GasGas’s Josh Roper got off to a strong start in the 2023 AMA NATC National MotoTrials Series by winning his first Pro-class event on opening day over 13-time National Champion, FactoryOne Sherco’s Pat Smage.
Story and Photos by Steph Vetterly
Smage would retaliate on Sunday, leaving the two riders tied in overall championship points.
Promise Ranch, a 1300-acre family-run cattle ranch located in Center Hill, Florida, played host to the opening weekend, which was organized by the Florida Trials Association (FTA). Near 100-degree temps meant proper hydration and nutrition would be imperative to not only placing well, but simply finishing.
More than 100 riders were present, competing in 12 sections on a 5.5-mile loop that ran around the perimeter of the property’s lake. The rocks and hills that comprised the sections are the result of the property’s history as a phosphate mine. While the sections for Saturday’s competition were described by some as being slightly more on the “easy” side, a low-scoring day provides its own stress. While the possibility of failing a splatter or double-step is less likely, a single dab could cost the top step of the podium.
On the first loop of the day, Roper returned to the pits with a clean scorecard, taking no dabs in any of the 12 sections. Smage took a dab in a side-hill off-camber turn, but would return triumphant (and clean) in the second loop; Roper took a single point in the second loop, meaning that the event came down to the final loop.
Unfortunately for Smage, the section bit him again when the rocks he had used as markers in the section on his clean loop were no longer in the same place. Roper kept his sights set on the win, and turned in another clean loop card, putting his final score at only a single point to Smage’s two.
FactoryOne Scorpa’s Alex Myers also had a solid ride, with 3-4-2 loop scores putting him in third place with only nine points dropped on the day.
“I was a little shaky early on,” said Smage. “With it being the first National of the year, you always have those first-event jitters. I’m really happy to see Josh take the win; he rode awesome and made one less mistake than me. When it’s that close and it comes down to one turn, you can’t be too bummed on it. We’re still right in there with a good start to the season.”
“It’s nice to come here, put [my winter training] into the works and pull off a win,” said Roper. “I’m super excited about that. The sections were a bit on the easy side today. I went clean, one [point], clean, and just messed up on a small hillside, the same place Pat Smage took his two points as well. I was able to capitalize on that. You had to be precise on all the other sections and perfect through it.”
While Saturday’s sections may have eased riders into the new season, Sunday’s sections set the riders up for some serious technical challenges. Tight obstacle placement, with some big ups showcased how much potential the property truly has as a National-caliber location, and was reflected in the increase in points across the board.
Roper stayed fairly consistent throughout the day, taking 8-8-13 for a total of 29 points. Despite having a few mistakes costing him an opening loop score of 16, Smage doubled down, reducing his scores with each loop. With a 16-6-2, he was able to take the win on the day with 24 points, proving that he is not yet ready to relinquish the title.
Alex Myers, again, would also stay consistent, going 11-20-13 on the day for a total of 44 points, enough to take another third-place finish.
In the Expert class, it was another first, with Beta USA’s Jay Gregorowicz taking his first-ever win.
2023 NATC MotoTrials Round One Results
Click here for all the latest Off-Road Racing news.
