2021 Loretta Lynn's: Day 5 (Saturday) Recap

Open Pro Sport Overall Standings (Moto Scores)

1. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Yamaha (3-1-1)
2. Chance Hymas, Pocatello, Idaho, Kawasaki (2-2-2)
3. Preston Kilroy, Afton, Wyo., Suzuki (1-3-10)
4. Cullin Park, Clermont, Fla., Honda (8-5-5)
5. Hunter Yoder, Menfiee, Calif., Honda (6-8-8)

250 B

The first two motos of 250 B has been a display of dominance from Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Nick Romano, whose back-to-back moto wins provided him with an edge over NSA/bLU cRU Yamaha’s Gage Linville and Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Gavin Towers entering the deciding moto.

As the field charged down the start straight and into the first turn it was Romano who emerged with the Stacyc Holeshot with Towers right on his rear fender. A motivated Towers went on immediate attack and was able to get by Romano to seize the early lead while MotoSport Hillsboro Honda’s Preston Boespflug slotted into third ahead of Linville.

Towers’ pace through the first half of the moto was impressive and he managed about a second lead over Romano throughout the first 10 minutes. However, Romano picked up his aggression at the midway point and closed in on his Kawasaki mounted rival. The Yamaha rider made an impressive pass to take over control of the moto and never looked back. Towers kept Romano honest for several laps, but the distance between the lead pair grew significantly in the closing laps.

Romano went on to complete the 1-1-1 sweep, followed by Towers in second and Boespflug in third, while Linville never factored into the moto in fourth.

250 B Moto 3 Results

1. Nick Romano, Bayside, N.Y., Yamaha
2. Gavin Towers, Venetia, Pa., Kawasaki
3. Preston Boespflug, Battle Ground, Wash., Honda
4. Gage Linville, Lake Park, Ga., Yamaha
5. Talon Hawkins, Temecula, Calif., Husqvarna

The undefeated record in 250 B capped off a memorable week for Romano in the class, where he finished five points clear of Towers in the final standings.

250 B Overall Standings (Moto Scores)

1. Nick Romano, Bayside, N.Y., Yamaha (1-1-1)
2. Gavin Towers, Venetia, Pa., Kawasaki (3-3-2)
3. Gage Linville, Lake Park, Ga., Yamaha (2-2-4)
4. Preston Boespflug, Battle Ground, Wash., Honda (5-4-3)
5. Talon Hawkins, Temecula, Calif., Husqvarna (10-5-5)

Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C

Fresh off capturing his first AMA National Championship on Friday, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Evan Ferry entered Saturday’s Schoolboy 1 finale within reach of a second title at Loretta Lynn’s.

As the field stormed through the first turn to begin the final moto it was EBR Performance Yamaha’s Crocket Myers who came away with the Stacyc Holeshot, but he was quickly passed by KTM Orange Brigade’s Mark Fineis, who wasted little time taking control of the moto. After the completion of the opening lap Fineis already held a multiple second lead on the field, while Ferry was trying to fight his way into the top three.

While Fineis continued to lead the way out front, the battle behind him heated up as Ferry broke into the top three and continued to challenge Spykes KTM’s Trevor Colip for second. Ferry made the move and looked to make inroads on his deficit to Fineis, but the KTM rider was too good and time was running out.

Fineis closed out the week in the class with back-to-back moto wins, but his 19th-place finish in the opening moto prevented him from contending for the overall. Ferry finished in second, while EBR Performance Yamaha’s Collin Allen was third.

Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C Moto 3 Results

1. Mark Fineis, Westfield, Ind., KTM
2. Evan Ferry, Largo, Fla., Husqvarna
3. Collin Allen, Clayton, N.C., Yamaha
4. Logan Best, North Port, Fla., Yamaha
5. Crockett Myers, Anderson, Texas, Yamaha

Ferry’s runner-up finish in the final moto was more than enough to secure the Schoolboy 1 title for his second championship of the week. He finished a commanding nine points ahead of Myers in the final standings.

Schoolboy 1 (12-17) B/C Overall Standings (Moto Scores)

1. Evan Ferry, Largo, Fla., Husqvarna (1-2-2)
2. Crockett Myers, Anderson, Texas, Yamaha (4-5-5)
3. Collin Allen, Clayton, N.C., Yamaha (10-3-3)
4. Trevor Colip, Bowling Green, Ind., KTM (5-7-7)
5. Mark Fineis, Westfield, Ind., KTM (19-1-1)

Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C

With one championship under his belt, Monster Energy/Star/Yamaha Racing’s Nick Romano entered the Schoolboy 2 finale within striking distance of a second Saturday triumph. The Yamaha rider carried a five-point lead over KTM Orange Brigade’s Caden Braswell with everything on the line for Moto 3.

The final Schoolboy 2 moto began with EBR Performance Yamaha’s Ben Garib at the head of the pack with the Stacyc Holeshot, followed closely by Braswell. Romano was faced with his toughest challenge of the week as he began the moto well outside the top 20.

The clear track allowed Braswell to open up a lead of nearly five seconds on the opening lap, as Garib battled Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Gavin Towers for second. Behind them, Romano was doing all he could to come through the field. He was on the verge of the top 15 after a couple laps and was soon knocking on the door of the top 10, but as the laps added up and the field became more spread out it became increasingly difficult for Romano to make up positions. Nevertheless, he kept his head down and continued to fight, defying the odds to move up to fifth.

