2022 AMA/NATC MotoTrials Final Round Results

| June 13, 2022

FactoryOne Sherco’s Pat Smage could not have asked for better weather in which to clinch his 13th AMA/NATC National Mototrials Championship. Hosted by the Upper Midwest Trials Association (UMTA) at the Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area in Gilbert, Minnesota, riders and spectators were treated to bright, sunny skies, mild temperatures and a slight breeze, a much-needed contrast from the unfortunate snowstorm at the previous rounds in Colorado.

Pat Smage at 2022 AMA/NATC MotoTrials Minnesota — **Pat Smage swept the final round of the AMA/NATC MotoTrials Championship in Minnesota and wrapped up his 13th title.**

Story and Photos by Stephanie Vetterly

Twelve sections were placed along a six-and-a-half-mile course. With the rocks providing plenty of traction, many of the Pro riders agreed that the sections were on the easy side, making competition all the more difficult as one lone point/dab could cost a podium finish.

For the Pro class, Saturday’s competition consisted of two loops (24 sections) with a spectacular Pro Shootout finishing off the day. Smage took only three points out of the two loops (2-1), serving more as safety dabs to avoid failing a section.

GasGas’s Josh Roper proved that he is a serious contender for the top step of the podium. After taking eight points in the first loop, he found his flow and cleaned every section for the second loop.

Reminiscent of the Pro Shootout held at this location in 2019, Pro riders had a total of four sections, each of which was ridden twice. The format is more of a spectacle for the crowd; larger obstacles are favored over more technical lines to showcase the power and precision of both bike and rider. Start order was determined in reverse of the point standings from the morning’s competition, meaning TRS’s Sam Fastle had the honors of putting wheels in first. Rather than the typical 90-second time limit imposed on standard sections, riders now had a full two minutes to navigate the ribbon and exit the finish gates.

Section one flowed well, with only Beta’s Alex Niederer and FactoryOne Scorpa’s Alex Myers failing to complete it on the second attempt. Section two offered riders a bit of respite with a simple rocky hillclimb before heading into the high-flying action of sections three and four. Easily the crown jewel of the afternoon, offering the most action and drama, was section four, which included the same splatter that challenged riders back in 2019. Much in “Smage” fashion, Pat was able to clean the section both times, earning a completely clean ride for the shootout. Others found themselves looping out at the top of the splatter, a dangerous position to be in as the only way out is to fall approximately eight feet.

On his first attempt, FactoryOne Sherco’s Will Myers reached the top of the splatter, but too much rotation prevented him from setting the front wheel down. The result was a spectacular catch of the bike by minder/father Mark Myers, but a tumble straight down onto the rocks below for Will. The on-site paramedic was called in to assess injury, and after a few moments and some questioning to rule out a possible concussion, the Sherco rider was up and moving, and was escorted out of the section. Riders continued their attempts, with varying degrees of success. Impressively, Will donned his helmet and geared up for his second attempt. In the comeback story of the weekend, not only did Will successfully splatter the obstacle, he cleaned the entire section!

Josh Roper at 2022 AMA/NATC MotoTrials Minnesota — **Next-best on the day and in the championship was Josh Roper who went 2-2 over the weekend.**

Starting bright and early Sunday morning, Smage needed only to start the day and earn series points to secure his title. Sections were similar to those of Saturday’s, with more emphasis on multiple large obstacles or loose hillclimbs rather than technical turns. Roper closed the season out with another second-place finish, with teammate GasGas’s Daniel Blanc-Gonnet improving from fifth place on Saturday to round out the Sunday podium.

“It’s definitely cool,” said Smage about winning his 13th title. “I’ve definitely got to appreciate every [championship] that I get and have had, especially with the other riders stepping it up so much. They’re just closing the gap more and more each year; as good as they are, for me to finish ahead of them is pretty sweet. So, definitely got to enjoy it and appreciate it. And just to have the opportunity to keep doing this is pretty special.

“I’ve got to thank the FactoryOne team for giving that opportunity for me to focus on this. Up until now, this is all that has really mattered this year, so it’s been a lot of pressure that I put on myself and I’m glad I could manage to hold it together and pull it off.”