Buchanan, MI - Just when the 2007 ITP/Moose ATVA MX Series looked like a Joe Byrd show, Jeremy Lawson swept both motos to capture the overall win at the world-famous Red Bud MX track in southern Michigan, round six of the series. And with Byrd suffering from bad luck, Lawson finds himself closing back up in the championship points standings, just six points behind the defending AMA Pro National Champion after six races.
While Lawson had a memorable run, Byrd had a day he would rather forget. Rocks jammed his brakes in the first moto and his engine cases in the second moto. He managed third overall with 3-6 scores, while Yamaha's Pat Brown finished second with 2-2 moto finishes.
Lawson had plenty of speed to mix with his consistent ride as well. In Saturday's timed practice, he threw down lap times two seconds quicker than the rest of the field, while riders ranked second through seventh all clocked in within another two seconds.
Byrd grabbed the ATVRiders.com holeshot in moto one on his #7 Honda, with Brown and Lawson close behind. Lawson made a pass on Brown in the first lap, and then Byrd slowed down with apparent front brake troubles. Lawson grabbed the lead while Brown stayed in second, before Byrd rallied again to pass Brown back for the number-two spot. It wasn't long before Byrd suffered more troubles, when a rock jammed his front brakes. He went off the track and fixed the problem, then rode a wild last lap, attempting a pass on Brown on the infamous LaRocco's Leap jump. He came up short. Yamaha mounted Shane Cochran came from a seventh-place start up to fourth place with Michael Brown rounding out the top five.
Byrd snagged yet another ATVRiders.com Holeshot in moto two, with Brown and Lawson second and third again. Byrd pulled away immediately, and Lawson knew he would have to pass Brown to get second in the moto and wrap up the overall victory. He made the pass, and the top three appeared to be set, until Byrd took a rock to the engine case on the last lap. He tried to nurse it to the finish, but all the oil ran out with half a lap to go. Brown went by Byrd for second, as well as rookie pro Chris Tait, on a Yamaha. It appeared Tait would take third overall on the day, but with Byrd lapping all the way up to seventh place, he was credited with sixth in the moto, giving him 3-6 scores on the day.
Lawson, the upset winner at the season opening ATV Southern Nationals in Alabama, is now a genuine threat for the 2007 AMA Pro ATV Championship.