Stead: October 25, 2009
Onlookers at Stead didn't need their vision to find Brian Sjogren (661) on the track: the piercing shriek of his CRF250 was both distinct and constant, and it told them as much about Sjogren's speed and aggression as their eyes ever could.
When Sjogren and his main rival on the day, Aaron Siminoe, set sail in front of the pack in the 250cc Intermediate class, the stretching of their throttle cables would have been audible if not for the din coming from their exhausts. And though Sjogren eventually took the overall with a 1-1 to Siminoe's 2-2, the display left no doubts to the talent and determination of these two teenagers.
Siminoe also scored a victory of his own, taking a commanding win in the Collegeboy race ahead of Willie Welch, who himself went on to top the 450cc Intermediate class. In that same Collegeboy race, Sjogren notched another win in the Schoolboy division, which started from the second gate (though that didn't stop Sjogren from chasing down most of his older counterparts--just for fun, of course.)
In Pro action, Donny Roberts scored the 25+ victory with a 1-1 tally, leading every lap along the way. Eric Gillen brought home second with a 3-2 score, and Jeremiah Gottas earned third with a 4-3.
Recent rains and picturesque weather helped to earn the NMXD-prepared course praise among the riders, and the relatively healthy turnouts for both Sunday's race and Saturday's practice proved that Stead remains a local favorite despite its limited schedule over the last few months.
And though it may be premature to suggest that this enthusiasm at Stead means that northern Nevada motocross is again on the upswing, it certainly wasn't a bad sign.
For more race photos by the author, check out this post on the message board.
For full race results, keep an eye on GFI Nevada's results page.
