Report and photos by Paul Buckley

The NESC Spring Series drew a big crowd at MX207 last Sunday pulling in exactly 450 entries. There was no rain this Sunday but there sure was some wind! Riders reported to feeling stopped in mid-air off some of the bigger jumps, luckily a few twisted E-Z Ups in the pits were the worst victims of the gusts.

Josh Clark continues to be the guy to beat in the Pro classes although he did trade moto wins with Mike Sottile in the 200+ class. Sottile set the fastest lap of the day with a 1:56:972 during the first moto.

Derrick Barnaby stepped it up at 207 running right behind Clark and Sottile on his #249 Honda. Clark, Sottile and Barnaby are all second generation NESC racers, their dads raced back in the 80's and 90's (actually Clark's grandfather raced too so he's a third gen racer)

It was good to see 24 riders on the gate for the 200+ Pro/Expert class, maybe more and more racers want a piece of that big payout at the Awards Banquet.

Tyler Smith (#193) kept his Honda out front for both 125 Amateur motos scoring two moto wins ahead of 34 other racers. DJ Payne did have the lead early on in the first moto but threw a chain on his Suzuki. Greg Lehto who's back racing after a couple years away while he was at school, did manage to hang on to his points lead in that class when he came back in the second moto with a solid second place finish.

Kendall Pepper who usually does the Maine Series races took the win in the first 200+ Amateur moto only to dnf the second. Brian Hopkins who's always a favorite in the Amateur class these days grabbed the overall with a 2-1 on his Kawie.He also took home the top spot in the Open Amateur class. DJ Payne kept his chain on in the open motos to take second while 125 Am. winner Tyler Smith was third.

Dan St.Laurant could probably do a lap of MX207 in his sleep after doing six amateur motos this past Sunday and he did a good job in them too, scoring top five overalls in the 200+ and open classes and a top three in the 125s.

This Sunday a little sunshine brought out a big crowd in the 125 novice class, 33 riders were entered at MX207, not too many so that qualifiers had to be run but enough to make it a good race. Brandon Arnott, from Jimmy DeCotis' home town of Peabody, Massachusetts, rode consistently to take the overall with a pair of deuces. Last week's winner, Matt Tovani was right up there again on Sunday with a 1st and a 3rd for second overall.

A couple one day riders topped the 200+ Novice division, Nick Pinkham (#727 Kawie) and Justin MacCausland (#827 Honda) were one and two. After performances like that you can bet they'll be back at a future NESC race.

Levi McIntosh and Chris Gordon took the ferry from Nantucket to get to the races again this week but they weren't the only ones catching a boat for the races, the Deane family from Block Island also had to take a ferry ride before they could start driving to Maine.

Ever think you'd hear this at a motocross track. "I'm not doing the 50 plus class, those guys are too fast."? But that's exactly what riders have said about the NESC 50+ Open class and it's with good reason, those old guys still haul.

In fact Jack Camelio did the 50+ but instead of another vet class he signed up for the 200+ expert race. He won the 50 and wasn't last in the expert class.

Scott Fletcher (on his KX with two kill buttons) and Wayne Benjamino who was celebrating an anniversary at 207 chased Camelio in both motos, Wayne was second and Fletch third overall

Paul Letendre is up to 13 moto wins in his quest for a couple vet class championships in the 35 and 40 A classes. Paul took a few years off but now he's back on the NESC circuit traveling with his mechanic, Dave Derosier, who has helped quite a few New England riders in the past, guys like Keith Johnson, Paul Lamb and the Veraka brothers.

Those girls put on a heck of a race this Sunday, up front WMA racers Sade Allender and Krisa Sweeney were battling for the lead in both Female motos (Allender took both moto wins on her Street King CRF), behind them Jenn Mead, Elicia Vallier, Felicia Stewart and Jessa Fahey were bar to bar racing for third, NESC champ Mead got the third spot in both moto. Evalene Deane had some of the older girls steamed when she passed them going down the Rt 95 straight.

Another second generation NESC racer, Nate McNeilly whose dad, Dan, won the 1985 NESC 85 championship took the top spot this past Sunday in the 85A class on his MotoThump.com sponsored KX.

Zack Johnson brought home another 85B trophy and took second in the Supermini class right behind McNeilly.

Local rider, Casey Nadeau earned himself the first overall trophy in the 85C class ahead of Jake Porier and Marshall Pesaturo.