Photograph of McGinnis, one of the MSA founders, courtesy of Laura Fonda Hochnadel.
The second round of Moto Sport Adaptive’s (MSA’s) motocross (MX) racing series was held August 31 at Thunder Valley MX Park in Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb of the mile-high city of Denver. The series was slotted into an existing race day scheduled by Rocky Mountain Motocross Association. The muddy track conditions belied the dry, hot temperatures of the day and the preceding week-the sprinklers had turned on unexpectedly overnight-and upped the challenge already posed by this pro-level national track. Although racing was delayed to allow the track workers to bulldoze off some of the mud, the racers were undeterred.
MSA attracted ten racers from around the country: three in the Lower-Limb amputation/impairment division, four in the Upper-Limb amputation/impairment division, and three in the Para (seated) division. The racers lined up at the starting gate simultaneously, with a staggered start: Lower Limb, Upper Limb, then Para.
Local favorite Hill, rounds a corner. Photograph courtesy of Laura Fonda Hochnadel.
“Monster” Mike Schultz made his comeback after missing the first round due to a foot injury. He took the hole shot in both Lower-Limb division motos and placed first in each for the overall. Standing with him on the podium was James Armstrong, who traveled from Bozeman, Montana. Armstrong finished 2-2 for second place, while Spencer McGinnis from Live Oak, Texas, came in third.
Photograph of all racers who competed at Thunder Valley courtesy of MSA.
Returning Upper-Limb division rider Steve Howe from Menifee, California, took first in both motos for first overall. Drake Smeltz, Westfield, Pennsylvania, finished 2-2 for second place overall; Kiana Clay from Forney, Texas-the first woman to race the series-took 3-4 for third overall; and rounding out the finishers was Ryan Beesley, Flatrock, Michigan, with a DNF (did not finish)-3, for fourth place. Beesley ran into trouble in the first moto after he broke his clutch lever.
In the Para division, Jesse Gildea, Van Wert, Iowa, placed first in the first moto, and there was excitement in the second moto when he high-sided and ended up with third, for an overall second-place finish. Tyler Frye, Valparaiso, Indiana, took first overall with a 2-1, and local favorite Aaron Hill took third on the podium with a 3-2 finish in each moto.
The third and final round of MSA’s 2015 series is slated for October 18 at Oak Hill Raceway, Decatur, Texas.