Action photos: John Gasso
Despite the landslide of event cancellations over the weekend of March 14-15, the Midwest X-Country series held its season opening round at their home course in Prophetstown, Illinois.
Rising star and Illini local Tanner Whipple grabbed the win over 22 front row starters, besting Buddy Fortune and Colt Converse. In addition to the quality turnout of AA/pro riders, classes in both the morning and afternoon races were packed with competitors from several states and Canada, who have been itching to find thawed ground and escape the doom and gloom surrounding the COVID-19 threat.
P-Town is a short but flowing woods course sprinkled with a handful of super tight, and usually freshly cut, single track. Early season races are typically a bit lower key but big on fun as riders and families gather around a serious bon fire to bench race events of the passing winter and kick start the off-road season.
Course conditions were as good as they get with an open morning practice session burning in a race line that turned to chocolate cake by race time. Temps only climbed to the upper thirties and while the opening laps were a little tough on the fingers, nobody was complaining about the cooler air after two hours on a course that started to see more than it’s fair share of whoops, ruts and lappers.
MXC, which is ran by the Gusse family, who also own the OMA National series, will host round two back at Prophetstown on March 22. The opening round of OMA competition was slated to be held on Saturday the 21, however, that event has been postponed.
AA/Pro Results
- Tanner Whipple
- Buddy Fortune
- Colt Converse
- Cole Zuidema
- TJ Nees
