HEMOND’S GRAND PRIX RACE REPORT | rOUND 8

Minot, Maine (July 26, 2025)- Round 8 of the J Day Offroad AMA East Regional Championship, sponsored by FMF, kicked off with another Saturday showdown at Hemond’s MX Park in Minot, Maine. A mix of haze and sunshine made for a hot and dusty day of racing, but Factory AM Pro Yamaha rider Brandon Gregoire had no problem battling the elements as he took home the number one plaque in the Pro AA class.

Pro AA Holeshot led by AM Pro rider Brandon Gregoire

WOMEN'S PRO/ AM - Trail Jesters rider Addison Harris (KTM) secured the Women’s Pro win today finishing 24-seconds ahead of the Women’s Pro points leader Kayla O’Neill who placed second overall and sits 53 points ahead of Harris.

Plaistow Powersports rider Crue Hopkins wins his first PeeWee Senior Overall

Amateur Overall:

The Top Amateur of the day was Allen Adkins who raced in the A Open class aboard his KTM. Adkins raced in the A Open class, and rode his was to finish 8th overall in the A class and grab the A Overall Trophy. Jonathan Alipio (KTM) finished 21st overall and won the A200 class , while Matt Webb secured the A 250 win finishing 12th overall.

Jiggs Fustini hunts down third place finisher Justin Cokinos in Pro AA Moto 2

Pro 125 - The Pro 125 race, sponsored by Moto Tassinari, kicked off with an exhilarating showdown between AM Pro rider Brandon Gregoire and Beta's Brayden Nolette as they entered the wooded terrain. By the conclusion of lap 1, Gregoire had established a 3-second lead over Nolette. The second lap mirrored the first, with Gregoire extending his advantage to an additional 8 seconds ahead of Nolette. However, during lap 3, Brayden Nolette surged ahead to take the lead and ultimately finished the moto in 1st place, just 2 seconds in front of Gregoire.

While the top two contenders were locked in a fierce competition during moto 1, Justin Cokinos, representing Plaistow Powersports, comfortably held third place for the first half of the race until his teammate Kyle Hangos began to close the gap. Cokinos secured 3rd place in moto 1, while Hangos followed closely in 4th.

In moto 2, Brandon Gregoire once again took the lead, making his way to the top step and clinching the Pro 125 Overall title. Brayden Nolette, who began in 2nd, slipped to 4th on the final lap as Justin Cokinos and Kyle Hangos fiercely contested the 2nd and 3rd place standings.

Brandon Gregoire's impressive 1-1 finish secured him the overall victory, while Justin Cokinos, with scores of 3-2, claimed 2nd overall. Brayden Nolette's performance of 1-4 ensured he maintained a podium spot with a 3rd place finish.

Pro AA Podium: 1st Brandon Gregoire , 2nd Jiggs Fustini , 3rd Justin Cokinos

PRO AA- As the first 30-minute Pro moto got underway, the sun was blazing and engines were roaring. When the Fox Racing green flag dropped, Gregoire launched out front and grabbed the holeshot in both motos. He quickly set a strong pace and began pulling away from the rest of the field. By the end of lap one, Gregoire had already opened up a 39-second lead over Justin Cokinos, securing a dominant Moto 1 win.

Plaistow Powersports Yamaha’s Justin Cokinos had a mid-pack start in Moto 1 but worked his way up from 4th place, battling his way into second. Jiggs Fustini (KTM) fought hard with both Cokinos and Brayden Nolette (Beta) to land in third. Nolette had a great start and held onto second place for much of the moto before eventually dropping back to finish 4th.

Allen Adkins was the Top Amateur rider of the day

Moto 2 started off just like the first, with Gregoire once again leading the Pro lineup through the motocross track and into the woods. The course was challenging—with rocky woods, dusty hill climbs, and slick sections—but nothing slowed Gregoire down. He led from start to finish, wrapping up the 5-lap moto with a 35-second lead.

Jiggs Fustini, who started Moto 2 in 3rd, had a close battle with Cokinos. The two riders swapped positions multiple times, with Fustini eventually taking 2nd and Cokinos rounding out the podium in 3rd. On the podium, all three riders mentioned how rough and technical the track was, with each of them crashing at some point—yet all agreed it was a fun and exciting race.

Nolette held steady in 4th throughout the second moto, finishing just off the podium again. With a perfect 1-1 score, Brandon Gregoire claimed the overall win and earned 25 points toward his championship standings. Fustini’s 3-2 finishes earned him second overall, while Cokinos’ 2-3 landed him in third.

Heading into Round 9 in about a month, Gregoire holds the championship lead with 175 points, putting him 9 points ahead of Cokinos, who sits at 166.