OMA Nationals Ready To Go…

The following is from OMA…

The Parts Unlimited Off-road Motorcycle and ATV (OMA) Nationals kicks off its eighth year of presenting some of the best long-distance, single-track woods racing with three new venues incorporated into the 10-round schedule. Round one will be the Hill Jack Cross-country National, presented by Johnny Signs Graphics, in Medora, Indiana, on April 17-18 (one of the new venues). After that, the OMA tour will run through October, visiting eight states, with the world-famous Moose Run in Illinois on October 16-17 the finale.

Foremost on everyone’s mind, of course, is the question: Can Paul Whibley come anywhere close to his incredible 2009 perfect season and pull off a three-peat?

While even Whibley himself concedes it’s going to be a tall order to win all 10 rounds, he’ll likely be even more motivated than last year. Riding for the Am-Pro Yamaha team (his third different team in three years), he’s had bad luck at the first rounds of the GNCCs, where he’s also the defending champion, leaving just one series to assert himself: the OMAs.

But he’ll also face a larger and hungrier cast of competitors eager to dethrone him, starting with his two former JG Off-road/GEICO Powersports/Monster Energy Kawasaki teammates, Jimmy Jarrett and Scott Watkins. Jarrrett, of course, is the winningest racer in OMA history with four consecutive championships (2004-2007), and a wrist injury last season helped slow him to ‘only’ third in the series. Watkins burst onto the series for the first time last year and learned the ropes quickly to earn the number two plate. They’ll be joined on the starting line by a number of others, of course, guys with solid credentials like Whibley’s new teammate Thad Duvall periodically, Husaberg’s Nick Fahringer, possibly Husqvarna’s Glen Kearney, FMF/KTM Factory Off-road Race Team’s Kailub Russell at times and others vying for a piece of the $20,000 series purse.

The Pros will appreciate the OMA’s new format which will have C riders, Super Seniors and Women competing on Sunday mornings while the Pros, A’s and Bs will square off on Sunday afternoons for two hours plus a lap. ATVs will still race on Saturday on a largely separate course to accommodate their greater width, and late Saturday afternoon will still feature the fun motorcycle race.

There will again be plenty of swag for racers to shoot for, thanks to both new and returning sponsors like Maxxis, FMF Racing, K&N Filters, Race Tech, RK Chain/Excel and Dirt Tricks. Manufacturers offering contingency awards include Can-Am (ATV racers only), Kawasaki, KTM and Yamaha. FMF, Maxxis, Rekluse and other vital sponsors will also provide trackside support at selected rounds. In addition to its amateur contingency program, K&N Filters plans to provide cash holeshot awards for the Pro ATVs as well as the Pro motorcycles.

For more information, visit www.omanationals.com.

Parts Unlimited OMA Nationals
Round 1: April 17-18 Medora, Indiana
Round 2: May 1-2 Hanging Limb, Tennessee
Round 3: May 29-30 Rio Grande, Ohio
Round 4: June 12-13 Clay City, Kentucky
Round 5: July 10-11 Mesick, Michigan
Round 6: July 31-August 1 Millville, Minnesota
Round 7: August 14-15 Newark, Missouri
Round 8: August 28-29 Bedford, Indiana
Round 9: September 18-19 Memphis, Missouri
Round 10: October 16-17 Fenton, Illinois