Comradery, self-reliability, excitement, dedication, desire, competition and focus. These words describe not only the Loudon Road Race Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but also the riders who are former military members. This weekend was round two of the 2019 season, and Armed Forces Day being on Saturday made the weekend extra special for four LRRS riders, who say racing motorcycles reminds them of their time in the military.
"The best comradery you'll find outside of any military branch is among these guys and girls," said former Marine, Jason Sauvageau, who scored his first amateur win of the season in Saturday's Ultralight Superbike. "Just like the military, this is what it's all about. As much as you're self-reliant on your own motorcycle, it's a group effort to always get everybody ready. It's being a part of something that's bigger than yourself."
Sharing Sauvageau's sentiment of the family-like atmosphere of the Loudon Road Race Series, is expert rider, Tim Hogan. Hogan, who served as an infantry ranger battalion for four years, spending about a month in Afghanistan and nearly eight months in Iraq before he was shot six times, added the craving for excitement that motorcycle racing satisfies.
"I get the little butterflies when I'm waiting to take off from the start line at the beginning of a race that I did going out of the gate for missions," said Hogan, who finished second in Sunday's Combined SuperTwins. "Plus, everyone I race with is up here - it's like a family - and prepping the gear, making sure everything's ready, is similar to being in the military."
For Roger Ealy Sr., whose son also races in LRRS, his more than 21 years serving in both the Navy and Marines and his nearly 10 years racing motorcycles are all about the same things.
"In the military, the job is all about dedication, desire and wanting to do your best," said Ealy. "It's the same thing in motorcycle racing. It's a competitive sport. The military is a competitive sport, so that kind of feeds itself."
To be the best, a rider must have focus, which is something novice rider, Josh Ziemski, who served four years in the Marines, thanks the military for.
"I got out of high school, went to college for a year and it just wasn't me," said Ziemski. "I started to get in to a little bit of trouble and I knew I needed change. Serving in the Marines helped me learn how to focus at the task at hand, whatever I needed to do. Racing and riding competitively, I've got to have that mental focus and be on my A-game when I'm on the track or practicing."
One race where riders really benefit from strong mental focus is the Dash for Cash, which is run as two Middleweight Grands Prix - one for the expert class, which awards the top eight with cash prizes ranging from $25 - $500, and one for the amateur class, which awards $100 to the winner.
LRRS veterans, Scott Greenwood, Alex Guilbeault and Rick Doucette claimed the top three spots in Saturday's Expert Dash for Cash Middleweight Grand Prix and held on from green flag to checkered flag.
Lincoln Gottier took the win for the amateurs while Nick Leighton and Matthew Farrell rounded out the top three.
Round three of the Loudon Road Race Series returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway June 15-16, highlighted by the 96th annual Loudon Classic on Sunday, which will wrap up Motorcycle Week at NHMS.
Check out the full results from all races: https://trackintel.com/ti/lrrs/ajax2014/results/index.html
Stay up-to-date with the Loudon Road Race Series:
- Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/LRRSNHMS/
- Website: https://www.NHMS.com/Local/Loudon-Road-Race-Series/
For ticket information for events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, including the June 8-16 Motorcycle Week at NHMS, the July 19-21 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 race weekend and the September 20-21 Full Throttle Fall Weekend, visit the speedway website at NHMS.com or call Fan Relations at (603) 783-4931.
Round One Results (Top Three):
Expert |
|||
Class |
First Place |
Second Place |
Third Place |
Formula 40 Lights |
Charles "Jesse" Sandoz |
Rick Doucette |
Steven Heider |
Formula 40 Unlimited |
Eric Wood |
Mike Clark |
David Dayon |
Formula 50 Lights |
Rick Doucette |
Brett Guyer |
Gerald Randall |
GTL |
Charles "Jesse" Sandoz |
Rick Doucette |
Brett Guyer |
GTO |
Cory Hildebrand |
Tyler Wasserbauer |
Roger Ealy Jr. |
GTU |
Scott Greenwood |
Alex Guilbeault |
Jesse Burnett |
Heavyweight Superbike |
