Florida Trail Riders - May 2022

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BULLSEYE CIRCLE M LOGO

VOL. 23

MOOSE RACING CORPORATE LOGO USAGE BLACK

WHITE

021C

877C

BLACK BOXES BEHIND LOGOS ARE FOR COLOR REFERENCE ONLY (DO NOT PRINT)

MIKE JONES

FTR BENEFIT PHOTOS SAFETY TIP & MORE May 2022

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Photo by Tyler Miller

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS AREA DIRECTORS & CLUB INFO

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WHO TO CONTACT 5 EDITOR’S NOTE 7 ON THE COVER 7

PREZ SAYS 8 CHAPLAIN’S CORNER 11 SAFETY TIP: SUN SAFETY 12 CATCHING UP: MEGHAN GAGNON 14 FTR BENEFIT PHOTOS 18 IMPORTANT BANQUET INFO 30

Photos in this issue provided by: TYLER MILLER

BRIANNA AVIRETT May 2022

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AREA DIRECTORS & CLUB INFO

AREA DIRECTORS AREA #1 - Out-of-State, Panhandle Brandon St. John (912) 729-1089 ktm21brandon@yahoo.com AREA #2 - Hamilton, Suwannee, Columbia, Baker, Union, Bradford, Nassau, Duval, Clay, Putnam, St. Johns James Benton (904) 589 0093 bentonracing116@yahoo.com AREA #3 - Gilchrist, Alachua, Levy, Marion, Citrus, Sumter, Lake Wiliam Toreki (352) 372-1135 stillbill@cox.net AREA #4 - Flagler, Volusia Mike McGuire (386) 871-0666 makmcguire@yahoo.com AREA #5 - Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, West Hillsborough Shane Hitz (747) 213-4399 shane.hitz@yahoo.com AREA #6 - East Hillsborough, Polk Trey Heath (863) 326-3009 treyheath@hotmail.com

AREA #7 - Seminola, Osceola, Orange

Jason Ennis (321) 615-8227 jason.ennis@mypowersports. net AREA #8 - Brevard, Indian River Shaun Foutch (386) 214-4878 eastflorida234@yahoo.com AREA #9 - Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee, DeSoto, Highlands Michael Hall (941) 920-5288 mhall11525@gmail.com AREA #10 - Okeechobee, St. Lucie, Martin Ken Harris (772) 370-4434 khei9862@gmail.com AREA #11 - Charlotte, Lee, Glades, Hendry, Collier Ken Redford (239) 297-7170 redford_kenny@yahoo.com AREA #12 - Palm Beach Kyle McAfee (561) 722-1318 rkyle914@aol.com AREA #13 - Borward, Dade, Monroe Adam Cohen (954) 881-4211 adams.cohen.c@gmail.com

CLUB CONTACTS

Apollo M/C Mark Bordelon (321) 794-0993 markbord115@gmail.com

Palm Beach Track & Trail Randy Rash (954) 931-5709 motodadfla19@aol.com

Azalea City M/C Gary Wyatt (386) 684-2698 wyattg1@windstream.net

Perry Mountain M/C Brad Belcher (205) 340-4298 perrymountainmotorcycleclub@gmail.com

Big O Trail Riders Derek Tremain (863) 634-8183 derektremain@gmail.com Big Scrub Trail Riders Curtis Bell (386) 679-8201 curtbell@rocketmail.com Central Florida Trail Riders Elesa Berard (407) 376-7115 elesa@embarqmail.com Columbia Enduro Riders Ricky Dennis (803) 786-0051 mastercraft@bellsoth.net Daytona Dirt Riders Joe Carrasquillo (386) 615-0722 secretary4ddr@gmail.com Family Riders, Inc. Johnny Thomas (843) 553-1463 familyriderssc@bellsouth.net Greenville Enduro Riders Chris Poole (864) 617-4342 info@greenvilleenduroriders. com Nature Coast Trail Blazers Rob Swann (813) 731-5552 rswann222@gmail.com Old School Dirt Riders Ben Kelly (941) 650-1473 ftr90racer@yahoo.com

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

River City Dirt Riders James Benton (904) 589-0093 bentonracing116@yahoo.com Sarasota Area Dirt Riders Randy Faul (863) 244-3709 randt817@gmail.com Southeast Florida Trail Riders Frank Campbell (561) 951-3732 flawoods35@yahoo.com Sumter Enduro Riders Johnny McCoy (803) 481-5169 serma@ftc-i.net Suncoast Trail Blazers Scott Doerr (352) 238-0337 doerr66@gmail.com Sunrunners Dirt Riders West Anderson (863) 604-1868 jetster220@gmail.com Tallahassee Trail Riders Mikey Rainey (350) 591-5386 trailriderstallahassee@gmail. com Treasure Coast Trail Riders Luis M Rodriguez (772) 801-9777 luisabx@hotmail.com

