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By: Tim Povenski
Photos: Tim Povenski
WV State Harescramble Championship Series
Koontz Promotions
Round 2: Elkins, WV
ELKINS, WV AUGUST 2, 2008
McGill, Sturdivant,
Sommers!
Adam McGill
Brandon Sommers
Brent Sturdivant |
A tacky and hilly track met the ATV riders at
round 2 of the 2008 WV State HS Championship
held at the famous Kelly Mt., in Elkins, WV. The
Mountain State Forest Festival saw a battle in
the A class between some of the West Virginia’s
native sons. By the time the bikes had worn in
the track, the ATV’s got to battle the 6 mile
track for 1 ½ hours. Deep ruts, wet mud
holes and slick hills that were left from the
bikes.
KTM rider Adam McGill grabbed the hole shot
leading Ohio Yamaha rider Brandon Sommers and
2007 Series Champ Brent Sturdivant. Coming to
the big mud hole with the mud fleas, Sturdivant
passed Sommers and shortly after that passed
McGill. “Everything went good,” McGill said. “I
got the hole shot and then I noticed someone
behind me, it was Sommers, then we come down to
the mud section and he blazed us both through
the mud, I don’t know how he does it, but he
just drills it." Once in the lead on the first
lap Can-Am pilot Sturdivant started cruising
only to run into mechanical problems. “I came
down the downhill and my bike just shut off.
They both got by me there,” Sturdivant says. “I
had to turn the key on a couple times to get it
to fire.” From there it was Sommers trying to
hang with McGill, and Sturdivant on the charge.
McGill talks about getting by Sturdivant. “Then
I followed him down one of the down hills and
his bike just stalled. He just pulled over and
let me go. I asked him if he was ok and he said
yes. So, I just went. I don’t know what
exactly happened.”
After being passed, Sturdivant needed to make
up time quick if he wanted a chance of catching
the leaders. The Can-Am pilot caught Sommers and
then made the pass. McGill was hopefully next.
“I put my head down and got back by summers,”
Sturdivant said. “I caught up to Kurt then. We
were just running back and fourth, back and
fourth. Then it kept shutting off every 4 or 5
miles.” This enabled McGill the chance to get
far enough away. On the final lap, Sturdivant
tried to mount a one lap comeback. “The last lap
I was going to try and put a little run
together. He was just too far ahead.” McGill
took home the overall, but loved battling with
Sturdivant while it lasted. “We have done this
for six years now, him or I one or two. My hats
off to him. He had a good race.” Sturdivant took
home second Overall/Open A and Sommers took home
third.
Bryan Channell took home fourth Overall/Open
A and put in a consistent ride following his
overall win at Pheasant Run. In Parsons,
Channell was battling with Sturdivant until the
last mile when the Can-Am pilot’s chain came
off. This opened the door for Channell. He
explained in the post race interview. “Brent and
I were battling for a while when finally, I came
down the road and saw him. I have been an A
rider for 4 years now. My Dad and I have worked
and worked. I saw Brent sitting there with
his chain and he said your first. We only had
about a ½ mile to go. It was so great to win
coming into the Mt. State forest festival.”
Channell ran consistently all day while battling
a bad first lap and a ticking motor. “I had a
descent start. I screwed up in the first couple
turns and had a little trouble.” Regarding the
motor, “I heard a ticking down in it and didn’t
know if the motor was coming apart or not. So, I
motioned for Dad and told him I thought the
motor was coming unglued. He said run it and I
kept on it as hard as I could, and we finished
the race.”
As in the bike race, The B class saw the race
of the day as WV Honda rider Jonathon Sheets
edged out WV Suzuki rider Ritchie Nolan. The
riders were tire to tire to the finish.
Results:
O/A:
1. Adam McGill (KTM) 2. Brent Sturdivant
(Can-Am) 3. Brandon Sommers (Yam) 4. Bryan
Channell (Hon) 5. Dave Naylor (Hon) 6. Jonathon
Sheets (Hon) 7. Richie Nolan (Suz)
8. David
Whitacre (Hon) 9. Bill Wilson (Hon) 10. Jon
Marmol Jr. (Hon)
OPEN A:
1. Adam McGill (KTM) 2. Brent Sturdivant
(Can-Am) 3. Brandon Sommers (Yam) 4. Bryan
Channell (Hon) 5. Dave Naylor (Hon)
OPEN B:
1. Jonathon Sheets (Hon) 2. Richie Nolan (Suz)
3. Bill Wilson (Hon)
4. Jon Marmol Jr. (Hon)
5. Nick Regalia (Hon)
OPEN C (30
& Up): 1. Peter Dandrea (Hon) 2. Kevin
Helmick (Kaw) 3. Gary Reel (Yam) 4. Marty Taylor
(Pol)
OPEN C
(16-29): 1. Mark Moore (Yam) 2. Aaron
Graber (Yam) 3. Gary Sheets (Hon) 4. Tyler
Armstrong (Hon) 5. Ryan Booth (Hon)
VET:
1. Matt Auville (Yam) 2. Sean Styles (Suz) 3.
Chad Judy (Kaw) 4. Kevin Doljac (Hon) 5. Patrick
Elza (Hon)
SENIOR:
1. Ron Mann (Hon) 2. Mark Oha (Yam)
SCHOOL BOY
14-17: 1. Canan Summerfield (Yam) 2.
Michael Spalding (Hon) 3. J.D. Welch (Yam)
UTILITY:
David Dumire (Kaw)
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