Gillim Wins 101st Loudon Classic (Updated)

Veteran Hayden Gillim came from behind to win the 101st Loudon Classic presented by NEMRR Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Loudon, New Hampshire.

The 25-lap race was scheduled to start at 3:15 p.m. local time, but it was delayed nearly two hours by small rain showers and time to dry the racetrack with NHMS’s jet-powered dryers.

After rain caused the 100th Loudon Classic to be red-flagged 10 times, race organizers did everything they could to run this year’s Classic on a dry track, and their efforts and patience paid off with a race that ran from start to finish without any stoppages or major incidents and only one crash.

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott got the holeshot from pole position and led the first 20 laps on his Dunlop-shod GSX-R750. Gillim, meanwhile, got a poor start on his Vesrah/Steel Commander Suzuki GSX-R750 and finished the first lap in fourth place.

Gillim worked his way forward and said he took advantage of Scott’s bad luck with backmarkers to make a pass for the lead on lap 21. Gillim then put his head down and sprinted to the checkered flag, winning by 1.513 seconds and taking home the $55,000 cash prize for first place.

Scott, the defending Loudon Classic Championship, said he had no trouble when he encountered the first of the lappers mid-race, but toward the end of the race, backmarkers caused him to lose time and then the lead to Gillim. Scott then had to settle for the runner-up spot and its $35,000 prize.

Bobby Fong, riding his Wrench Motorcycles Suzuki GSX-R750, was right behind Scott for the first 13 laps, but Fong said he chose a different rear Dunlop than Gillim and Scott and started to lose grip mid-race. Fong was passed by Gillim on lap 15 but held on to place third, earning $25,000 and completing an all-Dunlop and all-Suzuki GSX-R750 podium.

Stefano Mesa passed Scott’s teammate Teagg Hobbs for fourth place early in the race, but Mesa said he and his Pirelli-shod Boulder Motor Sports Ducati Panigale V2 couldn’t match the pace of the lead three. This resulted in Mesa riding a lonely race to fourth place and a $17,000 prize.

After getting passed by Mesa, Hobbs had to fend off Bauce Racing Yamaha’s Joseph LiMandri, Jr. the rest of the way to get fifth place and its $13,500 prize.

LiMandri took sixth, Yamaha-mounted Ben Gloddy was seventh, BARTCON Racing Yamaha’s Eli Block was eighth, Fong’s teammate/team owner David Anthony finished ninth, and veteran Eric Wood rounded out the top 10 finishers.

101^st Loudon Classic

New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Loudon, New Hampshire

June 8, 2024

Provisional Race Results:

Hayden Gillim (Suz GSX-R750), Dunlop, 25 laps, Total Race Time 30:32.342, Best Lap Time 1:10.711, $55,000
Tyler Scott (Suz GSX-R750), Dunlop, -1.513 seconds, 1:10.926, $35,000
Bobby Fong (Suz GSX-R750), Dunlop, -4.430, 1:10.942, $25,000
Stefano Mesa (Duc Panigale V2), Pirelli, -21.779, 1:11.402, $17,000
Teagg Hobbs (Suz GSX-R750), Dunlop, -23.316, 1:11.785, $13,500
Joseph LiMandri, Jr. (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -25.223, 1:11.777, $11,000
Ben Gloddy (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -28.139, 1:11.489, $10,000
Eli Block (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -31.224, 1:11.841, $9,000
David Anthony (Suz GSX-R750), Dunlop, -35.480, 1:12.185, $8,000
Eric Wood (Duc 848), Dunlop, -35.594, 1:11.914, $7,500
Shane Narbonne (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -36.598, 1:12.219, $6,000
Tyler Sweeney (Yam YZF-R6), -37.744, 1:12.226, $5,000
Alex Dumas (Suz GSX-R600), Bridgestone, -49.258, 1:12.555, $4,500
Tyler O’Hara (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -55.622, 1:12.574, $4,000
Jacob Crossman (Yam YZF-R6), -55.918, 1:12.380, $3,500
Carl Soltisz (Suz GSX-R750), Dunlop, -64.621, 1:13.367, $3,200
Justin Landry (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 1:13.963, $2,800
JC Camacho (Suz), -1 lap, 1:13.746, $2,500
Asher Rubright (Suz GSX-R750), -1 lap, 1:13.941, $2,200
Kevin Nolde (Yam YZF-R6), Michelin, -1 lap, 1:14.313, $2,000
Rick Doucette (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -1 lap, 1:14.219, $1,600
Ezra Beaubier (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -1 lap, 1:14.576, $1,300
Brian Fernald (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 1:14.826, $1,300
Daniel Weems (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 1:14.658, $1,300
Paul Duval (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 1:15.390, $1,250
Harlan Hildebrand (Kaw ZX-6R), -1 lap, 1:14.979, $1,250
Kyle Thompson (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 1:16.590, $1,150
Joel Laub (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 1:15.642, $1,150
Spencer Humphreys (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -2 laps, 1:13.483, $1,000
Levi Badie (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -17 laps, 1:15.660, $1,000
Michael Lee (Yam YZF-R6), -19 laps, 1:15.272, $500
Ian Beam (Tri Daytona 675), Pirelli, -24 laps, 1:25.834, $500

