With days on the calendar disappearing and temperatures dropping in the Mid-Atlantic area, a group of racers in Hanover, Maryland found one last way to have fun before winter set in.

In late October, 32 racers across 12 teams joined up for a United Minimoto endurance race at the United Karting track to cap off their season and raise funds for the Roadracing World Action Fund, a non-profit that encourages and facilitates the use of soft barriers (Airfence) at tracks across the country. The four-hour race pitted riders on three different classes of bikes against each other, around a 0.86-mile kart track, all fighting for the three spots atop the podium at the end of the day.

Teams had the option of using bikes which fit into any of three categories: Stock 125, F1 (max 125cc, mods allowed), or Open (max 190cc, mods allowed). Grid positions for the race’s LeMans-style start were determined by each team picking a number from a bucket at the riders’ meeting. The winning strategy, however, was not as simple as using the fastest bike, as Race Direction imposed a minimum number of pit stops according to bike class. Stock 125 teams had no minimum stop requirement; F1 teams were required to complete 10 stops; and the fastest bikes in the Open class were required to complete 13 pit stops. To help control speeds in pit lane, “stop boxes” were placed at the beginning and end where riders had to come to a complete stop (no stoppies!) before continuing to their pits. Lap penalties were issued for any missed pit stops, stop boxes, or other pit-road shenanigans. (Fada Racing earned a one-lap penalty for failure to stop in the stop box in pit lane, and Over The Hill Studs had two one-lap penalties for doing stoppies in pit lane.)

At the end of a beautiful afternoon of racing with no major injuries, those penalties proved to be crucial in the hunt for the podium.  Despite the differences in bikes used there were only nine laps separating the top six teams when the checkered flag dropped. Ultimately, the three podium positions were within one lap of each other. Chicken Banana Racing, an F1 team with teenage racers Gwen Lease and Gavin Anderson, claimed the top step of the podium with a total of 249 laps completed. The father/daughter team Fada Racing (William Moore, Sr. and Mikayla Moore) took home the silver medal with 248 laps, while the Over The Hill Studs team rounded out the podium with 248 laps as well on their F1-classified Grom-swapped Ohvale.

While the great racing and close finish certainly stole the show, this event also helped to shine a light on one of the lesser-known corners of road racing culture which is just as welcoming to first timers as it is to the pros. With close racing, local availability, lower cost of entry, and a paddock that feels like one big family, United Minimoto should absolutely be on anybody’s list for motorcycle fun in the Mid-Atlantic area.

For class rules, event details, and the upcoming schedule, visit www.unitedminimoto.com, follow UnitedMinimoto on Facebook, and find @unitedminimoto_bwi on Instagram. Event photography provided by Team Safety Third Photography.

Results After Penalties Applied:

Position, Team Name, Laps

1. Chicken Banana Racing, 249 laps

2. Fada Racing, 248 laps

3. Over The Hill Studs, 248 laps

4. Can’t Get It Right, 244 laps

5. CTE Enthusiasts, 243 laps

6. The Winning Agam Racing Team, 240 laps

7. Bone Hunter,  237 laps

8. Dead Last,  232 laps

9. The Gromlins, 214 laps

10. B&A Racing, 212 laps

11. Misfit Toys, 204 laps

12. Bazaar, 167 laps

(Organizers did not provide rider names.)