WOODSTOCK – The motocross team sponsored by Woodstock KTM ended their weekend competition with two riders on the podium, despite the team's van, trailer, bikes and other supplies being stolen early Friday morning.
Kurt Jennison, general manager at Woodstock KTM, said about $100,000 worth of equipment was stolen when the team was parked in Carter Lake, Iowa, outside of Omaha, for the AMSOIL Arenacross series.
Since then, news of the theft has spread through social media, and the sharing of the team's Facebook post led to the finding the trailer and van, Jennison said.
Four racing bikes, each worth about $10,000, and other parts are still missing, though, he said. When Jennison heard the news Saturday, he drove down to Omaha to bring the team bikes from the Woodstock shop so they could finish the competition.
“We were taken back quite a bit,” Jennison said. “It’s very frustrating. I think everybody was kind of in a lost state of mind trying to put all the pieces together.”
Jennison said the team is thankful for their "moto family," that has stepped up and been helping share the group's social media posts and GoFundMe page.
The team is still struggling, Jennison said, but will continue to the next stop of the competition Saturday in Lafayette, Louisiana.
“We’re going to keep moving forward for sure, but any additional support we can get going forward would be appreciated,” Jennison said.
The team has been competing in the series for four years, Jennison said. Members include Travis Sewell, Westville, Indiana; Cody Vanbuskirk, Harvard; Scott Zont, Algonquin; and Erik Utech, Woodstock.
In the Omaha competition, Sewell placed fourth, Vanbuskirk placed sixth and Zont placed 14th in the Premier Class. In the Lites Class, Vanbuskirk placed first and Zont third.