Provisional ASRA Outlaw Baggers Race Results:

Tyler O’Hara (Indian Challenger RR), 8 laps, Total Race Time 11:41.400, Best Lap Time 1:18.737, $20,000
Craig Braymiller, -22.752, 1:27.079, $10,000
Emilio Jimenez, -22.963, 1:27.027, $7,500
Bryan Shields, -67.643, 1:29.626, $5,000

Provisional Pro Thunderbike Race Results:

Jacob Crossman (Apr RS 600), 10 lap, Total Race Time 13:02.326, Best Lap Time 1:12.884, $2,500
Ben Gloddy (Apr RS 660), -2.233 seconds, 1:13.324, $1,250
Brett Guyer (Kramer), -18.804, 1:15.100, $750
Adam Guyer (Apr RS 660), -21.169, 1:15.357, $350
Gunnar Ouellette, -38.916, 1:16.818, $150
Joseph Ciesnik (Yam MT-07), -50.028, 1:17.804
Peter Gaboriault (Tri 660), -56.005, 1:18.602
Aaron Wolfe (Suz SV650), -56.170, 1:17.810
Isaac Maycotte (Apr RS 660), -60.340, 1:18.438
TJ Bibeau, -61.502, 1:18.972
Sergio Di Molfetta (Apr RS 660), -62.001, 1:18.851
David White (Apr RS 660), -68.021, 1:19.745
Robert Pease, Jr. (Kaw 650), -69.779, 1:19.350
Tom Bibeau, -1 lap, 1:22.532
Thomas Sands (Apr RS 660), -1 lap, 1:22.533
Timothy Hogan (Duc), -10 laps, DNF, crash

Provisional Pro 500 Superbike Race Results:

Eli Block (Kaw Ninja 400), 10 laps, Total Race Time 14:03.882, Best Lap Time, 1:17.135, $2,500
Adam Muscaro, -4.559 seconds, 1:18.286, $1,250
Henry Bosland, -19.260, 1:19.342, $750
Rick Doucette, -35.451, 1:20.431, $350
Renee Franco, -39.022, 1:21.616, $150
Lukas Doucette, -39.213, 1:20.473
Trase Boudreau, -50.545, 1:23.045
Thomas Sands, -57.073, 1:22.602
Shane Lewis, -57.527, 1:22.908
Michele Pierro, -68.109, 1:22.820
Noah Tardif, -70.626, 1:24.331
Grant Imbeault, -76.547, 1:24.923
Robert Taylor, -84.106, 1:25.282
Ty Fazekas, -94.421, 1:22.276
Nathan Bettencourt, -1 lap, 1:19.737
Daniel Caron, -1 lap, 1:26.598
Hendrix Woodman, -5 laps, DNF, 1:25.202

More, from a press release issued by Tyler O’Hara Racing:

O’Hara and the Outlaw Bagger class put on a show for the fans in New Hampshire.

