WHIBLEY DOMINATES ROUND THREE OF OMA’S

Whibley 3-for-3 with Ohio win
By Mark Kariya

Jimmy Jarrett may have four straight series championships in the Parts Unlimited Off-road Motorcycle and ATV Nationals (2004-2007), but at the rate that his teammate and defending series champ Paul Whibley is going, there’s a new sheriff in town.
Whibley followed Jarrett into the first turn of the DP Brakes Coal Miner Cross-country National near Rio Grande, Ohio—round three of the series and co-sanctioned by Craig Lucas’ Extreme Dirt Series—but he drew alongside coming out of the turn. In the eyes of promoter Bill Gusse, both reached the designated holeshot line simultaneously so they shared the $100 Bike Barn Holeshot Award.
After that, though, it was Whibley’s race. He led every lap and took the checkered flag in two hours, 21 minutes and 15 seconds, with Jarrett 56 seconds behind. It was the third straight 1-2 finish for the JG Offroad/GEICO Powersports/Monster Energy Kawasaki KX450F racers, giving Whibley another five-point cushion as he ran his series points total to 90 over Jarrett’s 75.
“It’d be nice to get a comfortable [points] lead for the second half of the season and not have to stress too much,” Whibley said. “But it’s still a long way to go and Jimmy’s riding great.”
Unfortunately for Jarrett, though, Whibley is just a little greater at this point.
Third for the day went to OMA debutante Thad Duvall and his Am Pro Yamaha YZ450F. After mixing it up with series regulars behind the Whibley-Jarrett train in the first half, Duvall broke away from that pack and began to hunt down the leaders, closing to within 16 seconds of Jarrett at the finish.

GNNC regular Thad Duvall moved through the woods and into a solid third.
Jason Thomas and Scott Watkins tussled over fourth place for most of the race with the young Welshman and his Andrews Yamaha/Monster Energy YZ450F edging the JG Offroad/GEICO Powersports/Monster Energy Kawasaki KX250F of his rival by a mere three seconds.
Privateer Adam Bonneur, third in the early going, ended up sixth on his backup YZ250, having blown the engine on his YZ450F at a local event earlier. He was six seconds ahead of Justin Williamson’s Gofasters.com Gas Gas EC300, Williamson much more at home on the bike after spending the two weeks following round two dialing it in at the Gofasters.com headquarters in Minnesota.
Jeff Melik and his YZ450F, Husaberg’s Nick Fahringer and South African Kenneth Gilbert rounded out the top 10.