Old Bridge Twp. Raceway Park
Gainey Grabs Opening Day Gold
By Scott Lukaitis/ Photo Scott Lukaitis Lukaitisphoto.com
ENGLISHTOWN, NJ, MAR. 29

When torrential rains forced the postponement of the regularly scheduled opening day Saturday, March 29th became the new opening day for the 2008 Raceway Park motocross season. Now in its 33rd year of motocross racing in central New Jersey Raceway Park has survived. Every winter there are rumors that the facility being sold to property developers but March always seems to come around and motocross racing continues.

With the housing market in the Northeast in turmoil and talks of the economy in a recession, many would wonder how many people could still afford to race. Well worry no longer, nearly 400 racers showed up to compete on the last Saturday of March with little worry of the economy ahead.

Ryan Gainey

Ryan Gainey

In his second season as an Expert racer Mt. Holly KTM sponsored Ryan Gainey showed everyone that he was the man to beat this season. Gainey was a perfect 4 for 4 taking the overalls in both the 250 and Open Expert classes on Saturday. In the first 250 Expert moto, it was the Kawasaki of Wareham, Massachusetts resident Jacob Morrison in second and Honda rider Anthony Roth in third. The second moto saw KPS/Montgomeryville Cycle Center backed Dakota Kessler in second and Gainey’s Mt Holly teammate Ronnie Stewart in third. Stewart’s 4-3 motos gave him second overall and Bromley Suzuki backed Barry Carsten’s 5-4 netted him third overall. The Open Expert class was again a Gainey benefit but this time Morrison’s 2-3 motos got him the second overall for the day and Carsten was again third overall.

Barry Carsten

Barry Carsten

Carsten was able to take home first place money by winning both motos in the 40+ Expert class besting longtime Raceway Park competitor Cooper’s Honda sponsored Jerry Seip and Kawasaki mounted Carlo Coen for second and third respectively.

Another opening day has come and gone at Raceway Park just as it has for the 33 years before. With the large opening day turn out the 2008 season appears to be a record-breaking one. For more information and to see the complete schedule check out Raceway Park on the web at www.racewaypark.com