WHO TO CONTACT OFFICERS

RIDER REPS

PRESIDENT Randy Faul (863) 244-3709 president@floridatrailriders.org VICE PRESIDENT Pete Rose (941) 270-1189 vicepresident@floridatrailriders.org SECRETARY Kelsey Saltar (386) 315-4713 secretary@floridatrailriders.org

AA/A ENDURO Don Chriss (407) 694-5614 decorlando@gmail.com B/C ENDURO Sam Boydstun (407) 467-3951 woodsracercfl@rr.com

SPECIALTY A/B ENDURO Peter Magee (352) 472-6932 cr250@bellsouth.net SPECIALTY C/WOMEN ENDURO Jimmy Pitts (321) 234-5086

TREASURER Kayla Vawter (863) 381-2649 treasurer@foridatrailriders.org

AA/A HARE SCRAMBLE Ryan McCarthy (941) 234-5086 ryanmccarthy90@gmail.com

HARE SCRAMBLE CHAIRMAN Randy Rash (954) 931-5709 hschair@floridatrailriders.org

B/C HARE SCRAMBLE Roy Culbertson (407) 446-7993 roy.culbertson337@gmail.com

ENDURO CHAIRMAN George Tolson (863) 698-3837 endurochair@floridatrailriders.org

SPECIALTY A/B HARE SCRAMBLE Danny Kittell (727) 244-7299 kittell@verizon.net

HARE SCRAMBLE REFEREE Dan Aitken (407) 461-8595 hsref@floridatrailriders.org

SPECIALTY C/WOMEN HARE SCRAMBLE Kerri Chambers (863) 956-9140 jekchambers@aol.com

ENDURO REFEREE Glenn Hunt (678) 231-4100 enduroref@floeidatrailriders.org

SATURDAY CLASSES HARE SCRAMBLE Kurt Lucas (786) 385-7771 kurtlucas101@gmail.com

BUSINESS MANAGER Darlene Riggs (352) 538-6291 businessmanager@floridatrailriders.org

SATURDAY CLASSES HARE SCRAMBLE Pete Rose (941) 270-1189 pwrracingktm@gmail.com May 2022

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FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

Photo by Tyler Miller

ON THE COVER Mike Jones rips his way to a second place in Peewee C at the FTR Benefit race. To see more photos from the event turn to page 18.

EDITOR’S NOTE Thats a wrap! What a season and I cannot believe it is already over. Huge thanks to all the clubs and volunteers that made this season happen. Without these people FTR would cease to exist.

I don’t know about you guys but I am going to take this long break to do some fun out-of-state riding. I am competing in the Perry Mountain 24 Hour Challenge in June.

This race is held in Central Alabama and the difference in terrain really provides a fun challenge.

I will be leaving the flat, sandy, Florida woods for the clay-based, rocky,

slick Alabama hills.

I am looking forward to this event because it seems like over half of the entries are Florida-based teams. How cool is that?

After the 24 Hour Challenge, i’ll probably hit the beach, pool or whatever else can keep me cool in this Florida heat! Soon enough we will all be getting ready to do it again next September.

Thank you for reading and feel free to reach out to me with any comments, questions and concerns!

Kurt Lucas

Photo by Tyler Miller May 2022

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PREZ SAYS

On Location This month’s article is coming live from somewhere in the middle of 18,000 acres where I’ve been living for the past four weekends.

Leaving out on either a Thursday night or sometimes on Friday, the name of the game is the same.

Load up the first of the week, go stay at property, come home Sunday night, go to work on Monday tired and Repeat.

Along with many others, we are about three weeks out from the final HS event of the season.

It seems like we just got done with our clubs event in October and here we are again, time fly’s when you’re having fun they say.

Along with our friends from the Sunrunners, SADRA and many other volunteers, the course has come together nicely, or should I say all three courses. Yes, here we go again doing three separate trails as Sunday has its own trail shared with

3 miles of Saturday bikes with quads having their own 7 miles.

A lot of work by all and by the time you read this we will have completed our Hare Scrambles series this season and we will be looking at the big show, our awards banquet. More details will be coming very soon but I will say do not wait for booking your rooms and ordering your tickets as this year we will be presenting a full room of vendors with merchandise, bikes and new products which everyone is super excited to go back to.

