McMahon Wins
by Steve Bradley
On two beautiful days last weekend, off road motorcycle racing events were held on Fish and Game Road in Hoosick. The road is on the west side of Potter Hill, just east of the Potter Hill Barn. The racing, a newer and popular format called JDay Racing, consists of 80 percent cross country, 25 percent motocross and an optional 15 percent X-Treme racing. The track was 3.5 miles long.
[private]Thousands of people attended the event; hundreds were participants. Participants brought their equipment to the event in various ways, from the back of a pickup truck to toy haulers worth up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. A toy hauler is a motorhome or camper type vehicle with living space in the forward end and an area in the back end where “toys,” motorcycles, etc., can be transported.
Divisions ranged from PeeWee up to Pros, with Novice, Amateur and Expert in between. Each day two 30 minute races were held in all divisions except PeeWee’s, who raced one 40 minute race per day. Racers ranged from elementary school kids up to senior citizens. When experts and pros raced, it was easy to see the dramatic increase in speed and ability.
Several local riders participated, including Brody Sargood, Jake Bakaitis and Damon Dubois, who competed in the Amateur division. Andrew and Matt Forrest, along with Zach Bugbee, also competed. T.J. McMahon won the Expert division. McMahon is the son of John and Denise McMahon and grandson of Judy Van Der Kar. McMahon’s brother Travis also was a participant.
It’s a fun and different thing to do with a short drive. It was cool and bug free in the woods to watch the races. The camaraderie between contestants and the friendly atmosphere made for a nice day. There was a ten dollar per person per day entry fee to the grounds.
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