McThoughts|RJ’s National|MX2 Class
By Jeff McConkey
Photos by Tyler Spikman (@spikman)
Round 10 for the MX2 class went off with a bang on Sunday. Up front, we had some drama with Cole Thompson and Dylan Wright. These two guys want to win so bad each and every time on the track. The track was very narrow and made it really hard to pass. Once again, the top guys were on another level. I’m not sure why, but this year’s MX2 class seemed a lot weaker than normal once we got out of the top 10. I hope everyone puts in the necessary work to make this class exciting and full of talent for 2017. Here are the results and my thoughts:
MX2 Season Podium: Cole Thompson, Shawn Maffenbeier, Dylan Wright.
1st Cole Thompson (1-1): Cole was once again the cream of the crop. And once again he had some issues with the 17 machine. Cole is an experienced guy and he’s going to race you hard every time out. He’s not a dirty rider, but he’s also not going to give you an inch anywhere. He rode smart and strong all season, and he is the best 250 rider in the country.
#4 Cole Thompson.
2nd Dylan Wright (2-2): Dylan looked really good all day at RJ’s. I thought he had a win in him in that 1st moto. I didn’t see the pass that Thompson made, but the bLU cRU were visibly upset. Dylan still rode great, and was clearly the best rider behind Thompson for the last 6 rounds.
#17 Dylan Wright.
3rd Jess Pettis (3-4): Jess was on it right from the 1st lap of practice. I was really impressed at how aggressive he looked, and how well he rode. He’s been riding alone the last half of the season, so it was nice to see him continue to work hard and make the improvements needed to get on the box.
#20 Jess Pettis.
4th Dakota Alix (5-3): This guy may be the best starter in the series right now. He had 2 really good motos, and I really hope JSR can bring him back for the full series next year.
5th Shawn Maffenbeier (4-5): Shawn had another off weekend. I think he may be a little tired or worn out. He still didn’t look bad, just didn’t look like himself. I’m sure with a little rest he will be back to normal very soon.
#15 Shawn Maffenbeier.
6th Brad Nauditt (6-6): It was nice to see Brad get that first holeshot. He looked great up front until he lost his rear brake early on. Despite the mechanical issue, Brad still had a solid day.
#18 Brad Nauditt.
7th Davey Fraser (7-9): I was hoping to see Davey crack the top 5. He was just a tad off the pace. Can’t complain about a solid top 10 ride after a very long season on the road.
#36 Davey Fraser.
8th Jarett Pesci (10-8): I feel bad, as I don’t know anything about this next guy at all. 10-8 is a solid day and hopefully he comes back next season.
#904 Jarett Pesci.
9th Logan Karnow (11-12): This guy has had more bad luck than anyone. It’s nice to finally see him be able to finish 2 solid motos. He has top 10 speed, but the mechanicals held him back.
#471 Logan Karnow.
10th Taylor Arsenault (8-16): Taylor is a young guy with a ton of talent – good first moto, had some issues in the 2nd. He should be up here in the top 10 next year all season long.
#53 Taylor Arsenault.
Biggest Stud: Cole Thompson is my stud. If you have to ask why, you must live under a rock.
Biggest Dud: I’m bummed that we didn’t get to see Jacob Hayes healthy. I think he would have had something for Thompson. Hey, Jason Hughes, can you please bring him back?!
#100 Jacob Hayes
Biggest Surprise: Jess Pettis surprised me all season long. He was the most improved last season, and once again this season. This guy will be a main stay on the podium in 2017.
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you at Walton.
