Raceway Park staff was on the move. Saturday’s big winners included Chris Duymich (250 and Open Novice), Keith Johnson (25+ and 30+ Expert), and Jacob Hayes (85cc 12-15 and Schoolboy 4-stroke). Perennial NJ fast guy Barry Carsten was the 40+ expert winner and former Quad National Champion Travis Spader shed 2 wheels and won the 25+ “B” class.

Barry Carsten

Sunday’s schedule would consist of the Pro Expert classes (250 and Open) as well as 3 special intermission races for amateur and mini bike riders.

Serious Racewear Honda rider Taylor Futrell jumped out to the early lead in the first Open Expert moto of the day with Rockstar Suzuki rider Justin Weeks, track local Adam Blessing and Phil Nicoletti in tow. As the pack came back into view Team Green rider Lowell Spangler it was Weeks in the lead followed by Blessing, Nicoletti, Jay Weller and Team Green rider Lowell Spangler. Futrell had bobbled in the back of the track and would be forced to work through the pack. Nicoletti would make quick work of Blessing and jumped by Weeks in the front grandstand section of the track. Spangler too got by Blessing and then around Weeks. The Kawasaki pilot set off after Nicoletti who was rapidly disappearing. Behind the lead duo the positions started to settle in with Weeks in third, track points champion Dakota Kessler in fourth and working his way through the pack was Futrell for fifth. At the moto’s end Spangler closed up slightly but not enough to pressure Nicoletti who went on to win. Spangler was second and Weeks third. Nicoletti thanked his friend Vic Palmieri for lending him the bike to use and former mechanic Paul Bruno for stying up late the night before getting the bike ready. When asked about riding the unfamiliar Honda, Nicoletti mentioned that next season he would be on the Red machines as part of Team Solitare.

Taylor Futrell

In the first 250 Expert moto Futrell was once again the man in the gas grabbing the holeshot and early lead. Nicoletti, riding his more familiar Kawasaki, Team Green rider Keith Johnson and Dakota Kessler were close behind. Futrell and Nicoletti battled until the track reached up and grabbed Nicoletti throwing him to the ground and out of the moto. Banged up and bruised it was questionable if Nicoletti would be out for the rest of the afternoon. Futrell moved out up front and began to stretch his lead, meanwhile Paul Lamb worked his way past Kessler and Johnson and was second behind Futrell. Spangler too worked his way through the pack and settled into third at the motos end.

Lowell Spangler

Many were surprised when Nicoletti lined up for the second Open Expert moto but working with his trainer Greg Direnzo in between motos he felt well enough to tough it out. When the gate fell it was Nicoletti this time grabbing the holeshot with Spangler, Futrell and Kessler hot on his heels. When Futrell went down in the tricky front section of the track it gave Nicoletti the breathing room he needed to go on and take the moto and overall win. Behind Nicoletti Spangler had settled into second and Saturday’s Vet class standout showed the kids a thing or two and came across the line in third. Spanglers 2-2 motos gave him the second step on the podium and a sixth in moto number two gave Justin Weeks the final spot on the podium with 3-6 motos.

Phil Nicoletti

After witnessing Futrell’s Open class crash it was a surprise to see him on the line for the final moto of the day. Futrell got the early jump on the field but it was two-stroke mounted Brian Mulcahy leading the pack up the staircase. Futrell wasn’t showing any ill effects of his early crash and quickly went into the way. Mulcahy, Spangler and Ryan Blizzard gave chase but it wasn’t to be. Futrell was a man on a mission and pulled away from the pack. Behind him Spangler was the first man out with a DNF as his rear wheel went away. First moto second place rider Paul Lamb had worked his was past Mulcahy and Blizzard and ws again in second place. With a couple laps to go NJ hero Barry Carsten was in third place but was under attack from James Decotis. Carsten, who won the 40+ Expert class on Saturday, held on for third despite a last straight attack from the young Suzuki rider. In the end it was Futrell going 1-1 for first overall followed by Lamb in second with 2-2 motos and the consistent 5-5 motos of Jay Weller for third overall.

Along with the four exciting Pro motos three special intermission motos were run. In the Ironman Classic race, for amateur racers, Cody Robbins survived a last lap charge from Nick Desiderio to take the win and a brand new bike courtesy of Pennsylvania dealer Can Do Powersports. The Top Gun Minicycle Shootout was won by Zachary Bell and the Kessler Cup was won by Alexander Frye. In the latter two races local dealers Mt Holly Kawasaki and Town and Country Cycle Center gave away brand new KX85’s to a lucky random participant.

