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Offroad Motorcycle and Atv Nationals
Nationals 2006 Series
Round #10 - Morrison, IL
"The Race
"
October 29th & 30th, 2006


Zimmerman Tops Ten Racing Podium at “The Race”

OMA Round 10 - Links
ATV Overall Results

OMA Round 10:

Rob Zimmerman's Honda TRX450R featuring the new Sonic Off-Road IRS
Rob Zimmerman ( Honda / Moose Racing / Maxxis ) finished the 2006 OMA Nationals season with a solid win aboard his trusty 2005 Honda 450R. The series champion chose “The Race” to debut his new Sonic Offroad independent rear suspension. He also showed up on the starting line with a helmet mounted camera and said he was excited to be able to try some new things without a lot of pressure since he now had the series championship wrapped up.

The start was a very long run across a field and around two grain wagons before dropping in to a motocross track section that lead to peat whoops, some tight woods and a couple creek crossings. Zimmerman chose a gear ratio that was far too high so he was unable to reach top speed and keep up with the pack across the field. However, he said “once we got over in the whoops, that’s when I just started eatin people alive, just passin left and right, here and there. In those whoops the small stuff disappeared and I was able to hold it wide open.” After he passed most of the pack Zimmerman finally got around Todd Krupinski, who had his Hillbilly Racing Honda buried and would later suffer a dnf due to a stripped sprocket flange.

 
Adam Reed
Rob Zimmerman

Adam Reed was leading the race aboard a borrowed Yamaha and was Zimmerman’s next target. Reed “got stuck in that first small but really, really deep creek crossing. He got buried there and I got by him”, recalled Zimmerman. Unfortunately Zimmerman blew a corner and realized he was lost in the briars when he heard Reed go by to reclaim the lead. Somewhere in the charge to overtake Reed again the camera was knocked off his helmet so Zimmerman was now also dealing with a loose cable and components banging around outside his helmet. When the leaders arrived at a swamp section Zimmerman stopped and photographer Mark Kariya removed the dangling video components. Later in the lap Reed nearly went down in a water section and Zimmerman said he chose to not push his way through and “be the (jerk) that shoves him way off in to the water and screws up his day.” Zimmerman stopped in the pits for “goggles and everything because (he) was soaked and the goggles were trashed.” Reed stalled shortly after the pit stop and allowed Zimmerman to pass again for the lead. Reed suffered a crash later in the lap on the motocross section and his race was over. Zimmerman “just kept hammerin down” and ultimately finished with a three minute and twenty second gap on the field.

Kevin Tinsely crossing Water
Second place went to Kevin Tinsley ( Honda / Moose Racing / ITP ) after a long day with a few problems. A poor start left Tinsley behind the pack. “I had to pass a lot of people and do a lot of work”, said Tinsley. A stall in a creek crossing slowed his progress, but he was able to restart and continue. Later in the race his chain became derailed by a stick. Some assistance from fellow racers got Tinsley and the chain back on track again. A pit stop for fresh gloves helped him stay up to speed in conditions that left hands wet, slick, and cold. “It was a grueling course, a tough one,” stated Tinsley. “Gusse knows how to build a race track, that’s for sure.”

Kenneth Staake
The final podium spot was taken by Kenneth Staake ( Yamaha / Troy Lee / Maxxis ) who said he finally got the suspension dialed in on his Tuf Powersports sponsored ride and it made a big difference. Staake had a problem with one of the logs on all three laps and Kevin Tinsley capitalized on that trouble in the last lap to pass for second place. Staake said after Tinsley got by “I turned it on as hard as I could. I ended up missing the little wall down in the creek crossing and that put me in the water. Anything below my helmet is soaking wet.” Fortunately for Staake his dunking was late in the race so he only spent a short time in wet gear. Staake finished about two and one half minutes ahead of Matt Lindle (Honda / Fox / Maxxis / Holeshot) , who said he “ran out of gas about a quarter of the way through the last lap and had to put it on reserve and dog it back.”

 
Rob Zimmerman
Kenneth Staake

“The Race” is a tradition that began in 1976 and it continues to be the favorite event of many who follow and participate in the OMA Nationals series. The last event of the season is held on the Gusse family’s home turf, and it is always an example of some of the best that the OMA Nationals has to offer. Nobody said off road racing was supposed to be easy. Spectators and racers seem to enjoy the special brand of challenge that this series provides. Technical trails and a good mix of terrain are what set the OMA Nationals apart from the crowd. This is off road racing.

OMA Nationals Round #10 - Results

"The Race"
Top Pro ATV Results
1.
Rob Zimmerman
Honda
2.
Kevin Tinsley
Honda
3.
Kenneth Staake
Yamaha
4.
Matt Lindle
Honda
5.
Jake Voss
Honda
6.
Adam Reed
Yamaha
7.
Todd Krupinski

Honda

8. Nick Hollars Suzuki

Article and photos by John Gasso

For More Photos from
the Event visit:
www.photosbyjohn.com

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