Casales and Smage Split Wins at Nebraska

Rounds 5 and 6 of the AMA NATC National Mototrials Championship Series, Presented by Trial Store USA, saw Montesa Honda’s Jorge Casales and FactoryONE Sherco’s Pat Smage split wins on a challenging low-scoring trial in Nehawka, Nebraska.

Hosted by the Midwest Trials Association (MWTA) at the Rock Riders Quarry, over 130 riders took to the limestone and shale sections.  Despite appearing to be rather lengthy sections, which typically require riders to use every moment of their 90-second time limit, the sections had nice flow to them, allowing competitors a straightforward ride from start to finish.  Now, that’s not to say it was easy.  The ground still held on to some of the rain that had fallen in the days leading up to the event, and after a few riders, rocks became slick from the humidity and a light coat of mud.  Other sections deteriorated throughout the day as the sandstone and limestone broke after a few rides and smaller rocks would easily spin out. 

Casales, who competes on the international stage in the FIM TrialGP circuit, kept in tight, nail-biting contention with Smage both days.  After looking at the final results, it’s easy to say that these two riders are on another level than the rest of the field, which makes for an even more stressful competition as even one small mistake could cost the win.  Casales dropped only a single point on the opening lap to Smage’s 3.  With both riders cleaning every section on the second lap, it came down to the final sections of the day.  The Montesa Honda rider would take two dabs, and an unfortunate single point kept the Sherco rider from the top step.  Casales ended with 3 points on the day to Smage’s 4, with FactoryONE Scorpa’s Alex Myers rounding out the podium with 37 points.

“Today was really hard because Pat [Smage] is really strong,” explained Casales.  “He rides very well.  I’m happy to have a stronger rider with me.  To be honest, I didn’t like the sections; they were beautiful, but the level for me was too easy.  It’s too easy to do easy mistakes.  The last lap, I had a lot of pressure; I made a mistake in section 2 or 3 and I thought I lost.  Pat also made a mistake, so I knew I had to finish the lap [clean].  I think today’s [win] is very important for the championship because now I have more options to win if something happens.”

Sunday’s competition was even hotter, with temperatures reaching towards 90 degrees.  Once again, points were low, and the win came down to a single mistake in section 10.  Riders had to traverse up and down a very uneven field of large limestone rocks set into the hillside.  Coming through the section on the first loop, Smage was able to clean the section.  Casales got off line about halfway up the rocky hillclimb, put his foot down to save the ride but ultimately slid backwards, dismounting the bike to save himself from falling and earning himself five points.  After both riders cleaned their second loop, it all came down to the final sections.  Smage had a lot of pressure, sitting at a completely clean day, and dropped only a single point, the only point he would take.  Casales finished with 6 points for second place, with Alex Myers once again rounding out the podium.  The rest of the Pro field would mirror results of Saturday, with Trials Superstore GasGas USA’s Josh Roper taking fourth, FactoryONE Sherco’s Will Myers in fifth, and Trials Superstore’s Murphy Aaron in sixth.

 “I thought the sections were pretty enjoyable,” said Smage.  “There were a couple that were on the long side and we could’ve used a few less splits, but the obstacles in the sections were able to be ridden smooth, which is why I think I enjoyed them.  They rewarded precision, which is something I really work on a lot.  There was one section that was the hardest of the day, and I knew the whole day came down to that section on the last loop, since I knew what the rest of the sections looked like.  You had to be really precise, and I put too much pressure on myself and ended up taking a point.  Overall, I’m happy being able to manage the situation I was dealt this weekend and finish that strong.  I didn’t want to give up, and some things ended up motivating me even more.  I was able to handle everything better than I expected and better than I would have in the past.”

In the Women’s Pro class, Trials Superstore GasGas USA’s Maddie Hoover was able to take the win over Beta’s Alicia Robinson both days.