With more than half of the 2017 ATV MX National Championship completed, Team Nine6Nine gives us a run down of the last few races. Excitement is building as they enter the last stretch of this challenging competition.
The second half of the ATVMX National Series has been full of excitement for Team Nine6Nine. Round 5 of the ATVMX National Series did not disappoint at Sunset Ridge MX in Walnut, Illinois. There were a variety of firsts for Team Nine6Nine. That Friday's practice was the first time Logan Stanfield #55 was able to ride in the 2017 season. Although he hasn't been cleared to race yet, he's been training locally to prepare for strong finishes in the 2018 season.
Zack Decker #23 earned 1st place overall in both Super-Mini and 250 Mod at Sunset Ridge. He also competed for a 2nd place overall in Youth All-Star. Phil Oppen #121 rode aggressively at Sunset Ridge to earn a 2nd place overall in Junior 25+. He had a good weekend as a rider but an even better weekend as a mechanic. Sunday was the first time one of his machines made it to the Pro-Am podium in 2017. In Pro-Am moto one at Sunset Ridge, Alan Myers #24 proved his place in the class charging early for a 1st place finish, winning by 24.6 seconds. In Pro-Am moto two, he knew who to beat and rode a comfortable 3rd place which landed him in the center of the box. Winning his first Pro-Am podium in the 1st place position was a sweet end to Father's Day weekend.
Round 6 at Millville MX helped Team Nine6Nine gain even more momentum leading into the last few rounds of the series. Alan Myers #24 went 1-1 in Pro-Sport sweeping his first Pro-Sport 1st place podium finish. He's felt more like himself since Sunset Ridge MX, where he won Pro-Am for the first time in his rookie season. Zack Decker #23 was able to lock in his 250 Mod National Title and hopeful to lock in his Super-Mini title in the following rounds. As the season comes closer to the end, Phil Oppen #121 was pushing to earn a 1st place podium finish in hopes to close the gap between himself and the points leader in the Junior 25+ class. The team has had high motivation since MN with the return of Logan Stanfield #55 to the 969 Compound. His return is still uncertain in the 2017 season, but when it happens, it will be quite the comeback!
The weather for Round 7 at Unadilla MX wasn't the best, but Team Nine6Nine was happy that it didn't affect any motos. In fact, the track was a favorite one in the series so far for the 969 Boys. It was also a local race for Myers and Decker, so they were hoping to give their local fans some fun racing to watch. Alan Myers #24 put on a show on Sunday with a 3rd in Pro-Am for the first moto and a 1st place in the second moto. He ended up with a 2nd overall podium position. He also battled hard in both Pro-Sport motos to earn of 4th overall on the weekend in that class. Zack Decker #23 had some trouble on starts for the weekend in his Youth All-Star class but was able to battle through the pack to earn 3rd place in both motos with a 3rd place overall. Since he locked in his 250 Mod class last round, he wanted to focus on locking in his Super-Mini title. Unfortunately, bike issues plagued his lead in both motos. He was still able to earn a 5th place overall on the weekend. Phil Oppen #121 had some tough competition in his Junior 25+ for the weekend. He pushed hard to earn a 3rd overall. Logan Stanfield #55 stayed in Indiana to do some practicing throughout the weekend. He says he is feeling stronger every day and is anxious to return as a competitor in the series.