With one more co-sanctioned Enduro scheduled for June 12 in Greensboro, Ga our season will come to a close and then we have the summer off to go ride some more in the northern states as we can call it a vacation, a getaway or a men’s trip. I know this may not sit well with the better half but if we structure it in a way where they have an unlimited credit card, unlimited mileage on a rental and no set hours, they could go, and it would be a win-win!

Moving along before this sits in, this sounds good but is not recommended or endorsed as we have the 22/23 season to look forward to so on to summer activities.

By the time you read this our benefit race will be in the books with championships determined and hopefully a lot of memories made with your buddies. If you FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

don’t get enough, we meet almost every Sunday in the pines at Croom for a morning ride and knock off around 1:00 after some horrendous bench racing, lies and who is getting the next new bike.

All kidding aside and as we all know, we only had 10 events this season with three clubs having problems securing property. It’s getting extremely difficult to find property that a landowner allows us to use. Then if property is found the first thing you look at is the parking and the road as now the parking is more important than how much actual woods you have. It wasn’t too many years ago that it was just the opposite as how many acres you had to work with and how much of it was woods and useable.

This is the main reason the clubs ask that you don’t circle the wagons and take up way more area than you need as parking is a premium. I know this was the main factor in one of the clubs not being able to hold an event because the property did not have enough parking. I also know every club goes beyond the call of duty to make sure their weekend goes smooth and that the property is left in better shape than they found it and doing our part certainly helps with that.

Thanks for listening, Randy Faul

May 2022

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Want to advertise with us? Email ftreditor@floridatrailriders.org for more info

HI-PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

CHAPLAIN’S CORNER from there. By 8:00 the lightning struck the lake over the ridge, the pop ups on pit row were turning into kites and pretzels and Betty and were feeling our trailer rock and roll in the wind!

The next morning was beautiful with cool temStarting Line to Checkered peratures and an amazing Flag… sunrise. The storm had “I have fought the good passed. fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” I was reminded of what 2 Timothy 4:7 the apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 4:12, “Beloved, The FTR Benefit race at do not be surprised at the Bartow has come and fiery trials when it comes gone. However, for those upon you to test you, as of us who spent Saturthough something strange day night on property, it were happening to you.” was anything but quiet in In other words, don’t be camp. surprised when the “surprises” hit. In spite of what The sprinkles started at you see in front of you, the end of the quad race.

God remains in full control.

It went downhill quickly

May 2022

Proverbs 3:5-6 states it this way, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. He will see you through.

So when, not if, those storms strike, hang on tight and God will provide.

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.(!!!!) Philippians 4:13.

Blessings on and off the road, Jim and Betty Edleston CMA

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SAFETY TIP: SUN SAFETY Practice ‘Safe Sun’: Protection and Early Detection of Skin Cancer are Key As a trail rider, you can prepare for every challenge and hazard, but sometimes, it’s the one you don’t think about that may be doing the most harm.

Like many outdoor activities, riding brings you, your family, and friends who enjoy the sport with you, face-to-face with the sun. And exposure to the sun is a leading cause of skin cancer.

Skin cancers are by far the most common of all cancers, and while melanoma, the deadliest form, accounts for only about 1% of all skin cancers – it results in a majority of all skin cancer deaths.

Did you know?

Over 25 percent of lifetime sun damage occurs in childhood.

Men over the age of 40 spend the most time outdoors and get the most annual UV ray exposure.

Harmful UVA and UVB rays are more intense in the summer.

Florida receives 150 percent more UV light than Maine.

Overexposure in one day can lead to sunburns.

It takes only one sunburn over the course of your lifetime to double your risk of skin cancer.

Are you the one?

One in five people in the U.S. will get skin cancer, and more than 3 million Americans are diagnosed with it each year. And that’s good news, because the earlier skin cancer is detected, the more treatable it is. In fact, if detected early, the survival rate for melanoma is around 99 percent, but quickly drops to just 15 percent when discovered at a more advanced stage.

Risk factors for skin cancer include a cumulative history of sun exposure (often starting in childhood), blistering sunburns at any age, spending time outdoors for work or play, tanning in tanning beds, or having light-colored hair and fair skin. People over 50 are also at a higher risk, and men are more likely than women to get the disease.

And even racing gear and a full-face helmet don’t protect you. Covering up on and off your bike and wearing the right sun protection (from SPF 30 or greater sunscreen to UV protective sunglasses) are a good start.

