Shaun Palmer (555) has accomplished more in sports than most could dream of, but he is now preparing to test himself once more in motocross. At round one of the MX West Spring Series, Palmer rode to wins in the 125cc and 250cc Pro classes, and gained some valuable practice toward his confirmed intention of contesting this year’s AMA 125cc national series.

Palmer convincingly won all but one of his four motos on the day, and the loss was a narrow one to J.L. Bitz in the second 125cc moto. In that race Palmer turned a suspiciously slow start into an impressive charge through a field of pro contenders to come in just behind Bitz, whose 5-1 tally earned him second behind Palmer on the day.

Palmer ruled the 250cc Pro class as he rode to healthy leads in both motos, though he later acknowledged that he could have used more endurance.

“I felt a little fatigued, but I just pushed as hard as I could,” Palmer said. “You’ve got to ride with heart, you know? You’ve got to want it bad. I didn’t feel that strong, but I pushed myself, trying to push through the fatigue to ride as fast as I could while still being in control.”

Justin Mastalka (shown above leading Palmer) was also impressive in the Pro race, claiming the 30+ Pro victory and spending much of the day battling 125cc-class pilots Palmer and Bitz in the combined Pro motos.

The 125cc Junior class featured packed gates in two divisions. Tyler York, a recent area minicycle standout, debuted in the 125cc class with a 1-1 performance in division one that included big leads in each moto. In division two, brothers Steven and Chris Wear came in one-two aboard their Suzukis.

In mini action, Brian Sjogren and Jesse Masterpool battled throughout the day in the 65cc Intermediate and Super 65cc classes. Sjogren eventually claimed the win in both classes, but Masterpool ensured that he never had an easy time of it. Sjogren and Masterpool both looked ready to make the 65cc class an interesting affair for the remainder of the series.

Look for coverage of this event in Cycle News in a few weeks.

Results
50 (4-6) PRVTR: 1. Jake Masterpool; 2. Dylan Galliett; 3. Austin Schlegelmilch. 50 (4-6) FCTRY: 1. Gavin Clouser; 2. William Ionno. 50 (7+) PRVTR: 1. Michael Schroeder; 2. Drake Evans; 3. Roshawn Kness. 50 (7+) FCTRY: 1. Jesse Sanchez; 2. Garrett Kinsler; 3. Hunter Roberts. 60 BEG D-1: 1. Dean Mannschreck; 2. Matthew Buscay; 3. Connor Kelly. 60 BEG D-2: 1. Robert Tanner; 2. Hunter Roberts; 3. Tyler Moore. 60 JR: 1. Austin Ching; 2. Garrett Kinsler; 3. Josh Davis. 60 INT: 1. Brian Sjogren; 2. Jesse Masterpool. S/60: 1. Brian Sjogren; 2. Jesse Masterpool; 3. Jordon Kinsler. 80 BEG: 1. Jesse Gore; 2. Preston Charles; 3. Tyler Nielsen. 80 JR: 1. Ty Kowalski; 2. Tanner Davis; 3. Travis Pitt. 80 INT: 1. Wayne Appleton; 2. Zak Riley; 3. Garrett Baxter. S/MINI: 1. Zak Riley; 2. Matthew Stewart; 3.Ty Kowalski. 125 BEG D-1: 1. Brandon Acquistapace; 2. Martin Kite; 3. Cody DeBoer 125 BEG D-2: 1. Seth Johnson; 2. Kyle O’Brien; 3. Cody Acquistapace. 125 JR D-1: 1. Tyler York; 2. David Keil; 3. Paden Babcock. 125 JR D-2: 1. Steven Wear; 2. Chris Wear; 3. Mikey Chick. 125 INT: 1. Dean Wilcox; 2. Mitchell Carvolth; 3. Ryan Eager. 125 PRO: 1. Shaun Palmer; 2. J.L. Bitz; 3. Matt Manha. 250 BEG: 1. Jimmy O’Brien; 2. Chris Littlefield; 3. Sam Glaster. 250 JR: 1. Trey Taylor; 2. Michael Ruepp; 3. Jeffrey McVay. 250 INT: 1. Ryan Eager; 2. Eric Gillen; 3. Johnny Vallerio. 250 PRO: 1. Shaun Palmer; 2. Robert Beaupre; 3. Butch Stillmock. SCHBY: 1. Mitchell Carvolth; 2. Dean Wilcox; 3. Jason Alosi. 25+ BEG: 1. Roger Usry; 2. Joel Young; 3. Michael McGill. 25+ JR: 1. Chris Currier; 2. Jacob Fisher;3. Michael Ruepp. 30+ BEG: 1. Cameron Miller; 2. Michael Rothery; 3. Michael McGill. 30+ JR: 1. Paul Park; 2. Erik Moreno; 3. Michael Halvorsen. 30+ INT: 1. Jim Koschella; 2. Aaron Bissell; 3. Kevin Knight. 30+ EX: 1. Steve Brown; 2. Pete Cannizzaro; 3. Philip Wurster. 40+ JR: 1. Lon Harter; 2.Ken Gourley; 3. Terry Renold. 40+ INT: 1. David Thomas; 2. Jim Koschella; 3. George Haas. 40+ EX: 1. Jake Jacobs; 2. Gilbert Chick. WMN: 1. Robbie Cortez; 2. Normajean Jean; 3. Crystal Ponsock.