OMA Nationals ATV Round 2 Millerstown, Kentucky

With an ice storm shredding most of the west Kentucky trees to the ground and an inland hurricane warning Friday before the OMA event, track conditions would not be their best. Texan native, Shawn Hess (Hess Motorsports / Houser Racing / Maxxis) would prevail and take his second consecutive win at the Rekluse Indian Bluff XC co-sanctioned with Kentucky Offroad Hare Scramble held out of Royal ATV Park would present another tough mud event.

Hess described the event best with... "It was a brutal one." Kyle Martin (Maxxis / Dirtworks Motorsports / Fly Racing) took the holeshot and battled all day with Hess, even taking the lead late in the race. Unfortunately for Martin, a final lap mistake left him stuck in a rut where 18 year old, Shane Gaunt (Aupperle Racing / TORC / Gaunt Motorsports / Maxxis) would take second place.

"We had some good battling going on," recalled Hess (Elk Suspension / Tucker Rocky / Answer Racing) regarding his race with Kyle Martin. "I mean, every time I looked back he was right there," he said. "Actually, he (Martin) got around me one lap there, the third lap from the end. Lappers were playing a big, big, role in the passing and the racing out there." Hess was motoring through the mud with his Maxxis Tires Elka Suspension Honda, but did not escape some of the mud holes. "I ended up getting stuck four times due to lappers," said Hess. "I come through and they said you don't have much time to catch him if you're going to do it. And I thought, ok, I'm for sure in second. I just kept my head down, and we got back in there in some muddy areas and I was able to work back around him. Like I said, it was more survival than racing." Shane Gaunt (Streamline Breaklines / Scott Goggles) preferred the mud conditions "I usually ride well in the mud, so I was kind of excited that it was muddy down here," said Gaunt with a smile. "For some reason, I don't know, I do well in mud. I have fun." However, the Morton, Illinois teenager did not escape without his share of excitement. According to Gaunt, "I came through, I think it was like the second lap, I came through the check and I got goggles. I took off, and about five minutes after I took back off I realized I had a flat. I made it around the whole lap without getting passed. I got back, changed the tire, and just had fun. I didn't know what place I was in or nothing'. I was just riding."

Third place Kyle Martin (Fox Racing Shocks / Douglas Wheel Technologies) appeared to be in good position for a possible victory, but the mud was not his friend today. "Obviously the mud was a huge issue," said the racer from Missouri. "Today wasn't the fastest rider; it was the one with the most luck. It was survival out there today. We had a battle all day, just like Shawn said." But, Martin observed, "It was just crazy out there. You didn't know what was going to be ahead of you. The next corner there would be lappers, mud. The tree tops were everywhere. It was tough out there. I didn't get stuck very much all day until the last lap. I ended up sliding off one of the creeks, right in to some bad ruts, and I was stuck there for at least four or five minutes. About the time I got out is when I noticed Shane Gaunt drove right by me, just eased right by. That was kind of aggravating. Then I got stuck not ten feet later in the track, so the last lap was real tough on me. I'm just glad to finish."

Privateer racer Chris Moore finished just off the podium in fourth place, while the Missouri racer John Pitts (Duncan Racing / Rekluse / Vee Rubber) rounded out the top five.