Williamson the Winner of The Race in Illinois OMA

After picking up his first triumph in the Parts Unlimited Off-road Motorcycle and ATV Nationals earlier in the season, Justin Williamson was anxious to make it two, and that happened at The Race in Fenton, Illinois, round nine of the series, presented by Pirelli. He quickly worked his way into the lead after an early race tangle and sped away from the pack on his Williamsonracing.com YZ250, towing along defending series champ and current points leader Jimmy Jarrett. Despite a few passes here and there, Jarrett couldn't make anything stick, and he had to settle for the runner-up spot on his Andrews Cycles/Kenda/Moose RM250 after a big crash within sight of the finish when he misjudged his location in the dust entering the motocross section. Shane Watts claimed third on his KTMHutt.com/Fun Mart Cycles/Moose 200 XC, having to nurse the bike in the final 15-20 miles after dislodging the exhaust and also losing the coolant.

"I was out in front pretty much most of the time, [but] every once in a while we'd come out in the fields, and Jimmy, I think, was able to go a little faster than I was," Williamson said. "Every once in a while he'd get by me there, then I'd get back by him sometimes in the woods. Once I got in the woods, I noticed I could pull just a tiny little lead on him so when we got back out into the fields I'd have enough distance to where he could only catch me instead of being able to pass me."

Jarrett got out in front a few miles from the finish, but Williamson had a better line around a log to retake the lead. As they headed toward the motocross track that marked the end of the race, Jarrett related, "It was dusty, I was trying to chase down Justin, and I got confused on what part of the track I was on. I thought I had to go over a double, and it wasn't a double—it was a single into a banked turn—and I kind of launched myself over the corner. But it was all good; at least I didn't kill myself and was able to limp myself back in." After slowly gathering himself, Jarrett putted the few hundred yards to the finish and was 55 seconds back of Williamson's winning time of two hours, 41 minutes and eight seconds.

The moto track was also where Jarrett went down on the opening lap, as he ran into Jeremy Smith who'd gotten the holeshot but slid out in front of the entire pack there. Jarrett couldn't avoid the fallen Yamaha racer, who stopped Jarrett's bike with his ribs, putting him out for the day with a very sore side. After that, Jarrett put on a charge to make up the lost ground and didn't realize he'd passed Williamson for the lead until he stopped for fuel and asked how they were doing.

For Watts, the winner of the previous round, The Race turned out to be filled with a lot more drama, though he was able to keep things going and claim a distant third, just over three minutes behind Jarrett. Unofficially, when throwaways are taken into account, Watts and Williamson are tied for second in points, according to Williamson's calculations; that should make for determined racing at the final round in Oklahoma.

Brian Garrahan was another minute and a half back on his Rentoneonline.com/NorCal Motorsports/Moose RM250, and Open A-class racer Matt Fish once again topped the A field by passing most of the Pros who'd started before them to come in fifth overall on his KTMHutt.com/Fun Mart Cycles/Moose 250 XC.

The Race Results
1. Justin Williamson, Yamaha YZ250
2. Jimmy Jarrett, Suzuki RM250
3. Shane Watts, KTM 200 XC
4. Brian Garrahan, Suzuki RM250
5. Matt Fish, KTM 250 XC
6. Allan Westerfield, Kawasaki KX250
7. Tim Taber, Gas Gas EC 200
8. Chris Bach, KTM 250 E/XC
9. Chris Robertson, Honda CRF250R
10. Charlie Deutscher, Yamaha YZ250
11. Chuck Garetson, Suzuki RM250
12. Dave Neumeister, KTM 450 M/XC
13. Bo Bowman, Honda CRF250R
14. #35, Yamaha YZ250
15. Dylan Debel, Gas Gas EC 300
16. Adam McKillip, Yamaha YZ250
17. Dick Burleson, KTM 200 XC