Main image by Blake Keith/vurbmoto
Last week, the James Stewart Freestone Spring Championship took place at Freestone Raceway National Track in Wortham, Texas. This is one of the biggest amateur races of the year and often the first look at all the top talent and teams in action against each other. How do you sort through it all? The vurbmoto crew was on hand and provided some insight into the action.
Hymas, Ryder D Star in Pro Sport
Open Pro Sport
1 Ryder DiFrancesco 1-1-4
2 Benjamin Garib 4-2-2
3 Gage Linville 5-3-1
With Chance Hymas crashing in both the second and third motos (he did not finish moto three) this class was all set up for Ryder DiFrancesco to sweep. He won the opening two motos and with Hymas out, the third looked to be his as well.
Well, Ryder D made it hard on himself. He went down early in the final moto and was basically dead last! Gage Linville would take the win, but Benjamin Garib was in line for the championship with Ryder D way, way back. But Ryder dug super deep and came all the way back from last to fourth (!!!) to claim the championship.
250 A Pro Sport
1 Chance Hymas 1-1-3
2 Matt LeBlanc 7-4-1
3 Chandler Baker 3-6-5
Hymas and Ryder D would battle hard in this class as well, but this time, it was Ryder D making the mistake, as he crashed hard in the second moto and finished 11th, ending his championship hopes.
Hymas won the opening two motos and finished third to take the championship. After a rough couple years due to injury, it was good to see Matt LeBlanc (Monster Energy/Star Racing Yamaha) take a win in the third moto.
WATCH:
Janik, Boespflug Capture B Titles
250 B Limited
1 Krystian Janik 1-1
2 Avery Long 1-2
3 Lux Turner 2-4
Krystian Janik moved up from the Supermini class after Mini O's in 2021 and he was strong in his B Class debut at Freestone (he also won a championship in B at RCSX in Daytona). He swept the motos over Avery Long.
250 B
1 Preston Boespflug 2-1
2 Haiden Deegan 1-2
3 Mark Fineis 3-3
This class was absolutely stacked with names like Haiden Deegan, Mark Fineis, Preston Boespflug, Evan Ferry, and Daxton Bennick to name a few. In the first moto, Deegan got pushed all the way back to fifth on the opening lap while Boesplug, Fineis, and Bennick battled for the lead. But Deegan rebounded strong and came back to take the moto win.
Fineis had problems late in the moto while leading (it appeared it was a bike problem). In the second moto, Boesplug grabbed the lead while Deegan rounded the first lap in seventh. Boesplug would lead start to finish to claim the title, while Deegan worked all the way back to second.
Watch:
Long Takes 450 Limited, while Fineis Locks Down 450 B
450 B Limited
1 Avery Long 1-1
2 Brock Walker 2-3
3 Krystian Janik 3-4
After losing out to Janik in 250 B Limited, Avery Long got his revenge in 450 B, sweeping both motos to take the title.
450 B
1 Mark Fineis 2-1
2 Haiden Deegan 1-4
3 Parker Ross 4-6
Starts again hindered Deegan in 450 B. He grabbed the start in the first moto and took the win. Fineis was running similar lap times at points as Deegan, but Deegan was too strong in moto one. It was the opposite in the second moto, as Fineis took the early lead over Boespflug and ran away with the moto. Deegan was buried off the start and could only work back to fourth. Fineis took the title with 2-1 finishes.
Cochran and Boespflug Go to School
Schoolboy 1 (12-17)
1 Casey Cochran 1-1
2 Noah Stevens 1-4
3 Diesel Thomas 5-2
*Note: Division racing for first moto
Casey Cochran and Noah Stevens did in fact both win the first motos. How? Well, the Schoolboy 1 class was split into divisions, so they each raced a moto (not against each other) before the combined final moto. Cochran dominated his first moto (division racing) and did the same in the combined. He grabbed the holeshot in the second moto and lead every lap to take a nine-second win over Diesel Thomas and capture the championship. It was a STRONG week for Cochran, as you'll see more on below.
Schoolboy 2 (12-17)
1 Preston Boespflug 1-2
2 Daxton Bennick 3-1
3 Haiden Deegan 4-3
The first Schoolboy moto was an intense battle between Boespflug and Deegan. Boesfplug opened an early gap over Deegan, but on lap five Deegan closed back in to within a second. As the top two separated from the pack, Deegan made a hard push to pass Boesfplug on the final lap, but the Team Green rider held on for the moto one win. Deegan was docked two spots after the race and credited with fourth. In the second moto it was KTM's Daxton Bennick winning by seven seconds, but Boespflug ran second for the majority of the race to take the championship.
Watch:
Gordon, Adams Split Supermini Titles
Supermini 1 (12-15)
1 Landen Gordon 1-2
2 Leum Oehlhof 3-1
3 Seth Dennis 2-5
*Note: Division racing for first moto
Supermini 1 was also split into divisions for the first motos. Landen Gordon took the win in his and with a second place finish to Leum Oehlhof in the combined, he captured the title.
