Round Three of the SPMX Triple Crown Series
Mustang, Nevada; July 28, 2007
From the beginning, the Pro classes were supposed to be the Jimmy Nelson and Nathan Tiearney Show. But when Nelson got hurt and Ryan Eager showed he could run the lead pace, everything went up into the air.
Well, not really. Tiearney (173) was still the fastest man on the track at the end of the night, and he thus earned the 250cc and 450cc Pro wins with only occasional tension. Still, after Nelson’s first-turn crash in the 250cc final, which led him to call it a night, and Eager’s early challenges to Tiearney, it was clear that the evening had taken a slightly unexpected turn.
If there was one word for Tiearney’s performance, it would be professional. As a friend noted while we watched Tiearney inch away with the 450cc main, he rides hard when he needs to and plays it smart the rest of the time. In both main events, Tiearney gated midpack or worse and rode very hard to reach the front within a few laps. And then when he got the lead, he pushed onward to establish a small cushion and then just let the laps count down. As a result of this habit, he went home with more of the $3,000 purse than anyone else, and even topped the 25+ Pro class for good measure.
Behind Tiearney, Eager was impressive. After pulling both main-event holeshots, he actually carved out a small lead in each race before Tiearney ran him down. Better yet, he even managed to briefly repass Tiearney in the 450cc main, and he never let up the pursuit after Tiearney finally settled into the lead. Outside of Tiearney, no one seemed able to match Eager’s pace, and this earned him the second spot in both classes.
It should also be noted that the Pro classes were pretty dense with riders. The 450cc class had a healthy list of 14 entries, and the 250cc class had 11.
Also impressive among this pack were Johnny Vallerio, who earned a solid third in the 450cc main, and Donnie Weber, who carded his own podium finish in the 250cc final.
The relative health of the Pro divisions had a strange countereffect on the Intermediate classes, which were relatively sparse since a few of the area’s top amateurs made the jump to the Pros for the summer. That isn’t to say the Intermediate frontrunners weren’t setting a solid pace, though, as Wayne Appleton looked superb at the front of both the 250cc and 450cc divisions. Dakota May, who was CR125-mounted, also put in an impressive ride in the 250cc class (125cc class?) as he charged to second in the main, all while wafting the sweet smell of premix throughout the Mustang night.
In the mini ranks, Weslee Valerio owned the 85cc Intermediate, Open and Supermini classes, and Gavin Clouser topped the 65cc Junior and Open classes after battling much of the night with Evan Olsen and Hunter Roberts.
Riders in all classes seemed to agree that the Jet Force/NMXD crew created a worthy layout, the surface of which received an infusion of clay for the event. The turnout was also respectable, particularly for a night race on a compact circuit. And in an area where many local tracks have disappeared or are on the brink, it's nice to see a track beginning to thrive.
Here are some more images from the night:
Eager charges a turn.
Appleton digs into the new, softer Mustang dirt, much of which was trucked in for the race.
Even on a borrowed bike, Canadian champ Nelson was blazing fast, but bad luck found him in the first turn.
Mathew Stewart topped the 250cc Junior class.
Valerio drifts through the night.
Gavin Clouser streaks toward a corner.
Coty Loudenburg, along with Brian Bodden and Reece Honea, were the newcomers to the Pro class. Loudenburg earned fifth in the 250cc race.
Despite a persistent wind, Kenny Bell (front) and Greg Garrison flew in formation for the freestyle show.
For race results, check out www.silverpeakmx.com
Everything was falling into place Sunday. My bike was running well. I had just finished a moto in the afternoon heat. And the first night race of the year was just five days away. I was happy. 
