Youth
Heartland Challenge

This one is coming from the top of my head, the excitement was way too much for me to record and Andy wanted me to wear his head set which I am sure he regrets doing now since I don’t shut up.
Well I have to say that this 3 hour youth race was the most exciting thing I have seen all year, really, it was highly electrifying for the parents and the racers and for those of you who decided to stay in your trailers where it was warm you missed the best racing yet.
The day started out with seeing the youth sign up and moving about, there wasn’t the ordinary “lets all hang out" don’t know if it was the cold or the tension but I would have to say tension as you will hear later.
The start was excited and tense as well seeing the youth and their team mates all cheering each other on, a true show of sportsmanship.
By the first hour I seen teams change riders when tired, I seen teams change riders because the other team did, I seen riders waiting for their team mate to pull over and they fly on by.
Well from the start of things Andy shows up in the dark hours getting his boy's ready already moving 100 mph in back of the trailer while trying to answer questions from various workers (me included) and it gave me a new respect for the amount of dedication this man has, most people would have lost their minds by now but Andy took it in stride all the while making his boys be first. Tracy, well what can you say about Tracy, no matter how bad things get or how tense it gets she still smiles, I need some of that.
The workers in the trailer, lets talk about pulling your hair out and answering the same question 500 times and still smiling about it hats off to them.
The score keepers always trapped inside out of the action and always over looked, well here’s to ya, hats off and great job.
The course workers, man I have not seen so many people willing to stay out in the freezing cold for 15 hours ( to include the youth race) lending a hand, you guy's are my hero's , specially when you pull us out from being broke down.
Chad the announcer well what can you say about Chad that nobody already knows we have called him Willie Wonka for the way he draws the youth to him and this day was no different, Chad has a knack and a gift that it for sure and he is a asset to the series.
Andy gives his pre race speech in the early hour of 7am with a bunch of wide eyed youth and a bunch of sleepy eyed adults.
The start is off , couldn’t tell you who got the hole shot I was just to plain excited over all of it..
The course was by far the best course I have seen for a youth class it had it all, I would rate it with out a doubt to the GNCC and not be scared.
Well here we go.
In the 90 production class
Banned Young guns, wow these 2 boys Dakota Stevenson (the 2 wheel wheelie wonder) and Chance (all business) Kellison were bringing home the mail all the way to finish for 1st. I got to get behind these 2 for a bit and wow they were moving and were all business just like it was another point’s race. Seen both of them make some incredible moves and picking lines and staying with in the 25 ft rule all I can say is great job boys really!! On a further note we did get Chance to smile for the camera’s 1 time and that by it self was accomplishment.
Rad Racer gave it there all for 2nd place and only coming in 1 lap and 1 minute behind the leaders. I wasn’t completely focused on the others and did get a chance to see them
As much but what I did notice is they were picking their lines carefully and never stopped their momentum, a great finish for a very cold day, and you have got to love the name!
The Kymco boyz just barely got squeezed out of 2nd with only 3 seconds from the finish and that one sounds like it was a race to watch down to the wire they kept to their pace and stayed steady all day long and in a endurance race where anything can happen they stuck to their plan; great try for not giving up to the very end, WOW!!
In the 90 stock class
Well, this race would make the pro’s jealous I mean the kids went at it back and forth and
Out of 10 years racing and then doing the 10 hour myself I have to admit this was the most exciting race I have ever followed. I went into the 10 hour race so pumped up from watching all the youth that I didn’t care what happened the rest of the day.
Parents were watching other teams, teams were watching other riders, switching riders when another team did, one would break down and all the teams would change strategy.
Every time I passed through the pits all parents were very polite and same ole same ole but you could tell that everyone wanted that “Big Ole Trophy”.
The winners I am very proud to say and very much deserved the coveted “Big Ole Trophy” because they earned it without a doubt.
The team Blue Ridge Runner’s were the team to beat with Hunter (Hollywood) Vanpaten, Cole (Blue Ridge Bad boy) Deskin and Gabe (Ironman) McCaughey.
They were putting the iron down and making it happen nothing was going to stand in their way and you could see it from the start. They had their engine problems but that only seemed to make them more determined to take home 1st place in the 90 stock classes.
2nd place was our team Boyz from Illinoz and we tried every trick in the book to come out on top but it was not our day but we had some great battles with all the teams and they will never forget this one I can assure you of that.
In 3rd place it was A and J racing I saw a lot of these fellows and remember seeing how they moved in the creek sections with ease and the small jumps that were there were done with speed and careful landing’s. It seemed to me they had their game plan and stuck with it trying to keep the “Puddle Jumpers” off their tail. Good job for 3rd in a rough race and look forward to see you all next year in the series and be on the look out for them cause they can not be taken lightly.
The Puddle Jumpers had their share of troubles and still managed to complete the race, the team of Keegan Crawford and Shyanne Stevenson was a dangerous combination and no one really knew how to take them with such a combination of talent, they were on the gas and putting moves on anyone they could find until Keegan’s bike had clogged jetting issues and they had to finish the race on Shyanne’s Apex that was already bogged down from the mud. They never gave up and were pushing both of their bikes to the max and it was a great race for the 2 Man/Woman team.
The combo of the TNT sisters definitely gets the best name award and they never once gave in regardless of how bad the course had got. I have followed these racers earlier in the year and after talking to the parents it answered some of my questions with a MX background these girls don’t know the word quit , and the drive they have to compete,
Look for Taylor and Tessa Anderson next year and don’t let their innocent looks trick you; they mean business.
70 cc class
Well we all know the 70 cc class and what can really be said about these 2 that we don’t already know, speed , yea we know that, skill that’s a gimme, determination no words there, tricky, moves well that is not a surprise. The team “Team Iowa” of Brady Kyner and Sky Volkamer should say it all if anyone knows them a deadly combination with lots of skill and speed dangerous to any class. Hats off for the 1st place finish and feel for anyone getting in your way. Well deserved 1st place boys!
50 cc class
The team “Wild child” of Brock Kyner and Kenderick Uehlin is no surprise to anyone
That they would master the course and come out on top, as said before I have been watching these 2 all year and have seen them pull off moves that adults would be scared to. These 2 are a force to be reckoned with and you better not cross their paths or you might be mistaken for a small log jump. Great job boys on the 1st.

All in all this race was the one to watch besides any other, these youth are all of us or what we used to be at one point and that is what makes it so pain stakingly tuff to watch. If we were our youth at this point in the game, by the time we get of age no one could touch us
On a national circuit, I have been many places and seen a lot of different styles of ATV racing and I can say that these are the best I have seen as a whole in 1 single series.
Be proud of all of them because I surely am, after a 7 am start and finishing up with a adult 10:30 finish , 15 1/2 hours of racing I am still excited over what the
“1st Ever Youth Endurance” race has etched into my heart.
Again just not enough words to express.
Thanks
Scott B Johnson
Team ‘ Ole Black and blue”