2006 OMA ATV Nationals Round 6 Memphis Missouri

From the January, 2009 issue of ATV Rider

All contributors: Mark Kariya

Parts Unlimited Off-road Motorcycle and ATV Nationals, Round six/ITP Moonshine Cross-country

A trio of first-time visitors ended up walking away with the top three spots at the ITP Wildcat Cross-country outside of Memphis, Missouri, round six of the Parts Unlimited Off-road Motorcycle and ATV Nationals.Duane Johnson ended up the winner, leading almost from the start on his Hiper/Maxxis/IRS-sponsored TRX450R. "This is real close to home; it's been pretty dead all summer with nothing to do so I thought I might want to come out and get some riding time in," he said.

"I got the holeshot and a hundred yards into the woods or so a couple guys got around me on a better line on the inside."

"I was really kind of happy they passed me because I didn't know my way around or anything on this track. I just kind of hung in there with them."

"About halfway through the first lap, I got back around them in a straightaway section and led from then on."

"My clutch started slipping about halfway through, [but] I had a big lead and didn't know how much time was left so I kind of just started to take it easy. I was almost getting bored out there."

"Finally I came through and saw the 47 bike [of Ryan Morphen] was gaining on me then came through and saw one more lap [was left], then I really tried picking it up the last lap. I knew I was going to get a drink of water after [the race] was over."

Ryan Morphen jumped into second place early on but couldn't keep Johnson's pace for the first half of the two-hour race, but he sprinted to the fastest laps of the race during the final two circuits in an effort that left him 31 seconds short at the finish.

In fact, Morphen passed Johnson and led early until he stalled his Mom & Dad/Tire Balls/Mid-state Motorsports-backed TRX450R in the creek. He restarted but stalled again a few miles later and gave up more positions, leaving him to work his way back up for the remainder of the race.Two-time and defending OMA champ Rob Zimmerman took the runner-up spot on his Maxxis/Clarke/Moose TRX450R when Morphen stalled out and held it for most of the race, but he suddenly found himself spun around in a cornfield a few laps from the finish, letting Morphen and Donald Ockerman past.

"My right front tire caught [some corn stalks] and sucked me [into the cornfield]," Zimmerman reported. "I felt my neck go [crack]. I got up and was like, `Okay, the quad's on its wheels. Good, I don't have to turn it over.' I started up and took out, and I looked because I knew [someone] would be coming hauling through there."

"I saw the white flag [at the end of that lap] so I hammered down. I was like, `I've got to catch them; I've got to give it my all!' I started seeing [Ockerman] and was like, `Oh, maybe! Maybe!' But I couldn't catch him."

Ockerman (in only his second year of racing) had his own problems, revealing, "I started to run out of gas at the last--it was a-spitting and a-sputtering--and I looked back and saw [Zimmerman coming up] again. I was like, `I'm either going to run out or I'm going to make it!' "