2006 Southern Ohio Cross Country Series [Archive]

humboldt hills

03-25-2006, 04:59 AM

The 2006 Southern Ohio Cross Country Series gets under way on Saturday April 1st at Happy Hollow Dirt Park.
Now in its third full season, the SOCCS has been attracting people from all over the midwest and this season looks even better.
More Sponsors, more races, and more awards are all expected for 2006.
The events are for atv and dirt bike riders of all ages and skill levels who will battle with each other for 8 rounds to see who will end up on top of the podium and be crowned SOCCS Champion.
In 2005 over $10,000 in awards and prize money went to the racers. This year will be no different. The promoters of the series, Ora Elliott,(Happy Hollow) Jayme Konkler(Krash Racing) and Jay Wile(Humboldt Hills) all believe in giving back to the sport we all love, Off Road racing.
Over the past two years attendance has climbed at nearly every event, and this season rider turn-out is expected to reach 200.
The races offer allot for the spectators as well, with hillclimbs, creek crossings, motocross sections and plenty of good old rugged terrain. Unlike motocross racing, the spectators are free to move about any part of the course they at the SOCCS events.
Gates open at 8am.
Racing starts at 10am and goes on until 6pm.
Product giveaways throughout the day.
The finest electronic scoring by Southern Ohio Scoring.
Concessions and camping available.
Check www.soccracing.com or call 740-634-3789 for more info.

So who all is coming?????????

Jay Wile
jwile@earthlink.net
www.Humboldthills.com
www.soccracing.com
www.southernohioscoring.com

humboldt hills

04-04-2006, 05:43 PM

Round 1 of the 2006 Southern Ohio Cross Country Series

Saturday April 1st , the Southern Ohio Cross Country Series kicked off the 2006 Season at Happy Hollow Dirt Park, in Hillsboro, Ohio.

Actually the event started on Friday when the rain and storms hit the Facility and left many riders wondering if the races would even happen, but park owner, Ora Elliott, decided the show must go on, and just like that, the crowd rolled in with record numbers.

147 riders came out to churn up the terrain with their knobby tires and probably 3 times as many spectators cheered as the riders gave them quite a show all day long.

The racing started with the Micro Bike race. This race groups together the 50cc mini bikes, with rider ages ranging from 4-9 years old. The mud sure took its toll on the young group. The spectators said there was one hill, just off the Motocross track that was giving them a hard time. But, the micro riders showed their pride and every rider made it around the course. Cole Geil and Cross Nichols battled it out for the 30 minute race with Nichols eventually taking the win. Brock Hansen won the micro jr class.

After the course was clear, it was time for the mini-atv race. This group consist of 0-90cc machines and ages ranging from 4-15 years old. When the flag dropped it was 2005 Mini Atv Champion Mathew Harris taking the holeshot for the older group of mini atv riders. Although 2 laps into the race, 2005 runner up Nathan Cramblit threatened to overtake Harris on a slick downhill when everything went wrong, as Cramblit ran over a nice size tree stump that stopped him from making the pass and the damage the atv sustained kept him from finishing the race. Harris moved on for the easy win. The Junior atv class witnessed a surprise holeshot from Trenner Wile. After the first turn Wile pinned the throttle and never looked back, Taking the first win of his young career. Duane Beath II finished in the runner up position and William Albert took the top spot in the 50cc atv class.

Now the course changes have been made to open up to a 2.5 mile course for the 65cc and 85cc bikes.

This race has the biggest variances in talent and age group ranging from 4-15 years old. Over 24 riders made up this race. When the 85 senior row was released it was all Levi Rayburn. A relatively unknown rider who has hit a couple races at Humboldt Hills, but no one expected him to runaway with the win.

With allot of riders having to move up to the big bikes, the 80 senior class is wide open this season.

Dylan Fisher won the junior class and 2005 SOCCS champion Joshua Kellough continues his domination in the 65cc class.

Now that the mini classes are concluded, Its time for the big kids to play in the mucky-muck.

The Big Bike Race would include some of the best riders from the woods and from the track, with names like AMA D-11 Pro bike champion Joshua Gaiten, runner up Jeremy Gragg and Nationally ranked Motocross and supercross rider Nathan Skaggs. When the flag dropped it was Skaggs out front, But Gragg and Gaiten refused to let him runaway and rode on the edge for 2 laps around the 3.5 mile course before Nathan informed his pit crew that he was riding on a rear flat tire. Next time around with Gragg closing the gap, Skaggs pit crew hooked him up with a buddies rear tire and chain. Gragg managed to get passed the nascar style pit stop Skaggs was involved with and Jeremy pulled a good lead. Little did he know the tire change only took a couple minutes and Skaggs was charging hard, trying to make up time on the fast D-11 rider, and finally recaptured the lead and took the checkers to become the first official bike points leader for 2006.

The Final race of the day was set for the Big Atvs. Many of whom were concerned not only about the muddy conditions, but the motorcycles just littered the course with some 2 foot deep ruts.

The atvs witnessed an all day battle between Indiana riders Josh Beavers and Todd Demaree. The pace this season has picked up for the afternoon atv race, as riders everywhere were taking chances and letting it all hang out.

After 3 laps of running this brutal speed, last years series champion Glenn Coriell had to pull out with mechanical problems, leaving his season up in the air with such a talented group this year.

After leading for three of the final 4 laps Demaree saw the race slip away when Beavers made an aggressive pass on the final lap to take the win.

All in all, the event went off without a hitch. The muddy conditions created an environment that none of the racers will soon forget. This was no regular day at the track, it was a day when you had to conjure up energy and guts you didn’t know existed. When more memories were created in one lap than an entire summer of perfect track conditions.

The next race in the 8 round series takes us to Humboldt Hills Motorcycle Club in Bainbridge, Ohio on Sunday, May 28th, 2006.

Visit www.soccracing.com for all the info on this series.