Tyler O'Hara (129) during the ASRA Outlaw Bagger race at NHMS. Photo by Sam Draiss, courtesy Tyler O'Hara Racing. — Tyler O’Hara (129) during the ASRA Outlaw Bagger race at NHMS. Photo by Sam Draiss, courtesy Tyler O’Hara Racing.

Petaluma, Calif., June 8, 2024 — Former two-time MotoAmerica King of The Baggers Champion, Tyler O’Hara, took the lion’s share of the prize pool by dominating the Outlaw Bagger category at the 2024 Loudon Classic at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, NH.

O’Hara qualified his Indian Motorcycle of Southeastern Virginia Indian Challenger RR on pole position by posting a 1:20.349. Yet, despite landing in P1 for the race grid, Northeast Motorcycle Road Racing (NEMRR) Club President John Grush had a challenge for O’Hara.

Grush proposed O’Hara start at the back of the field and give the other Outlaw Bagger competitors a 10-second head start for the eight-lap event, and should O’Hara overcome those odds, he’d bag himself an extra $4500 bonus.

Ever the competitor, O’Hara duly agreed to Grush’s challenge and proceeded to put on a show for the Loudon fans of precision bagger overtaking, wrestling the lead away with two laps to go and coming home the winner ahead of Craig Braymiller.

The extra bonus money for coming from the back of the field with a 10 deficit to make up, combined with the winner’s prize money, meant O’Hara walked away with nearly $25,000 for his Outlaw Bagger class efforts.

O’Hara also took part in the 25-lap Loudon Classic on a Yamaha YZF-R6 supplied by current MotoAmerica Supersport star, Blake Davis, finishing 14^th with fellow King of The Baggers competitor and current champion, Hayden Gillim, taking the win.

Tyler O'Hara (right) with NEMRR Executive Director John Grush (left) on the Outlaw Bagger podium. Photo by Sam Draiss, courtesy Tyler O'Hara Racing. — Tyler O’Hara (right) with NEMRR Executive Director John Grush (left) on the Outlaw Bagger podium. Photo by Sam Draiss, courtesy Tyler O’Hara Racing.

Tyler O’Hara (Indian Motorcycle of Southeastern Virginia–#129)

“Man, what an amazing weekend!” O’Hara beamed after taking out the Outlaw Baggers category. “Between John Grush and I, we decided I should run from the back of the pack, a bit like how they do with ice racing when the grids get flipped, just to give a bit of a show for the fans.

“My mechanic, Karl, wasn’t keen on the idea and didn’t want me to risk it—we joked about it after but the expression on his face when the question was first asked was priceless!

“It was a lot of fun coming back through the pack and once I got a bit of clear track in front of me, I could make a good gap to the guys chasing behind, and to get this trophy means a heck of a lot to me.

“I really want to thank the NEMRR club and especially John Grush for not just proposing the back of the grid challenge to me but also for bumping up all the Outlaw Bagger competitor’s prize money to help cover their expenses.

“The turn-out from the bagger crowd here in the Northeast was awesome to see. We had the veterans parade lap with a few hundred American V-twin motorcycles and I made sure I put on a few smoky burnouts at the end to give them something to cheer about.

“I really enjoyed my time on the Yamaha for the Loudon Classic. It had been nearly 15 years since I last raced a Yamaha YZF-R6, but we didn’t quite nail the optimal setting for the race. That’s racing, and I want to thank Blake Davis for the opportunity to have a ride on his bike.

“I want to give a huge shoutout to all my sponsors, especially Dunlop for transporting my bike all this way from California and Ed Maulbeck, owner of Indian Motorcycle of Southeastern Virginia, for helping us in the pits and supporting me with his personal Limited Edition replica Indian Challenger RR 29er as my back up motorcycle.

“Now it’s back to the day job and we’ll be giving it everything in Brainerd next week for MotoAmerica.”

O’Hara now heads west to Brainerd, Minnesota—Indian Motorcycle’s home round—for the fourth round of the MotoAmerica series, scheduled for June 14-16.

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