52nd Hangtown delivers as Australia, France earn crowns and local charities benefit

It took an extra year and four months to happen, but the 52nd annual Hangtown Motocross was well worth the wait to fans Saturday afternoon. As early as last Thursday, a small city developed, consisting of tents, recreational vehicles and professional race haulers populating the Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) just south of Folsom. After cancellation in 2020 and postponement in 2021, the famed Hangtown Motocross Classic returned, an event that welcomes more than 20,000 visitors each year. While this event usually takes place early in the season of the American Motorcycle Association Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, this year was much different. The event, moved to September in the wake of the previous cancellations, became much more than just a leg of the tour; it became the finale where two national champions were crowned. "Last year was the first time in 22 years we missed coming to Hangtown," said Julliard Pavenstien of Gold River. "But it was worth the wait, as a racing fan to be able to come to a championship event so close to home is really special. It wasn't quite as hot as it has been, either." The Hangtown Motocross is the oldest event on the AMA, much in part due to the continuous efforts of the Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club. The club has organized the competition at Prairie City since 1979. The race was originally held near Placerville, then in the small town of Plymouth, which it outgrew. On Saturday, the championship in the 450 Class was clinched prior to the green flag falling as Dylan Ferrandis of Avignon, France continued to display his dominant riding skills that have been successful for him all season. After a strong run and a victory in the first Moto of the day, he fell back on the field in the second Moto but charged his way forward to end his season with an overall top finish in the class over former Hangtown winner Eli Tomac of Cortez, Colorado. Clayton Tucker of El Dorado Hills was one of the notable locals to compete in the 450 class this year, with a 24th-place finish. In the 250 class, the title fight came into Hangtown with riders Jett Lawrence of Landsborough, Queensland, Australia and Justin Cooper of Cold Spring Harbor, New York, both in the hunt for the title. At the end of the day, it was 18-year-old Lawrence, who hoisted the championship trophy in celebration, becoming the first Australian to earn a championship in the class. When it came to local contenders in the 250 class, Max Vohland of Sacramento was the highest finisher with an impressive fourth-place run. When it comes to Hangtown, the event is much more than just an event to generate ticket sales and revenue; the event is known for supporting numerous charities each year. One such charity is right here in Folsom, known as the Friends of Folsom, an organization that has a vital role in presenting the event year after year. The charity doesn't just accept a donation from the event; it brings a volunteer force in that preps the facility before fans arrive and helps run the event over several days. This year, Friends of Folsom brought nearly 200 volunteers to help at the event. The team performed everything from parking cars, driving shuttles, facilitating food and beverage vendors, catering and much more. In the end, Dirt Diggers North contributes to the organization to help with their many philanthropic needs, such as its annual turkey drive that garners 10,000 turkeys for those in need every holiday season. "Hangtown makes up for about 50 percent of our annual fundraising goal for the turkeys every year," said Sarah Woods of Friends of Folsom. "We couldn't do it like we do each year without their support. Last year, when we lost the event, we had to come up with creative ways to fill the void." For Woods and the Friends of Folsom, it is several days of hard work but it is something they enjoy doing above and beyond the fundraising level. "When the event ends, we are always tired, but at the same time, we are ready to start planning for next year," said Woods. "The club uses the lodge for their regular meetings, we love being part of the whole effort." For full 2021 Hangtown Motocross Classic 250 class results click here. For full 2021 Hangtown Motocross Classic 450 class results click here. Thank you to Dirt Diggers North, Friends of Folsom, MXSports and Canyon Marketing for assisting with results and photos for the Telegraph's traditional annual coverage of this premier event. See the Telegraph's expanded coverage and more photos at www.folsomtelegraph.com.