With less than a minute remaining in the moto Romano appeared to have the overall in his grasp but he encountered misfortune and dropped several positions. Braswell was never challenged up front and rode to an impressive Moto 3 win. Towers rode to a strong second, while Garib followed in third. Romano did all he could to recover on the final lap and finished eighth.

Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C Moto 2 Results

1. Caden Braswell, Shalimar, Fla., KTM
2. Gavin Towers, Venetia, Pa., Kawasaki
3. Ben Garib, Chile, Yamaha
4. Brock Bennett, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna
5. Talon Hawkins, Temecula, Calif., Husqvarna

Braswell’s final moto triumph, combined with the late heartbreak for Romano, put the KTM rider atop the overall standings for the Schoolboy 2 title with a score of eight points. Garib finished two points back in the runner-up spot, while Romano dropped from first to third.

Schoolboy 2 (12-17) B/C Overall Standings (Moto Scores)

1. Caden Braswell, Shalimar, Fla., KTM (5-2-1)
2. Ben Garib, Chile, Yamaha (4-3-3)
3. Nick Romano, Bayside, N.Y., Yamaha (1-1-8)
4. Gavin Towers, Venetia, Pa., Kawasaki (7-5-2)
5. Brock Bennett, Bakersfield, Calif., Husqvarna (6-4-4)

Supermini 1 (12-15)

While he may have missed out on a shot at two Supermini championships, KTM Orange Brigade’s Haiden Deegan was determined to end Supermini 1 on a high note. He entered Saturday’s final moto with a shot at the 1-1-1 sweep and sat comfortably atop the overall standings.

The final Supermini 1 moto began with Calaman Plumbing KTM’s Carter Malcom earning the Stacyc Holeshot, but he was quickly passed by Rides Unlimited KTM’s Noah Viney. As Viney looked to take advantage of his strong start, Deegan was right where he wanted to be in the top three. The KTM rider went to work and made the pass on Race Tech KTM’s Dilon Blecha for second. Once into the runner-up spot, Deegan set his sights on Viney. After a couple patient laps, Deegan made his move and took over the lead, only to give it back to Viney a few laps later after an uncharacteristic miscue.

Never one to panic, Deegan regathered himself and went back on the attack. It took a single lap to reclaim the top spot and Deegan charged home to another emphatic victory to secure the three-moto sweep. Viney enjoyed his best moto of the week in second, with KTM rider Adler Caudle in third.

Supermini 1 (12-15) Moto 3 Results

1. Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., KTM
2. Noah Viney, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
3. Adler Caudle, Moore, Okla., KTM
4. Krystian Janik, Oak Lawn, Ill., Kawasaki
5. Dilon Blecha, Fruita, Colo., KTM

Deegan’s path to the Supermini 1 championship was a dominant one, as he finished seven points ahead of Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Krystian Janik.

Supermini 1 (12-15) Overall Standings (Moto Scores)

1. Haiden Deegan, Temecula, Calif., KTM (1-1-1)
2. Krystian Janik, Oak Lawn, Ill., Kawasaki (4-2-4)
3. Dilon Blecha, Fruita, Colo., KTM (8-4-5)
4. Trace Holland, Spicewood, Texas, KTM (9-6-8)
5. Zayden Mason, Hazleton, Ind., KTM (7-12-7)

Senior (45+)

As the stacked field of veteran talent in Senior (45+) lined up on the starting gate for the final time, Rockstar Energy/Munn Racing Husqvarna’s Mike Brown entered in full control of his own destiny with back-to-back moto wins and a manageable lead over both The Wick 338/Pilgrim Powersports Kawasaki’s Keith Johnson and Shift MX Husqvarna’s Jeff Emig.

Brown seized the moment and took matters into his own hands off the start by easily securing the Stacyc Holeshot, followed by Brewer Cycles KTM’s Edward Walston. This did not bode well for neither Emig nor Johnson, as both were forced to come through the field. Emig completed the first lap in 13th, while Johnson encountered misfortune and started his race in 31st place.

Being the experienced veteran that he is, Brown maximized the advantage he had with a clear track to establish a near 10-second lead over the field on the opening lap. It was clear it was Brown’s race and title to lose, and as long as he avoided incident, he’d be too difficult to catch. Emig did all he could to keep matters interesting and successfully clawed his way up to second just past the halfway point of the moto. However, he faced an insurmountable 45-second deficit once he got there.

Brown enjoyed the single-most-dominant performance of the week to complete the 1-1-1 sweep in incredible fashion. Emig finished a distant second, while Rynopower Honda’s Ryan Hughes finished third. Johnson put in a valiant effort to finish eighth.

Senior (45+) Moto 3 Results

1. Mike Brown, Bristol, Tenn., Husqvarna
2. Noah Viney, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
3. Ryan Hughes, Escondido, Calif., Honda
4. Edward Walston, Pinetops, N.C., KTM
5. Billy Fosnock, Collinsville, Ill., Kawasaki

Brown’s impressive sweep of the motos provided him with his seventh Loretta Lynn’s title since retiring from full time professional competition. Emig finished a strong second, five points back, while Johnson rounded out the top three.

Senior (45+) Overall Standings (Moto Scores)

1. Mike Brown, Bristol, Tenn., Husqvarna (1-1-1)
2. Jeff Emig, Riverside, Calif., Husqvarna (3-3-2)
3. Keith Johnson, Carver, Mass., Kawasaki (2-2-8)
4. Kevin Walker, Kingsport, Tenn., Suzuki (6-4-6)
5. Barry Carsten, Bayville, N.J., Suzuki (5-6-7)