 | Digger Doug Gust puts on one heck of a show for the excited crowd |
Gainesville, Florida -- After a roller coaster of a weekend ended with an exciting final Pro moto, Suzuki Yoshimura’s Doug Gust of Salem, Wis., came out on top piloting his new Suzuki LT-R 450 Quad Racer to the overall win at round three of the ATVA ITP Moose National Motocross Series. Florida greeted its visitors with beautiful blue skies but offered a new challenge by breaking out the heat and humidity; something many riders were not prepared for with most coming from colder climates or the wind and chill from the first two rounds.
 | The only three Suzuki LT-R 450 Quad Racer’s in the Pro class main: Gust, Jones and Dunkelberger |
It has been well over a year since the last time Doug Gust stood on the top spot, falling short many times since his 2004 championship dominating year. This win for Suzuki would not come without a challenge from both the riders and the track due to the blue grooved dirt and high speeds of Gatorback Cycle Park which offered unique, rough conditions.
“I thought I had the hole shot in the first moto but I went a little wide and a couple guys got underneath me and I worked my way up to second.” Gust said. “In the second moto, I came out about fifth or sixth and just put some good laps in and made some right choices on lines and it paid off for me.”
 | Doug Gust goes way wide at the start of the first Pro moto |
Gust worked hard in the first moto to reach second, while in moto two, he would be a part of the pack up front between the Honda’s and the Suzuki’s to determine final resting places to the checkers. His eventual pass over both John Natalie and Joe Byrd while fending off his teammate, Jeremiah Jones, would seal the deal on his first win of the 2006 season and aboard the new Quad Racer.
 | Byrd gets another hole shot in the second moto… |
Winner of the first two rounds, Honda’s Joe Byrd of Union City, Tenn., had every intention of following up his wins by taking another but a mechanical would end that thought early sending him back to 15 th in the first moto. Honda’s John Natalie of Houtzdale, Penn., - as in the first two rounds - had many flashes of brilliance by taking the first moto win after Byrd’s machine fell ill, but he himself succumbed physically in the second moto after another great battle with Byrd early in the moto. This made for Natalie’s third, second place overall.
 | Natalie (2 nd), Gust (1 st) and Haavisto (3 rd) |
“I hit the wall.” Natalie said of the second moto. “Obviously I haven’t been training as hard as I should be; I need to get out there and do a little bit more training and get my cardio back up.”
 | Joe Haavisto is on fire this year |
A surprise visit to the podium in the third spot was privateer and part-time house builder, Joe Haavisto of New Ipswich, New Hampshire. Proving conditioning was all he needed to demonstrate his talent at the Pro level, Haavisto said, “This year I got down to Florida about two months before California [round one] so that’s the biggest deal. I got to ride and then having strong starts; that’s about it.”
 | Privateer Matt White earned his highest finish ever in the Pro class with 4 th overall. Awesome job, Matt. |
The surprises continue down the ranks and beyond with a majority of privateers forcing light on themselves over the rest of the factory supported field of racers. Matt White of Warren, Penn., continues to push forward by placing his best finish in the Pro class with fourth overall earning a six and eight for his motos. Joe Byrd’s mechanical problem in the first moto was all that held him back as the second moto he would hold off Doug Gust for much of it until he lost the lead but still taking second for a fifth overall.
 | Jason Dunkelberger changes ATVs but it’s almost hard to tell with the identical Lost Creek Cycle’s color scheme to his former Yamaha YFZ450R |
Making the switch to the new Suzuki LT-R450 Quad Racer, Lost Creek Cycle’s Jason Dunkelberger of Trevorton, Penn., demonstrated the two are a good match by riding it to sixth overall in his first race on it.
“It just goes to show you how great the [ATV] really is. I rode a stock [ATV] for the six days leading up to this race. It’s just easy to feel comfortable on.” Dunkelberger said.
 | Lonestar Racing Honda DG rider, Keith Little raced the entire second moto on a flat |
Lonestar Racing Honda DG rider Keith Little of Russellville, Ala., began his first moto like earlier rounds, but due to a flat tire lost ground quickly on the rest of the field. In the second moto, he took fifth for a seventh overall. Dustin Wimmer with East Coast ATV earned eighth overall, followed by Yamaha’s Travis Spader of Pt. Pleasant, New Jersey who earned his first top ten finish overall in 2006. Although his first moto was great with fifth he was a victim of the heat only able to reach 15 th in the second for ninth overall. Tim Farr of Massillon, Ohio - still fighting back pain - had the pace to run up front with two great starts but faded in both motos although able to earn his first top ten of the year.
 | Tavis Cain went 11-11 for 11 th overall |
Tavis Cain of Mckinleyville, Calif., consistently took not only 11 for both moto but the overall as well. Jason Luburgh had a fantastic first moto taking fourth but got together with Dustin Wimmer in the second unfortunately putting him a lap down only able to salvage 12 th overall.
