2023 Mini Major North East | Race Report & Images

COMPLETE RESULTS

The Mini Major North East was a massive success and saw 654 entries across 45 classes during our first-ever visit to Lincoln Trail Motosports. Taking the largest “minis only” race series to new parts of the country has been an exciting experience, as it gives us a chance to see the differences and the uptick in amateur motocross across each region. 

The Mini Major North East wouldn’t have been possible without the support of sponsors Seven MX, Gel Blaster, Red Line Oil, ProTaper, KTM, Husqvarna, GASGAS, and STACYC, the non-stop efforts of the Lincoln Trail Motosports staff, the families that traveled from all parts of the country to the Illinois track.

The weekend began on Friday with three rounds of practice, which was organized into eight groups based on bike size/rider ability, and offered everyone ample time to ride the cut-in lanes and perfectly prepped soil of the famed Bomber Track (the layout was designed by and named after former pro Marc Barnett).

Practice was followed by the first gate drops of the weekend, the non-competitive but always thrilling Father-Son team races. The four-lap relay gave parents a chance to check out the track and the performance of the bikes for themselves, while the kids got to see if the pre-race tips and technique reminders they hear so often could be properly put to use. 

Ryder Kelley and his father claimed the win in the 65cc Class while Tiago Gross and his dad were first to the checkered flag in the 85cc Class.

Saturday morning started with another quick run-through of the practice order and was immediately went into the first sets of motos in the 26-race schedule, as the extremely competitive SuperMini 3/Open 85 was followed by race after race of 50s, 65s, and PWs/XRs. 

Sunday saw another smooth run through the full schedule, but this time the day began with Race Eleven. Why the shuffle? We wanted riders to experience different in track conditions between their first and second motos.

The weekend’s biggest classes were 50 4-6 Beginner (29 riders), 65 4-11 Open (31 riders), SuperMini 3/Open 85 (27 riders), 85 8-12 Open (24 riders), 65 9-11 (24 riders), 65 4-11 Novice Open (28 riders), and 85 12-13 (21 riders).

Gunnar Heikkila scored the overall in all three SuperMini divisions, Gayvn Welzien took home trophies for his three victories aboard a 65, and Carter Holmes, Tate Brush, Michael Hall, and Mason Dixon shared wins and championships across the PeeWee categories.

Race Seventeen gave us an idea at what the future of motocross may look and sound like, as 32 riders charged around the track during the E-Challenge presented by KTM-Husqvarna-GASGAS. The buzz generated by the all-electric field was much different than the two-stroke ring of every other race and showed that the next generation are quickly getting familiar with the nuances of electric motors in addition to the usual internal combustion engines. 

You would think that multiple motos in a day would tiring, but these are kids we’re talking about, and their energy levels were up even as the sun went down. Dozens of youngsters made it to the pit bike track for Saturday’s STACYC Gromcross, where riders aged two to ten were split into different categories and cut loose on the battery-powered balance assist bikes for a series of short races. 

The Mini Major is a weekend like no other, thanks to elements like a no-pressure environment, reasonably priced entry fees that encourage racers to sign up for multiple classes, and more laps on expertly maintained tracks. We look forward to continuing the year with the Mini Major East at Alabama’s Monster Mountain MX on September 8-10 and the Mini Major Championship at Freestone MX in Texas on November 10-12. Racers that came to the Mini Major West and Mini Major North East will have priority gate pick in the first motos at the finale. 

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