Cobra Racers Clean Up @ Lake Whitney, Ready To Gate For Oak Hill MX National

Lewis, Lietzel, Robertson and Forkner lead Cobra in some Texas-sized dirt bike battles to open the ‘09 amateur MX national season
  
HILLSDALE, Mich., (March 18, 2009) – Future stars of American motocross - all running Cobra Motorcycles – dominated the competition at the season’s opening amateur MX national round at Texas’ 2009 Thor Lake Whitney MX Park Spring Nationals this past week/weekend.

 

All totalled, Cobra kid swept all four 51cc class championships, as well as scoring an impressive overall 2nd place podium finish in the 65cc 7-11 Modified class.

 

“Everyone at Cobra was very impressed with the performances this past weekend at Lake Whitney and we’re looking forward to the riders continuing their effort this week at Oak Hill,” said Cobra President Sean Hilbert.

Cobra’s Tristan Lewis (w/ his mom). Photo: Corey Bixby.

Leading the charge for Cobra was National Team Plus member, Georgia’s Tristan Lewis. Aboard the #735 Cobra CX50SR, Lewis won the prestigious 51cc 4-8 Stock Open class with a come-from-behind 3rd-1st two moto finish. “This was Tristan’s first big breakthrough race,” said Hilbert. “He is really, really fast.” Note: Lewis was joined on the 51cc 4-8 Stock Open podium by Cobra Factory racer Jordan Bailey (Fla.) in 2nd and Cobra National Team racer Gavin Hultman (Ariz.) in 3rd.

 

Also winning a class title (51cc 7-8 Stock) on the CX50SR was Cobra National Team rider Logan Lietzel (Pa.). Lietzel, like Lewis, has to come from behind to take the class title, going 3rd/1st to win. Cobra National Plus Team racer Brandon Smith (Ariz.) was 2nd in the class and Cobra-mounted Carter Halpain (Texas) was 3rd.

 

In the 65cc class Cobra was led by National Team racer Austin Forkner. The ten-year-old Missouri native was nearly unstoppable when he was in control of the powerful Cobra CX65, going 2nd/2nd in the 65cc 7-11 Modified class that was chock full of former and present Cobra Factory and National Team racers.

Cobra’s Austin Forkner on the CX65. Photo: Corey Bixby.

“Austin had a great weekend on the CX65,” said Hilbert. “He had a couple falls, but in the 7-11 Mod he stayed on two wheels and finished great.”

 

Maybe the most dominant individual performance of the entire Lake Whitney even came from Cobra’s National Team racer, Californa’s Stilez Robertson. “Head and shoulders above everyone else,” according to Hilbert, Robertson (as legend someday will have it) failed to turn his gas on in one moto and, after pulling the holeshot, leading then stalling his bike and getting it going again, made up a 35-second deficit to win the race.

 

“Stilez was 20 seconds a lap (A LAP) faster than anyone,” added Hilbert of the talented six-year old. “He even pulled the holeshot in an Open 50 class moto versus all the eight-year-olds!”

 

Robertson won both the 51cc 4-6 Stock Oil Injection class and the 51cc 4-6 Stock class championships at Lake Whitney. Joining Robertson on the podium in the Stock Oil Injection class was Texas’ Harrison Delano in 2nd. And in the 4-6 Stock class Oregon’s Ethan Mann and Illinois’ Landon Rapp placed 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

 

“Congrats again on a job well-done at Lake Whitney, guys. Focus on your schoolwork then get ready to chase after it hard at Oak Hill,” said Hilbert. “The Cobra Factory support hauler is already parked at Oak Hill right now, stocked with parts and staffed with expert Cobra technicians to help you guys out this week. Again, good luck, race hard and be safe.”

 

Next up for the Cobra kids is this week/weekend’s second big amateur MX national of the season, the 33rd annual MSR Answer Pro Taper GNC International Motocross Final, presented by Motosport.com.

 

Cobra Factory Rider                        Hometown                                         Class                      Bike

 

Michael Young                                  Concord, N.C.                                    10-11                     CX65

Lance Kobush                                    Montgomery City, Mo.                  7-8/7-9                 CX50SR/CX65

Jordan Bailey                                     Orlando, Fla.                                      7-8                          CX50SR

Clay Woeste                                       Florence, Ky.                                      7-9                          CX65

 

National Plus Team

 

Brandon Smith                                  Aztec, N.M.                                        7-8/7-9                 CX50SR/CX65

Tanner Amarillas                              Gilbert, Ariz.                                       7-8/7-9                 CX50SR/CX65

Tristan Lewis                                      Locust Grove, Ga.                            7-8/7-9                 CX50SR/CX65

Gavin Hultman                                  Gold Canyon, Ariz.                           7-8/7-9                 CX50SR/CX65

 

National Team       

 

Brandon Hernandez                       Woodlake, Calif.                               7-8                          CX50SR

Tanner Craddock                              Weir, Kan.                                           7-8/7-9                 CX50SR/65

Stilez Robertson                               Bakersfield, Calif.                             4-6                          CX50JR

Austin Forkner                                  Richards, Mo.                                    10-11                     CX65

Logan Lietzel                                      Dillsburg, Pa.                                      7-8                          CX50SR

Zach Smith                                          Laingsburg, Mich.                             7-8                          CX50SR

Dawson Evitts                                    Auburn, Pa.                                        7-9                          CX65

Jonathan Lee                                     Rockingham, N.C.                            7-8/7-9                 CX50SR/65

Michael Hicks                                     Fenton, Mo.                                       7-8/7-9                 CX50SR/65

Weston Geim                                    Valencia, Calif.                                   7-8                          CX50SR

Josh Strickland                                  Zebulon, N.C.                                    7-8                          CX50SR

Jackson Turpin                                  Locust Grove, Ga.                            7-8/7-9                 CX50SR/65

Preston Yost                                      Queens Creek, Ariz.                        7-8/7-9                 CX50SR/65

Cullin Park                                           Clermont, Fla.                                    7-8/7-9                 CX50SR/65

Kruz Sampson                                   Lebanon, Tenn.                                7-8/7-9                 CX50SR/65

Jack Rogers                                         Brookville, Md.                                 7-8/7-9                 CX50SR/65

 
Cobra, founded in 1993, produces the most successful line of competition mini cycles and mini quads in the United States with more than 200 national titles in the last decade. Based out of Hillsdale, Mich., Cobra's mission is to build premium products for the serious racer. For more information on Cobra products, please visit our website at www.cobramotorcycle.com.

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