Scott Greenwood |
Rick Doucette |
Samuel Greenwood |
Heavyweight Supersport |
Scott Greenwood |
Samuel Greenwood |
Kip Peterson |
Lightweight Grand Prix |
Charles "Jesse" Sandoz |
Rick Doucette |
Harlan Hildebrand |
Lightweight Sportsman |
Brett Guyer |
Elijah Block |
Bill Morey |
Lightweight Superbike |
Charles "Jesse" Sandoz |
Peter Gaboriault |
Steven Heider |
Lightweight Supersport |
Steven Heider |
Peter Gaboriault |
Brian Faucher |
Motard |
Elijah Block |
Adam Clark |
Gunnar Ouellette |
Moto 3 |
Shawn Spear |
Jake Vader |
Christopher Woodman |
Middleweight Formula 40 |
Scott Greenwood |
Paul Duval |
Kip Peterson |
Middleweight Grand Prix *Dash for Cash* |
Scott Greenwood |
Alex Guilbeault |
Rick Doucette |
Middleweight Superbike |
Scott Greenwood |
Rick Doucette |
Chris Dove |
Middleweight Supersport |
Scott Greenwood |
Samuel Greenwood |
Michael Bettencourt |
Super Singles |
Brett Guyer |
Rick Breen |
Kevin Allen |
Thunderbike |
Charles "Jesse" Sandoz |
Harlan Hildebrand |
Adam Guyer |
Ultralight GP |
Brett Guyer |
Shawn Spear |
Jake Vader |
Ultralight Superbike |
Peter Gaboriault |
Steven Heider |
Brett Guyer |
Unlimited Grand Prix |
Eric Wood |
Cory Hildebrand |
Roger Ealy Jr. |
Unlimited Superbike |
Eric Wood |
Tyler Wasserbauer |
Mike Clark |
Unlimited Supersport |
Eric Wood |
Cory Hildebrand |
David Dayon |
Amateur |
|||
Class |
First Place |
Second Place |
Third Place |
Formula 40 Lights |
Rick Kaeser |
Bruce Marshall |
Stephen Biehl |
Formula 40 Unlimited |
Vicente Frontinan |
Eric Fogg |
Lloyd Palmer |
Formula 50 Lights |
Rick Kaeser |
Michael Dimond |
Stephen Biehl |
GTL |
Nick Leighton |
Charles Blumberg |
Jason Sauvageau |
GTO |
Michael Defrancesco |
Thomas Hynes IV |
Kamran Pelkey |
GTU |
Lincoln Gottier |
Vicente Frontinan |
Matthew Farrell |
Heavyweight Superbike |
Lincoln Gottier |
David Caldwell |
Matthew Farrell |
Heavyweight Supersport |
Paul Hosue |
John Beaulieu |
Michael Guarino |
Lightweight Grand Prix |
Nick Leighton |
Jason Sauvageau |
Kevin Fogg |
Lightweight Sportsman |
Daniel Zimmer |
Brooks Saunders |
Christopher Girard |
Lightweight Superbike |
Nick Leighton |
Rick Kaeser |
Kevin Fogg |
Lightweight Supersport |
Charles Blumberg |
Philip Chovnick |
Stephen Biehl |
Motard |
Brooks Saunders |
Michael Dimond |
Christopher Girard |
Moto 3 |
Jeff Vader |
Thomas Sands |
N/A |
Middleweight Formula 40 |
Vicente Frontinan |
Lloyd Palmer |
Carlos Hidrovo |
Middleweight Grand Prix *Dash for Cash* |
Lincoln Gottier
|
Nick Leighton |
Matthew Farrell |
Middleweight Superbike |
Brian Fernald |
Jason Fairclough |
Owen Feeney |
Middleweight Supersport |
Vicente Frontinan |
Daniel Zimmer |
Nathan Pierre |
Super Singles |
Daniel Zimmer |
Brooks Saunders |
Christopher Girard |
Thunderbike |
Rick Kaeser |
Kevin Fogg |
N/A |
Ultralight GP |
John Lear |
Robert Vaughan |
Michael Zoner |
Ultralight Superbike |
Jason Sauvageau |
Brooks Saunders |
Charles Blumberg |
Unlimited Grand Prix |
Lincoln Gottier |
Eric Fogg |
Brian Fernald |
Unlimited Superbike |
David Caldwell |
Nick Leighton |
LeRoy Cort |
Unlimited Supersport |
Lincoln Gottier |
Brian Feingold |
David Caldwell |
Combined (Expert & Amateur) |
|||
Class |
First Place |
Second Place |
Third Place |
300 Superbike |
Rick Doucette |
Shawn Barron |
Christopher Woodman |
300 Supersport |
Shawn Barron |
Rick Doucette |
Gunnar Ouellette |
500 Superbike |
Benjamin Gloddy |
Teagg Hobbs |
Daniel Rosato |
500 Supersport |
Benjamin Gloddy |
Teagg Hobbs |
Daniel Rosato |
SuperTwins |
Charles "Jesse" Sandoz |
Tim Hogan |
Cadman Fenton |
Novice |
|||
Class |
First Place |
Second Place |
Third Place |
Formula 1 |
Edwin Rodriguezgely |
Ryan Dowd |
Eric Cormier |
Formula 2 |
Christian Trudeau |
James Tees |
Joseph Walker |
Formula 3 |
Joseph Walker |
Edward Forer |
Miles Allen |
Formula 4 |
Jonathan Brooks |
Edward Forer |
Erika Tomlinson |
Rookie 1 |
Ryan Dowd |
Joseph Gay |
N/A |
Rookie 2 |
Eric Cormier |
Christian Trudeau |
Frank Vollkommer |
Rookie 3 |
Miles Allen |
Jonathan Brooks |
Rick Ma |
Rookie 4 |
Edward Forer |
Erika Tomlinson |
N/A |
Starter 1 |
Ryan Dowd |
N/A |
N/A |
Starter 2 |
Christian Trudeau |
Frank Vollkommer |
N/A |
Starter 3 |
Miles Allen |
Jonathan Brooks |
Rick Ma |
Starter 4 |
Edward Forer |
N/A |
N/A |
Rookie |
|||
Class |
First Place |
Second Place |
Third Place |
Heavyweight 1 & 2 |
Christian Trudeau |
Edwin Rodriguezgely |
Ryan Dowd |
Heavyweight 3 & 4 |
John Corey |
Jacob Fialkosky |
Erika Tomlinson |
Wave 1 |
Joseph Gay |
Robert Lewis Jr. |
Edward Forer |