Trevor Brunner receives 2019 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award
July 27, 2019
Story and photos by Michael Marino
HARPSTER, Ohio — It was celebration time Friday evening for 14 riders who won 21 class titles during four days of intense competition at the 2019 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship.
The amateur national flat track championship began Tuesday on the half-mile at the Ashland County Fairgrounds in Ashland, Ohio, before moving to the Triangle Motorcycle Club in Harpster, Ohio, for TT, short track and half-mile competition.
The top performer was Trevor Brunner, a 16-year-old from Aurora, Ind., who claimed four AMA No. 1 plates. He won eight main events and finished runner up in seven to capture the 251cc-500cc DTX, 450cc Modified, 450cc-Open Singles and 450cc-Open Modified class titles.
Brunner also was named the 2019 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award winner. Established in 1997, the award is designed to recognize riders who are about to move from the youth ranks into amateur racing and from the amateur ranks into pro competition.
Also named at the event was the winner of the 2019 Fast Brain Award, 10-year-old Ryder Reese of Elmira, N.Y.
The AMA Fast Brain Award is an educational scholarship that is funded by contributions from AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Bill Werner of Bill Werner Racing, Zanotti Racing’s Dave Zanotti and flat track and road racing team owner Tim Estenson.
Other riders to win multiple class titles were Colton Shafer of Fresno, Calif., Riley Nauta of Worongary, Queensland, Australia, Travis Horn of La Verne, Calif., and Chase Saathoff of Hillsboro, Ill., each winning two AMA No. 1 plates.
Horn also was named the 2019 AMA Youth Flat Track Racer of the Year.
The Vet/Senior Flat Track Racer of the Year Award went to Rob Williams of Holly, Mich., who took home top honors in the 50+ Super Senior Class.
On Friday, the last day of competition, riders Kody Kopp, Nauta and Tom Drane all scored wins after going winless in Thursday’s short track racing.
Kopp’s victory in the 201cc-250cc main event helped the 2018 Fast Brain Award winner secure an AMA No. 1 plate in that class.
After going without a victory on Thursday, Nauta, who hails from Queensland, Australia, was back in winning form on Friday. His victories in the 65cc DTX (7-11) and and 65cc Modified (7-11) main events capped off his six win, two AMA No. 1 plate effort at the event.
It was a tough end to the event for 2018 AMA Youth Flat Track Racer of the Year and New South Wales, Australia, resident Drane. He took wins in the 250cc Modified and 250cc DTX class main event on Friday but finished runner-up in the points standings in both classes. He won three class championships at the 2018 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship in his first time competing in the United States.
Another rider who endured a difficult 2019 championship was Remington Leonard. The rider from Greenville, Ill., suffered two blown engines and problems keeping another engine running on Thursday. The 2018 50cc DTX PW Shaft champ did end the event on a high note. He finished runner-up in Friday’s 50cc DTX PW (4-8) main event, which helped him finish second in that class’ points standings.
2019 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship — Class Champions
- 50cc DTX Sr. (7-8): Colton Shafer, Fresno, Calif.
- 85cc DTX (7-11): Travis Horn, La Verne, Calif.
- 50cc DTX PW Shaft (4-8): Liam Benoist, Mascoutah, Ill.
- 250cc Modified: Chase Saathoff, Hillsboro, Ill.
- 50cc DTX PW (4-8): Colton Shafer, Fresno, Calif.
- 450cc Modified: Trevor Brunner, Aurora, Ind.
- 85cc Modified (7-11): Travis Horn, La Verne, Calif.
- Super Senior 50+: Rob Williams, Holly, Mich.
- 450cc-Open Singles: Trevor Brunner, Aurora, Ind.
- 65cc Modified (7-11): Riley Nauta, Worongary, Queensland, Australia
- 201cc-250cc: Kody Kopp, Mica, Wash.
- Senior 40+: Dallas Mayer, Carbondale, Ill.
- Open Vintage: Daniel Poole, Gaffney, S.C.
- 85cc Modified (12-15): Talus Sather, Vancouver, Wash.
- 251cc-500cc DTX: Trevor Brunner, Aurora, Ind.
- 65cc DTX (7-11): Riley Nauta, Worongary, Queensland, Australia
- Veteran 30+: Ben Evans, Galion, Ohio
- Pro/Expert Singles: Max Whale, Coondoo, Queensland, Australia
- 250cc DTX: Chase Saathoff, Hillsboro, Ill.
- 450cc-Open Modified: Trevor Brunner, Aurora, Ind.
- 85cc DTX (12-15): Chase Anderson, Troy, Ill.
2019 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship — Friday Main Event Winners
- 50cc DTX Sr. (7-8): Colton Shafer, Fresno, Calif.
- 85cc DTX (7-11): Travis Horn, La Verne, Calif.
- 50cc DTX PW Shaft (4-8): Leland Prewitt, Savannah, Ga.
- 250cc Modified: Tom Drane, Forbes, New South Wales, Australia
- 50cc DTX PW (4-8): Colton Shafer, Fresno, Calif.
- 450cc Modified: Kody Kopp, Mica, Wash.
- 85cc Modified (7-11): Travis Horn, La Verne, Calif.
- Super Senior 50+: Doug Davis, Dayton, Ohio
- 450cc-Open Singles: Aiden Roosevans, O’Fallon, Ill.
- 65cc Modified (7-11): Riley Nauta, Worongary, Queensland, Australia
- 201cc-250cc: Kody Kopp, Mica, Wash.
- Senior 40+: Shane Scott, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
- Open Vintage: Daniel Poole, Gaffney, S.C.
- 85cc Modified (12-15): Jacob Peacock, Rochester, N.Y.
- 251cc-500cc DTX: Aiden Roosevans, O’Fallon, Ill.
- 65cc DTX (7-11): Riley Nauta, Worongary, Queensland, Australia
- Veteran 30+: Ben Evans, Galion, Ohio
- Pro/Expert Singles: Jeffrey Carver, Alton, Ill.
- 250cc DTX: Tom Drane, Forbes, New South Wales, Australia
- 450cc-Open Modified: Aiden Roosevans, O’Fallon, Ill.
- 85cc DTX (12-15): Talus Sather, Vancouver, Wash.