Round 1 Of 2017 IJSBA MidWestern Watercross Huge Success

The Nautiwater organizing team never disappoints. 3 2 1 Kawasaki has been in the Jet Ski Racing game about as long as it has existed and it is a real treat to have them involved as the title sponsor of the Kansas based series. Round 1 was the popular River Cross Challenge which, of course, is held on a river much to the delight of spectators who can view the action from both banks and above from a bridge. Here is the official recap:

Xtreme River Cross Challenge with Nautiwater Racing

@Riverfest in Wichita, Kansas June 2-4, 2017

What a great weekend to come out and ride the Arkansas River in downtown Wichita Kansas. Nautiwater Racing had a wonderful turnout for the Friday evening exhibition race. There were 12 skis on the line to give the crowd a show prior to the Fireworks for kickoff night. On Saturday riders were pumped to hit the river and show what they’ve got. There were seven races of mixed classes for Moto 1 & Moto 2 Saturday June 3^rd and six races per Moto for Sunday. The weekend started off cloudy with scattered showers and ended Sunday with sunny skies and lots of spectators for the first stop of the IJSBA 2017, 3…2…1…Kawasaki Watercross Tour.

Tim Warner drove in from Albuquerque, New Mexico to race the Ski Pro Am Open. Having a great weekend of racing he took home a plaque for first place for the overall weekend. Tim races Pro-Am Ski Open on his Pro Watercraft Racing Proforce Ski #816, traveling along the West Coast catching whatever races he can.

Danny & Lauri Ortega pulled their trailer full of Kawasaki X2’s in from Lake Havasu, AZ where they had been staying. They actually live in San Diego, CA and enjoy traveling. They’ve recently raced several states including California, Washington, Arizona and now Kansas. In 1992 Danny Ortega raced the IJSBA National Tour ranking in the top 10 where he met his wife Lauri while racing at Virginia Beach, VA. Danny & Lauri rounded out their weekend with first and second place finishes respectively.

Jeremy Poper and his wife Bridget drove in from Albuquerque, New Mexico. They came to play on the river and enjoy the weekend with their racing family. They’ve raced Nautiwater Racing for many years and love the family atmosphere, good sportsmanship, and supportive fans. Jeremy raced Amateur Ski Stock taking home a second for the overall weekend. He also earned third place overall in Pro Am Ski Open. Bridget raced Womens Ski grabbing first place finishes in all four Motos earning herself a first place plaque for the weekend. She was racing her new Kawasaki SXR and loved racing Jessica Eriz, from Colorado.

The largest group of the weekend drove in from our neighboring state of Colorado. They brought six racers with them from the Loveland & Fort Collins area. Chase, Jessica, Austin, Ron, Don and Troy enjoy the adventure. Between them they competed in multiple classes all racing Kawasaki 1100 triple cylinder engines. Chase Mueller also put on an exciting Freestyle show for the enthusiastic fans. When asked why they love the sport the answers were “the competition”, “the comradery”, “the challenge” and “the people”. They believe “the people you race with make the sport great”.

This event could not have gone on without the wonderful sponsorship support of 3...2…1... Kawasaki out of El Dorado, KS and Big Fish Bail Bonds out of Wichita, KS. We will catch you all at the next tour stop in Fremont Nebraska, July 15^th & 16^th, 2017. Look for more information at www.nautiwaterracing.com and remember to race Nauti!

Results listed below

Top Finishes by class are as follows:

1^st Place – Freestyle Amateur – Chase Mueller

1^st Place – Runabout 800 Open – Cameryn Roberts

1^st Place – Runabout Amateur Stock – Dillon Dewey

1^st Place – Runabout Pro-Am Open – Ryan Smith
2^nd Place – Runabout Pro-Am Open – Tim Hicks
3^rd Place – Runabout Pro-Am Open – Aaron Dellinger

1^st Place – Amateur Ski Open – Austin Hart
2^nd Place – Amateur Ski Open – Nathan Haig

1^st Place – Amateur Ski Lites – Bryon Pinkes
2^nd Place – Amateur Ski Lites – McKale Seivley

1^st Place – Amateur Ski Stock – AJ Luinstra
2^nd Place – Amateur Ski Stock – Jeremy Poper
3^rd Place – Amateur Skit Stock – Nathan Haig

1^st Place – Pro-Am Ski Lites – AJ Luinstra

1^st Place – Womens Ski – Bridget Poper
2^nd Place – Womens Ski – Jessica Eriz

1^st Place – Pro-Am Ski Open – Tim Warner
2^nd Place – Pro-Am Ski Open – Troy Armstrong
3^rd Place – Pro-Am Ski Open – Jeremy Poper