Supermini 2 (13-16)
1 Drew Adams 2-1
2 Landen Gordon 1-2
3 Leum Oehlhof 4-3
The first Supermini 2 moto was a barn burner between Gordon and Drew Adams. Gordon lead every single lap, but had pressure from Adams the entire time and won by just 0.832! In the second moto, though, it was all Adams as he led start to finish to grab a five second win over Gordon and the title.
Watch:
Cochran Dominates 125
125cc (12-17)
1 Casey Cochran 1-1
2 Reven Gordon 5-2
3 Agustin Barreneche 2-5
*Note: Division racing for first moto
125cc All Star (12-17)
1 Casey Cochran 1-1
2 Diesel Thomas 5-3
3 Noah Stevens 9-2
Remember what we said about Casey Cochran having a great week in Texas? Yeah, see above. Cochran swet all of his 125cc motos and further, he lead EVERY SINGLE LAP! It was an insane week for the Husky rider.
Podium results from other classes:
85cc (9-10) Limited
1 Brayden Comerford 3-1
2 Colt Martin 2-4
3 Gauge Brown 1-6
85cc (9-11) Limited
1 Ryder Ellis 2-2
2 Wyatt Thurman 6-1
3 Christopher Harris 3-4
85cc (9-12)
1 Seth Dennis 1-1
2 Cole Blecha 2-3
3 Vincent Wey 5-2
85cc (9-13)
1 Ryder Ellis 1-2
2 Seth Dennis 4-1
3 Landon Gordon 1-4
*Note: Division racing for first moto
65cc (7-8) Limited
1 Jaydin Smart 2-1
2 Kade Nightingale 1-2
3 Alan Scott 3-3
65cc (7-9) Limited
1 Swayer Gieck 1-1
2 Alex Campigli 2-2
3 Eidan Steinbrecher 4-3
65cc (7-9)
1 Alex Campigli 2-1
2 Sawyer Gieck 1-2
3 Jaydin Smart 4-3
65cc (10-11) Limited
1 Brody Moss 1-2
2 Elliott Bowsher 3-1
3 Easton Graves 6-5
65cc (10-11)
1 Tayce Morgan 2-1
2 Elliott Bowsher 1-5
3 Mavrik Gish 4-3
65cc (7-11)
1 Tayce Morgan 1-1
2 Alex Campigli 4-2
3 Elliott Bowsher 2-4
College (18-24) Sportsman
1 Austin Kapoukranidis 2-1
2 Matthew Curler 1-2
3 Cole Bradford 4-3
Junior (25+)
1 Cole Shondeck 2-1
2 Lowell Spangler 1-2
3 Landon Dick 3-3
Vet (35+)
1 Andrew Short 1-1
2 Keith Johnson 3-2
3 Robby McQuary 2-3
Senior (45+)
1 Keith Johnson 1-1
2 Travis Hodges 2-2
3 Bill Loy 4-3
Masters (50+)
1 Travis Hodges 2-1
2 Kevin Lizarraga 3-2
3 Keith Johnson 1-DNS
Girls 65-85cc (7-13)
1 Mayla Herrick 1-1
2 Madison Kazimir 2-2
3 Hannah Jamison 3-3
Girls Sr (11-16)
1 Kyleigh Stallings 1-1
2 Madison Kazimir 3-2
3 Lachlan Turner 2-4
Women (12+)
1 Kyleigh Stallings 2-1
2 Mikayla Nielsen 4-2
3 Viviana Contreras 3-3
250 C Jr (12-16) Limited
1 Gavin Batson 1-1
2 Walker McGreal 3-2
3 Justin Burge 2-4
250 C (12+) Limited
1 Gavin Batson 1-2
2 Brandon Sanchez 4-1
3 Jack Carrigg 2-3
250 C (12+)
1 Gavin Batson 5-1
2 Traesin Robinson 4-2
3 Jack Carrigg 2-4
450 C (12+)
1 Jack Carrigg 1-1
2 Traesin Robinson 3-2
3 Brandon Sanchez 2-4
51cc (4-6) Special Limited
1 Tate Brush 1-2
2 Michael Hall 2-4
3 Cruz Peterson 5-3
51cc (4-6) Shaft Drive
1 Michael Hall 3-1
2 Kameron Buckman 2-2
3 Landon Conn 1-3
51cc (4-6) Limited
1 Yumena Berning 2-1
2 Landon Conn 3-2
3 Shannon Tarnow 1-6
51cc (6-7) Limited
1 Gavyn Welzien 1-2
2 Beckham Smith 3-1
3 Kannon Zabojnik 2-3
51cc (7-8) Limited
1 Jaydin Smart 1-1
2 Anderson Waldele 3-4
3 Gavyn Welzien 6-3
51cc (4-8) Limited
1 Jaydin Smart 1-1
2 Gavin McCoy 2-2
3 Gavyn Welzien 3-3
Mini-E Open (4-8) Limited
1 Jacob Mariner 1-3
2 Talon Hinson 3-2
3 Lynx Lacey 2-4