2009 Monster Energy Kawasaki team riders Tim Ferry and Ryan Villopoto put on a riding exhibition aboard brand new out of the crate machines and signed autographs for their fans.

As the sun set, and fans were on their way home, I can’t help but look forward to next October for another exciting KROC.

Zachary Bell

Please help Justin Weeks...www.jw381.com

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Click on over to our rider of the year poll and vote. So far Barry Carsten leads Jason Lawrence and Dakota Kessler in the voting. But vote today because voting ends in 2 weeks on February 28th.

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This is an email we sent to all our customers about the CPSIA. A
Missouri state representative has created an easy way for everyone to
send a letter to there senators, representative, and the CPSC by
filling out just one form and clicking one button.

On February 10, 2009, today, a new law called the Consumer Product
Safety Improvement Act went into effect. This law was created by
Congress last August as a knee-jerk reaction to hazardous toys being
imported from China (remember the Fisher-Price toy recalls). It bans
all products sold for use by children which contain above certain
levels of lead and phthalates. In the act, children is defined as
anyone 12 or under, and the law is very broad in that it exempts no
products from its purview.

How does this become an issue of importance to SourceMX Graphics?

All minibikes and pitbikes fall under this act, as well as ATV’s sold
for youths. As of today, all the major motorcycle and ATV manufacturers
have instructed their dealers to remove all bikes and ATV’s used by
children from inventory and to cease advertising, marketing, selling,
possibly servicing these products. The lead contained in these bikes is
not in the paint; it’s in the metal used for certain parts in the
engines and electrical parts. Most dealers have also been instructed to
stop selling parts and accessories for the bikes as well.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC, which is the commission
charged with enforcing this act has been asked by the motorcycle
industry to grant a waiver to prevent the end of the motorcycle
industry, but they are dragging their feet. As a result, minibikes and
pitbikes became illegal today.

What can you do about this?

We are sending this email to ask you to band together as the motorcycle
community to tell the bureaucrats in Washington, DC that they need to
act and act now to stop this from hurting the motorcycle industry any
more.

116th District Missouri Representative Tom Self, father of two kids who
race bikes, has organized a campaign to contact our legislators and the
CPSC to demand that they act immediately to grant the waiver to the
motorcycle industry. This campaign relies upon everyone who is involved
in any way with motorcycles and racing to get involved and send a
message. That’s not just one representative of the family, but Mom,
Dad, sister, brother…everyone! To make this easy, Representative Self
has created a website with a form which can be used to generate letters
to all the involved officials. Every member of your family who is a
citizen of the US must be encouraged to send in this letter. Contact
everyone you know who is involved in racing and get them to send a
message. It is important that Washington DC be totally swamped with
emails and phone calls about this, and it must happen right now!

The website is www.tomself.com and it’s easy to do.

That’s www.tomself.com
www.tomself.com

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Sorry for the unfinished look of the website. I have been attempting to upgrade the features and looks and am having some difficulties. Please stand by. I’m working on it.

Trust me when I’m done it will be much better than before.

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Take a look at your local newsstand for the latest issue of Amateur MX Magazine. In it you will find a multipage feature on the 2008 KROC from Raceway Park. Written and photographed by NJ Motocrosses own Scott Lukaitis many local riders are featured. The magazine can also be viewed online at their website HERE

While you are there let them know how much you appreciate their coverage of the local motocross scene.

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Pick up the special year end issue of Cycle News at your local dealer or online for a Jason Lawrence interview. Conducted by RacerX’s Davey Coombs the article is a fun read.

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2008 DISTRICT ADVANCEMENT LIST into 2009

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Dave Ginolfi (center) Tim Eggers photo

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MXPTV Podcast on iTunes!

You can view the latest videos from MXPTV on your iPod now with my MXPTV Podcast on the iTunes Music Store!  Check out the same high quality and awesome action on your iPod/iTunes just like you see on MXPTV!  Subscribe today by clicking the link below!

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Matt Wozney over at MXPTV rounded up all of the information on next year’s Contingency programs from around the moto world.
Check it out right HERE