Lincoln County motorcycle racers stand proudly with their numerous awards received at last weekend’s MRAN awards banquet. From left, Eric Curtis, Todd Parker, Chase Curtis, Jaden Settles, Karson Boyce, Kobe Kelley, Hagen Boyce, Tyler Wadsworth, Colton Gubler. (Not pictured, Axel Pearson, Maggie Pearson, Joe Livreri and Damon Livreri). (Courtesy photo)
The Motorcycle Racing Association of Nevada (MRAN) hosted their annual awards banquet for points earned during the 2013 racing year. Lincoln County racers not only had their presence known, but won a substantial portion of the 90 awards given. President of MRAN, and the Silver State Trailblazers club, Zack Livreri, estimated Lincoln County took home around 25 percent of the awards.
The Silver State Trailblazers club took home the honor of having the “Race of the Year,” as the Muley Run from Panaca to Caliente in August of last year was voted the best race by all the racers in MRAN. Livreri said later that he thinks the last five or six “races of the year” have been awarded to races in Lincoln County. He also said 20 percent of the National Hare and Hound series races are held in the county.
Hosted by Sam’s Town in Las Vegas, the association spared no efforts in arranging a special evening for riders and their families. The beginning of the ceremony started with the “walk of Champions,” where first place winners for each class were presented a custom MRAN jacket. Trista Boyce, from Pioche and mother of Karson and Hagen Boyce, said when they entered the room, the boys were, “star struck.” Hagen and Karson both ride for the Trailblazers club. Hagen won 2nd place in the 65CC class Desert Series, as well as taking first in the 65CC class Grand Prix Series, which he was also awarded a personalized MRAN racing jacket for.
Following in his footsteps, little brother Karson captured third place in the 50CC Grand Prix, as well as most improved rider for the minis in the Grand Prix and Desert series.
Another family of winners were the Parkers from Caliente. Todd Parker took home second place for the 40+ class in the Grand Prix series.
Stepsons Eric and Chase Curtis also took home trophies. Wendy Parker, their mother, said, “we couldn’t even fit in the truck on the way home.” The family took home around 15 awards for the year. Chase won third in the 85CC+ class for the Desert series, as well as in the Grand Prix series. Eric took third in the Lites class for the Grand Prix series.
In addition to their championships, the clan also won the “family of the year” award. The family rides for the Yucca Chuckers club.
Jaden Settles from Panaca also rides for the Yucca Chuckers, and won championships, taking first in the 85CC+ class for both the Desert and Grand Prix series. He said, “It felt really good, I felt accomplished.” He hopes to stay in first this year, and possibly move up to the big bikes. Settles has been riding for four or five years, and says, “I want to race for the rest of my life.”
Father John Settles said, “He has worked very hard for two number one plates and I’m so proud of him.”
Colton Gubler, from Caliente, took first place in the Lites category for both series. Gubler also runs G&G Films, and had created a slideshow of photos from the year accompanied with music to play during the evening.
Joe Livreri, from Caliente, took home third for the four-stroke class in the Desert series. Livreri works very closely with the racers in the county, and is instrumental to the Caliente Motocross at Industrial Park. He is brother to Zack, and belongs to the Trailblazers, as well as encouraging his son, Damon Livreri, to ride.
Kobe Kelley, from Eagle Valley, took third in the 65CC. This was the first year to win an award for Kobe, who’s started his racing only a year ago. His grandmother from Pioche, Diane Kelley, said, “It was a good experience for him.”
The awards ceremony lasted from 6 to almost 10 p.m. She said the kids who won awards, “were beyond happy. That was a long ceremony, and the kids sat glued to the stage the whole time.”
Maggie Pearson, also from Eagle Valley, represented the females, winning third in the womens Desert series, even though she had only participated in a few of the races for the year. Currently, Maggie does not ride for a club, but has shown her dedication to the sport. She concentrated on the America Motorcyclists Association (AMA) National Hare and Hound series last year, and won that championship. AMA also has also named Maggie as one of the Female Racers of the Year and Women’s A/B Class Champion.
The big winner of the series, taking first place in the Desert Series was Maggie’s brother, Axel Pearson, cousin to David Pearson, who holds the No. 2 seat for the 2013 AA/Pro AMA Hare and Hound National Championship. Zack Livreri said, “Axel is the best overall rider in MRAN.” Pearson’s trophies for the hight point rider and open class champion needless to say, stood three to three-and-a-half feet tall. The high point rider trophy is a revolving trophy that the winner keeps for a year, and gets his name added to the trophy along with receiving a plaque, with the other riders through the years. The current trophy has names from at least 2002.
Earlier that day, David and Tuffy Pearson competed in the Best in the Desert Parker 250 race in Parker, Ariz. The Pearsons were victorious, winning the race overall by more than 20 minutes.
