Photo Report | 2016 Mini O’s | Friday

By Billy Rainford

Presented by

FXR

Blade

MP County Line

This was another full day of racing at the 45th Annual Thor Winter Olympics. We made it all the way through the heats and the consolation races. Tomorrow will be all finals. Canadians had some pretty impressive performances that had people talking. Let’s get right to it.

It was another busy day, so let’s walk straight into it and pretend we don’t see the camera…

#22 Preston Masciangelo got the day started on the right foot in 85 (9-11). He pulled off a very solid 4th place in heat 3.

To the surprise of no one, #329 Matthew Leblanc won his heat.

Next, #71 Challen Tennant came out and won the 250 Pro Sport.

Deegan came out and smashed the 65 (7-9)…again.

Stephan Watling waiting for the 250 B heat.

Marco Cannella gets ready to impress a bunch of people.

“What’s he doing over there? Well, me too then!” Tanner Ward went out and had a great moto too.

Tanner heads to the first turn on the inside.

Check it out! Marco and Tanner head out 1 and 2! I ran around like an over-proud mini dad.

#128 Carter Halpain must have had a really good final lap because he passed both our guys on it to take the win.

Cannella leads Ward in 250 B. They finished 2-3 but Marco was handed a 2-place penalty for jumping on a yellow. Halpain actually came over to the officials afterward and vouched for Marco but the call stood. Tanner got 2nd and Marco went to 4th.

#424 Austin Watling was next in his 250B heat.

He, too, had a great moto and finished 6th in heat 2.

#327 Brandon Gourlay was in heat 3 and finished 7th. I think this was actually the moto where his rear shock coil broke. Impressive ride, considering.

Our buddy John Wernsdorfer in his happy place.

Gourlay and #317 Cooper Larche blast off the line.

#47 Jo Shimoda is looking good in the B classes and took 2nd in heat 3 behind Garrett Marchbanks.

I’ve got shot from this corner from a whole bunch of years at the Mini O’s.

Cooper was 15th and had to head to the consi.

#402 Brandon Hartranft was 5th in 450 Pro Sport moto 1.

Jordan Bailey was 3rd.

Tennant racked up another win.

#325 Stilez Robertson won the first Supermini 2 heat.

Canadian #53 Bjorn Viney was 9th. Fortunately, the arm he was favouring yesterday was OK.

#12 Kyle Smith took 65 (10-11) moto 1.

Canadian #43 Noah Viney was 16th.

#79 Jett Reynolds chased down #32 Kaeden Amerine in Mini Sr. (12-15) heat 1.

#122 Carson Mumford didn’t hold back in the other heat and took the win.

#494 Thomas Rendall was 17th and headed to the consi.

#852 Riley Clapp was 16th in the second heat of 51 (4-8) Ltd.

I hadn’t been by Tanner Ward’s pit yet, so I wandered over. They pretended they weren’t there…

Water duty.

FXR sponsor plug!

Thomas was solid in 85 (12-13) heat 2 and took 10th to move on.

#428 Nathanael Thrasher won his heat.

#141 Eve Brodeur got some extra track time and raced the College (16-24) in the final heat race of the day.

Unfortunately, she crashed and popped her shoulder and headed back to the pits.

After chatting with the medics, that is. I went down and talked to her and she said she also popped it out earlier in the week, not while riding.

Julio Zambrano was 2nd in his College heat.

Brandon took 10th in his College heat.

“Is that it, Dad?” “No, son. Now we move to the consolation races…”

I missed young Quebec rider #8 Vincent Fortin all week. Je m’excuse. Vincent has two 16th’s and a 24th in the 65 classes.

Grimsby’s #343 Max Filipek has a 12th and a 24th so far in his 450 B classes.

I know this is a terrible shot of Max, but I did it on purpose. I still look at one like this of me from 1985 and I like it for some reason. Ask Max in 27 years if he still likes it…