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

So, what else can you do to practice safe sun?

Give sunscreen at least 20 minutes to start protecting you. If you wait until you’re in the sun to put it on, you may not get the full benefit for awhile.

Reapply it at least every two hours and more often if you sweat or go into the water.

Wear protective clothing and a broad-brimmed hat when you’re not suited up.

Avoid the mid-day sun whenever possible. If you can’t, the UV index can let you know the best time to schedule a ride.

Park in the shade on your stops.

Make annual Total-Body Skin Cancer Exams part of your routine health and wellness screenings. Very simply, they save lives.

Be watchful. Melanoma can develop anywhere on the body – scalp, nails, feet, mouth, even the eyes. If you have a mole or bump that starts to bleed, itch, grow or change, check it out right away. Not all skin cancers are melanomas, but all should be properly evaluated and treated.

It doesn’t take much to protect yourself and those you love from the sun. Start being sun smart today.

Information provided by Heather Lyons of Advanced Dermatology

74 Locations in Florida www.advancedderm.com May 2022

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CATCHING UP: MEGHAN GAGNON Meghan Gagnon first started riding, like many others, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Quebec native had always ridden quads, bicycles, go-karts so the transition to dirt bikes went very smoothly. You could say Meghan has some natural talent when it comes to racing,

she won the Junior Girls Hare Scramble Championship in her first FTR season and also qualified for the Loretta Lynn’s AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship in the Women 12+ class. “I heard about Loretta’s when I first arrived in America and everyone told me

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

it would be impossible in my first-year riding,” said Meghan, “This motivated me, and I decided to make that my newest goal.”

After winning the Junior Girls Championship Meghan decided to set her sights on the

Junior C class and mix it up against the boys. “Winning the Junior Girls Championship and receiving an AMA Number One Plate was a dream come true and motivated me for the next season,” said Meghan.

Meghan continued her riding and training over the summer and continued to enter in various motocross races. In August she entered in a race at WW Motocross up in Jacksonville and unfortunately for Meghan she was bit by the injury bug.

“I was hitting this 100ft triple all day with no issues, in my last race when the track was beat up I hit a kicker and it just sent me into a nose dive and I went over the bars,” said Meghan, “I ended up knocking myself out and suffered from a very bad

concussion, I broke my back, collarbone and bruised and displaced my lungs.” Perhaps the scariest part of her injuries was the fact that she lost peripheral vision due to the concussion, this went on for two months and Meghan and her family were starting to worry that she would never regain her vision.

“This was the scariest part of my accident, it felt like a miracle when it came back.”

Now, for some racers and injury like this might make them question if they want to get back on the bike or not. This was not the case for Meghan, “The doctors laughed because my first question was how long until I can ride again,” said Meghan.”

Meghan had to go through intense therapy in order to regain

May 2022

her strength, but she was able to remount a bike in just five months. Meghan had a new goal in mind after missing the first few races, finish top three in Junior C for the year. Her first race back was the Coyote Revenge Hare Scramble in Brooksville where she finished second in Junior C. Meghan would finish the season with three wins and two seconds which was good enough for her to reach her goal of a third overall in Junior C. Meghan has her sights set on a new goal, qualify for Loretta’s again. She is well on her way, she just made it through the Southeast Area Qualifier at Lazy River MX. Be sure to follow Meghan’s journey on Instagram @meghan_gagnon17.

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RIDER: MEGHAN GAGNON PHOTO: TYLER MILLER

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

May 2022

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FTR BENEFIT PHOTOS Photos by Jamey “Photoman” Perdue

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

May 2022

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FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

May 2022

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FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

RIDER: TIM WILLIS PHOTO: BRIANNA AVIRETT May 2022

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FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! THIS IS YOUR MAGAZINE, WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORIES! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT CONTENT TO THE FTR MAGAZINE PLEASE EMAIL FTREDITOR@FLORIDATRAILRIDERS.ORG

YOUR AD HERE!

May 2022

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FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

THANK YOU ROCKY MOUNTAIN ATV M/C FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS OVER $150,000 IN RACE GAS GIFT CARDS EACH YEAR!

May 2022

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RIDER: LOGAN LANIER PHOTO: BRIANNA AVIRETT

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

PIT DOG OF THE MONTH HEIDI OWNER: CHRISTIAN HOLMES

May 2022

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IMPORTANT BANQUET INFO

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS

May 2022

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YOUR AD HERE

FLORIDA TRAIL RIDERS