Steady bad luck has been keeping Suzuki’s Jeremiah Jones out of his regular front of the pack positioning. A simple sharp rock severed his ignition early in moto one forcing a did not finish (DNF). For the second moto he earned third, fighting the entire time with Doug Gust, unable to make it around him, reaching 13 th for overall.
 | Josh Creamer qualified in his first 2006 Pro class leading a pack of riders, mid moto |
Josh Creamer of North Stonington, Conn., not only qualified for his first Pro race of the year, but earned 14 th overall, followed by Harold Goodman and Chad Wienen. Yamaha riders Patrick Brown and Kory Ellis had rough days as well down in 17 th and 18 th overall. Although Jeremy Lawson cleared the top ten in moto one, a motor malfunction eliminated him from even starting the second moto. Rounding out the 20 th position was Donald Lysinger who earned 14 th in the first moto, but crashed hard in the second forcing the first red flag in the Pro class; quite possibly the first time ever. Tthe impact he suffered was so hard that Lysinger was eventually rushed to the hospital for his inability to move. The swelling went down and feeling returned as results to his tests were coming back negative for any sort of paralysis. Lysinger was released within a day and made his way to the pits of Waldo MX where many of the riders are practicing between rounds three (Gatorback) and four (Echeconnee).
With the drama of round three in the books, the next round is just days away as the series heads just a few hundred miles north to Macon, Georgia at the famous sand track of Echeconnee Off-Road Park hosted by promoter Donnie Banks. It is apparent that the series is just starting and things are getting good just by looking at the results. Sit back and wait to see who surprises you next.
RESULTS - TOP TEN ROUND 3 - GATORBACK NATIONAL
- Doug Gust, Salem, WI (SUZ) 2-1
- John Natalie, Houtzdale, PA (HON) 1-4
- Joe Haavisto, New Ipswich, NH (HON) 3-7
- Matt White, Warren, PA (YAM) 6-8
- Joe Byrd, Union City, TN (HON) 15-2
- Jason Dunkelberger, Trevorton, PA (SUZ) 7-10
- Keith Little, Russellville, AL (HON) 13-5
- Dustin Wimmer, Center Valley, PA (HON) 10-9
- Travis Spader, Pt. Pleasant, NJ (YAM) 5-15
- Tim Farr, Massillon, OH (HON) 16-6
POINTS - TOP TEN AFTER ROUND 3 OF 14
- Joe Byrd, Union City, TN (HON) - 76
- John Natalie, Houtzdale, PA (HON) - 75
- Doug Gust, Salem, WI (SUZ) - 67
- Joe Haavisto, New Ipswich, NH (HON) - 50
- Keith Little, Russellville, AL (HON) - 50
- Jason Dunkelberger, Trevorton, PA (YAM) - 39
- Tavis Cain, McKinleyville, CA (HON) - 39
- Jason Luburgh, Zanesville, OH (YAM) - 38
- Matt White, Warren, PA (YAM) - 36
- Kory Ellis, Murrieta, CA (YAM) - 33
For official results, go to www.atvaonline.com
| | | | Cole and his dad | only to loose it to the red flag | Yamaha’s Patrick Brown heads into his sophomore season with some serious bad luck | Always with a smile on his face, Lysinger had a very rough weekend | | | | | Cobra’s are a big hit with the kids | Fifty inches, guys!” | The Honda riders, Joe Byrd and John Natalie, were swapping positions often in both motos | Tim Farr still has the skill to run up front, but his back is not on board as he struggles towards the end of each moto | | | | | Donald Lysinger - Moto one | Replicating his first moto from last year, Yamaha’s Travis Spader earned 5 th in the first moto, but heat fatigue got him in the second | Women’s Sport rider, Leslie Ragon got tagged in practice | Natalie fans can’t get close enough |  |  |  |  | These two got to close, sending Luburgh down a lap | Harold Goodman | The second moto barn burner had the crowd on their feet | The vets congratulate Haavisto for his first podium in a long time |
IN MEMORY OF ZACK GRIFFIN, #23
In the matter of a moment, it all changed and one of our own was taken from us. Zack Griffin of Palmetto, Georgia, at the young age of 16, was doing what he loved when he died as a result of a tragic accident during his race on Saturday, March 11. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and fellow racers. God speed, Zack.
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