This Saturday saw the only race of the third round of the WMX US Championship following a schedule change due to the weather. This change allowed for TV coverage.
Charli Cannon grabbed the holeshot ahead of Kyleigh Stallings and Lachlan Turner. The defending champion was in second place exiting the first turn, right behind Cannon. Mikayla Nielsen and Jordan Jarvis moved up behind them but lost contact with the leading trio after the first lap. Jamie Astudillo was sixth, followed by Sophia Phelps, Destiny Burgess, and Lilly-Ann Pettus. Chyna Greenwell rounded out the top 10 at the end of the first lap.
On the second lap, Lala Turner (Altus Motorsports Blu Cru Yamaha Amateur Team) got the better of Cannon. The Australian Honda rider didn't give up and stayed in contact. Behind, Mikayla Nielsen made an effort to catch Stallings in third place. Lilly-Ann Pettus overtook Destiny Burgess for eighth place, and Carrie Killebrew moved into the top 10.
In the following laps, Lachlan Turner slightly gained ground on Charli Cannon (Honda). Mikayla Nielsen (SLR Honda) overtook Kyleigh Stallings, but the Kawasaki rider held on. With few changes, the riders held their positions. Only Chyna Greenwell and Carrie Killebrew battled for the top 10.
With a solid lead entering the final lap, Lachlan Turner held a commanding lead and secured another victory. Charli Cannon finished second, her best result in the United States. With the long break coming, the Australian will be able to recover and return to 100%. In the battle for third place, Mikayla Nielsen and Kyleigh Stallings collided and crashed. Both riders were slow to get going again, and Jordan Jarvis (Yamaha) took advantage to climb onto the podium. Mikayla Nielsen finished fourth ahead of Jamie Astudillo (KTM).
Stallings (Kawasaki) could only manage sixth after being slow to get going while battling for her first podium of the season. Sophie Phelps (Kawasaki) was closing in on Astudillo in the second half of the race, but a mistake on the penultimate lap prevented her from doing better. Seventh, we hope she can continue her adventure over the next three rounds.
Lilly-Ann Pettus (Husqvarna) finished in eighth place. A complicated first lap prevented her from getting into the right rhythm. Destiny Burgess (KTM) finished in ninth place. Carrie Killebrew (GasGas) completes the top 10.
The WMX Championship riders will take a break of several weeks before competing in the final three rounds in August. This will be an opportunity for some riders to rehab injuries. The 10 best results of the season are taken into account; anything remains possible for the title.
Pic by Courseheading / Promotocross