Roy still invincible

From Bullseye Media

COURTLAND, ON -- Under intermittent rainy, cloudy and sunny skies Jean Sebastien Roy proved to be invincible at round 5 of the CMRC Canadian Motocross Championships at Gopher Dunes Sunday. The defending MX1 champion started the eastern leg of the Pro tour where he left off three weeks earlier in Regina, with a clean sweep of the motos.

Although the holeshot of moto1 went to JSR's Team Honda Canada Blackfoot Fox Racing teammate Damon Huffman, and to Team Suzuki OTSFF Motorsports' Keith Johnson in moto 2, the Acton Vale, QC native took control of both motos within two laps of the start and never looked back. He twice finished with well over 25 seconds in reserve.

In moto 1, Yamaha Motor Canada's Simon Homans followed Johnson, who kept control of second place unchallenged, to the checkered in third place. Huffman and Blackfoot's third MX1 rider, Dusty Klatt, rounded off the top five carding fourth and fifth respectively.

Johnson's Team Suzuki OTSFF teammates Gavin Gracyk and Mike Treadwell were involved in a second turn crash that saw Treadwell regroup to finish eighth and Gracyk 10th, after both remounted dead last.

Moto 2 saw Huffman, Gracyk, Morgan Racing Yamaha's Blair Morgan and Klatt get by holeshooter Johnson to finish in that order behind Roy. Johnson encountered a problem with one of his footpegs around the midway mark, causing him to start dropping back.

Team Honda Blackfoot carded another stellar finish with Roy on the podium in first overall and Huffman in second, thanks to Huffy's 4-2 moto results. Johnson's 2-6 motos, meanwhile, put him on the podium in third overall.

"This was without a doubt the toughest race of the season so far," said Roy. "The track was a real challenge and the changeable weather conditions didn't help much."

In the opening round of the MX2 East Championship, surprises abounded in the form of American Honda-backed privateer Chad Charbonneau and Richmond Racing Kawasaki Canada' last minute import Kyle Chisholm. The two Yanks, making their debut on Canadian soil, stole the show in moto 1, with Chisholm taking the win and Charbonneau following him across the finish line in second.

An on-fire Homans took his Factory Yamaha to a third place finish in the first moto while his teammate Doug DeHaan carded fourth. Machine Racing Yamaha's Chuck Mesley cemented the top-five.

Holeshooter and leader of the pack for some five laps, Pierce Chamberlain, built up a nice lead only to throw it away after going down in the heavy, rain-drenched sand of Gopher Dunes.

The second MX2 moto saw veteran DeHaan pull the holeshot but his lead was limited to three laps: that's when KTM Canada's Michael Willard took over. Once in control, Willard wasn't even remotely challenged for the lead, taking it all the way to the flag. DeHaan next fell victim to Charbonneau, who finished second behind Willard. Charbonneau's 2-2 motos sufficed to give him the overall for the day, after first moto winner Chisholm retired to the paddock shortly into the race with motor failure.

DeHaan podiumed in second overall on the strength of his 3-3 motos while Willard snared a third place podium, thanks to 10-1 motos. Homans, who carded a tepid 10th place finish in moto 2, went home with fourth overall. Machine Racing Honda's Kyle Keast impressed with fifth overall on the strength of 7-5 motos.