Racing

Oregon Privateers Sweep Shasta WHS Pro Classes

Bolin gets first overall win; Wilton the FMF Pro 250 winner for fourth time

April 18, 2018

Local AMA District 36 racer and former ISDE team member A.J. Lehr holeshot the Pro line ahead of eventual third-placer Trystan Hart (84) and the rest of the field. At this point, eventual winner Devan Bolin is still trying to get his bike started.Mark Kariya

A pair of privateers from Oregon won their respective Pro classes for the first time in the Kenda/SRT AMA West Hare Scrambles Regional Championship Series, with Devan Bolin taking his first overall victory at round 5 in Shasta Lake, California, after years of trying. Training partner Jeremy Wilton, on the other hand, is new to off-road racing but triumphed for the fourth time in this season's FMF Pro 250 class at the Redding Dirt Riders' Shasta Dam Grand Prix.

Although he’s been on the podium several times, veteran Bolin never stood on the top step in the Kenda/SRT AMA West Hare Scrambles Regional Championship Series until his come-from-behind victory at the Shasta GP.Mark Kariya

After a last-place start which he attributed to not knowing the intricacies of his brand-new 350 XC-F, Gray Area KTM’s Bolin went on a tear, moving into third place upon completing the first 37-mile lap at the picturesque Chappie-Shasta Off-Highway Vehicle Area behind only defending series champ Max Gerston and point leader Trystan Hart.

A confident yet hopeful Max Gerston waits to be called up in the rider introductions. He led most of the race before Bolin blew by him on a dirt road late in the race and settled for second, his best result since winning round 1.Mark Kariya

But Bolin wasn’t done and continued to push forward, eventually taking the lead from Beta’s Gerston about halfway through the third and final lap. “I kept telling myself, ‘Look ahead; don’t do anything stupid!’ and it worked out finally,” Bolin confided.

Gerston hung on for second with Hart settling for third, Six Five O GasGas-mounted Travis Coy and Hart’s SRT Husqvarna teammate J.T. Baker rounding out the top five.

Series point leader Trystan Hart ran second for much of the way. Unlike nearly everyone else, he pitted only after the first 37-mile lap, but that was enough to carry him the final two laps with gas left over after finishing a close third.Mark Kariya

Unlike fellow Oregonian privateer Bolin, Jeremy Wilton has won a lot in his first year of racing the FMF Pro 250 class in the AMA WHS and did it for the fourth time with his Shasta Dam GP victory, placing ninth overall.Mark Kariya

Although he recently picked up a new bike, Dillon Sheppard felt he didn’t have enough time to get it dialed in so he relied on his 2017 YZ250FX and it carried him to a season-best second FMF Pro 250.Mark Kariya

Teenager Mateo Oliveira may have given up 100cc to the rest of the class in FMF Pro 250, but that didn’t matter in the end as he kept his KTM 150 singing all morning for third in class, easily his best finish to date in his first year in the class.Mark Kariya

While she’s not chasing series points, only riding select rounds, Kacy Coy demonstrated her adaptability as rain began just before the Sunday afternoon race, taking the lead from the outset and winning both the overall and Women A easily.Mark Kariya

Saturday was sunny and warm despite rain earlier in the week. Anthony Ferrante took it in stride and repeated his Big Wheel triumph at round 4, though Zach Kerling and class point leader Seven Diaz were close behind for second and third.Mark Kariya

The Junior Minis may have started on row two after the Mini wave, but Ryder Thomaselli made it four wins in a row and ended up second overall in that combined Mini/Junior Mini clash, easily padding his point lead.Mark Kariya

Although short, this fairly steep hill just before the scoring chute gave many a huge challenge in the dry. The club cut it out for the final race of the weekend due to the rain that drenched the course.Mark Kariya

The trails at the Chappie-Shasta OHV Area provided some great views, though most didn’t bother slowing down to take it all in. Here, a finger of Lake Shasta is visible as the trail drops down to a dirt road section.Mark Kariya

The narrow first turn got bottled up for several of the more crowded classes.Mark Kariya

The top three Pee Wees opted to chug their sparkling cider instead of waste it all by spraying it.Mark Kariya

Shasta Dam looms in the background though most of those waiting for the start of Sunday morning’s race were more concerned with the upcoming three-plus hours facing them.Mark Kariya