JSR is back

From Bullseye Media

MONCTON, NB -- Racing action unfolded under sunny skies and perfect track conditions at Riverglade MX Park in Moncton Sunday. It was the first time since the CMRC Canadian Motocross Championships kicked off in Mission, BC, this past June that there wasn’t some issue with the weather or the track.

After dealing with knee problems last weekend in Joliette, QC – which saw him without his first MX1 podium finish of the season – Jean Sebastien Roy returned full force at Riverglade to card his fifth clean sweep of 2005. JSR’s Honda Canada Blackfoot Fox Racing teammate Damon Huffman claimed third spot on the podium, while Richmond Racing Kawasaki’s Evan Laughridge snared second overall for the day. Laughridge chalked up 2-3 results to claim a well deserved runner-up; Huffman hammered down 5-2 motos to secure third.

Huffman, riding with a bruised tailbone that made his life far from easy in the saddle of his Honda CRF, blasted out of the gate to snare the holeshot of both motos. Although he fell off the pace somewhat in the first moto, in the second Huffy did what he had to do to climb the podium and score points that solidify his hold on second place in the title hunt.

JSR, meanwhile, put on the same clinic we’ve grown accustomed to: no fuss, no muss, and no-nonsense wins. Once in the lead – which was within the first half of the first moto and within one lap of moto 2 – Roy tolerated no challenges. Although he crossed the finish line with less of a margin than his previous victories, he nonetheless enjoyed a cushion over second place somewhere in the 10-second range when the checkered was waved.

The big revelations of the weekend were Laughridge and his teammate Colton Facciotti. Laughridge, who like Facciotti has had his fair share of DNFs, proved once again that on a good day he’s podium material. Facciotti, with 4-4 moto results, which gave him fourth overall for the day, put on a demonstration that leaves no doubt he belongs to a new generation of Canadian motocross greats.

In the MX2 East points chase, Michael Willard piloted his KTM Canada ride to the overall with 1-2 motos. Blackfoot’s Mitch Cooke pulled a repeat from last weekend by claiming second overall. Richmond Racing’s Kyle Chisholm continues to cling onto top dog in the rankings after carding 2-3 motos that saw him grab third overall.

Cooke now trails Chisholm by a mere seven points going into the final round of the title hunt in two weeks.

“I finally got a good start and that’s all I needed. It all worked out perfectly for me. The crowds cheered me on in the first moto to make my way into fourth and onto a win in the second moto,” said Cooke. “But I couldn’t have done this without the team’s support. I can’t say enough about the guys in the paddock.”

Unofficial top-5 results: Round 7, Moncton, NB

MX1
1. Jean Sebastien Roy (Hon) 1-1; 2. Evan Laughridge (Kaw) 2-3; 3. Damon Huffman (Hon) 5-2; 4. Colton Facciotti (Kaw) 4-4; 5. Keith Johnson (Suz) 3-6
MX2
1. Michael Willard (KTM) 1-2; 2. Mitch Cooke (Hon) 4-1; 3. Kyle Chisholm (Kaw) 2-3; 4. Pierce Chamberlain (KTM) 7-5; 5. Aaron Dieter (Yam) 10-4