We are thrilled to have teamed up with Nine6Nine MX School this year as they take on the 2017 ATV MX National Championship. With so many talented riders racing the season has been very exciting. We hooked up with Travis Moore the team manager to learn more about the first half of the season. You can read all about it below!
Nine6Nine team leader, Travis Moore, give us a rundown of the first half of the 2017 ATV MX National for the team and its riders.
The first half of the ATVMX National Series had it's ups and downs along with a cancellation of Round 3 at High Point MX in Pennsylvania. Team Nine6Nine rider Logan Stanfield #55 never started the season with his fellow teammates due to an injury that occurred during pre-season training in Florida. Successful back surgery and physical therapy have allowed Stanfield to work his way back to riding an ATV. He says, "I had big things to accomplish this year in the A-class. This was just a minor setback for my major comeback. You will see me on the box again in the 2018 series."
The loss of training with Stanfield wasn't an easy adjustment for his New Jersey brother, Alan Myers #24. Entering his rookie year in the competitive classes of Pro-Sport and Pro-Am, Myers knew his training had to go next level. After training for months in Florida, he started the season strong in Daytona with a 4th place overall in Pro-Am and a 2nd place overall in Pro-Sport. Heading to Texas with confidence, the two classes proved their level of competition would be tough. Myers ended the weekend with a 6th in Pro-Am and a 4th in Pro-Sport. He was ready to step up to the challenge.
At Monster Mountain, he was pushing for a second place finish when he got caught up with a fellow competitor causing mechanical issues that would affect his riding pace. Pushing through, he ended the weekend just outside the top 10 in both classes. High Point MX being canceled allowed more training time than usual. He felt good going into Ironman and proved it by running a strong 3rd place on Saturday in Pro-Sport and a 5th place overall in Pro-Am on Sunday. Mechanical issues forced a bike change before Muddy Creek. One that proved to be a good move. Myers had his best starts of the season in Pro-Am coming out top 3 in each holeshot. He ran 2nd for most of both motos while dropping a few spots by the end due to a health issue. He fought for a 3 way tie for 2nd that landed him a 4th place overall on the weekend in Pro-Am. He says, "Because I have ridden a Walsh Hybrid before, I decided to go back to my roots. I knew coming into these classes that'd I'd be racing some of the toughest competition in the sport. I'm ready to prove my spot on the box."
While dealing with all of Team Nine6Nine's mechanical issues, Phil Oppen #121 manages to find time to run at the front of his Junior 25+ class. He ran strong 2nd place finishes at Underground MX and Monster Mountain MX. He was ready to step it up and ran 1st place for some of the moto at Ironman. Unfortunately, at the last turn of the track, a competitor passed him to land him 2nd place overall. He came to Muddy Creek with confidence as he had allotted more time to training. Oppen pulled the holeshot in moto one. While running first on the last lap, a mistake before the uphill triple caused a drop in position earning him a 5th place overall. He says, "Although I don't get to train as much as I'd like, I am able to live my dream of building motors with this team. I am happy that at my age, I can still competitively race and have a career in the racing industry. These people have become my family."
The newcomer of the Nine6Nine boys is Pennsylvania native, Zack Decker #23. He may be 13, but he has proven he has the work ethic of his older teammates. His consistent training has earned him first place finishes overall every round in his Super-Mini class and 250 Mod class. Youth All-Star is always a fun class to watch where all the fast youth riders compete. Decker earned first place overall finishes in the class at Underground MX and Monster Mountain. His competition stepped it up for Ironman MX. After a bad start in moto one, he fought his way to 3rd place. He was running out front the second moto, but a mishap with a wrecked rider pushed him back to a 7th place position. He ended the weekend with a 5th overall. He worked hard during the off weekend and came to Muddy Creek seeking more first place finishes. He made a skilled pass in moto one to earn 1st place. While running in second and charging for first in moto two, he and a fellow rider got tied up in a corner on the last lap. A mistake the would cause him to drop to a 3rd place overall on the weekend. He says, "I have never worked so hard for anything in my life. I am working on fixing some of my rookie mistakes and plan to be out front from here on out."
Team owner Travis Moore is very happy with the roster of guys for this year's team. Each family of the rider plays a huge role in making the Nine6Nine team run smoothly. From cooking and traveling to track maintenance and endless support, Moore is very appreciative of the opportunity to work with such great people. He says, "I have really liked to see my guys go through adversity and push through with toughness this season. From Logan getting hurt to Alan having mechanical issues, this year has not run as smoothly as last year. It's a good life lesson that with work and determination you can progress and succeed." Speaking on behalf of Team Nine6Nine, we cannot thank you enough for your support and effort to help make this race team successful.
