Morganton’s Clayton Gantt competes in the C 4-Stroke Lites class during a 2025 Mid East Hare Scramble (MEHS) Series dirt bike race. Gantt finished first in his class for the season, and he was also the overall AM Bikes champion.
Brian Seagle, the third ATV rider from Connelly Springs to win a 2025 MEHS Series championship, finished at the top of the points standings in the Masters class.
Morganton’s Clayton Gantt competes in the C 4-Stroke Lites class during a 2025 Mid East Hare Scramble (MEHS) Series dirt bike race. Gantt finished first in his class for the season, and he was also the overall AM Bikes champion.
The Mid East Hare Scramble (MEHS) Series recently wrapped up its 2025 off-road racing slate, with eight riders from Burke County — four on dirt bikes, four on ATVs — winning season titles.
Fourteen total MEHS Series races took place across the Carolinas — seven each in North Carolina and South Carolina — including two Hillbilly Smash events at Chapman Farms, which is off U.S. 64 just west of Morganton. Other races in N.C. were held at Black Ankle Raceway in Star, Lynch Creek White Tail in Kittrell, Welborn Farms in Boonville, the Cleveland County Fairgrounds in Shelby, and the Hickory Airport.
Morganton’s Clayton Gantt was both the overall AM Bikes champion and the first-place finisher in the C 4-Stroke Lites class. Gantt won 11 races on the season, including 10 straight between Feb. 23 and Sept. 14, and was the runner-up in one race.
Axel Woody of Morganton was the 2025 MEHS Series champion in the Intermediate PeeWee 6 class of dirt bikes.
TIM WEATHERMAN / FOR THE PAPER
Axel Woody (Intermediate PeeWee 6), also a dirt bike rider from Morganton, came in first in his class as well. Woody won five races, was the runner-up eight times, and finished third in the remaining race.
Additional dirt bike class winners from the county were Valdese’s Noah Stephens and Morganton’s Grayson Gordon, who competed in Junior A/B 25+ and Schoolboy 12-14, respectively.
Valdese-based dirt bike rider Noah Stephens collected this year’s MEHS Series title in the Junior A/B 25+ class.
TIM WEATHERMAN / FOR THE PAPER
Stephens earned five victories, including four in a row from Aug. 31 to Oct. 19. He also finished second on four occasions and third on two occasions.
Morganton’s Grayson Gordon totaled more points than any other dirt bike rider in the Schoolboy 12-14 class during the 2025 MEHS Series season.
TIM WEATHERMAN / FOR THE PAPER
As for Gordon, he was a seven-time race winner, a two-time runner-up, and a third-place finisher in one race.
ATV rider Lee Workman of Connelly Springs took home this year’s MEHS Series title in the Vet A class.
TIM WEATHERMAN / FOR THE PAPER
Meanwhile, Lee Workman of Connelly Springs was one of the county’s ATV champions, taking first in the Vet A class. Workman was victorious in 10 consecutive races between Feb. 22 and Sept. 13, and he also added a pair of third-place finishes.
Two other ATV title winners — Glenn Ledford Jr. (Senior) and Brian Seagle (Masters) — are also from Connelly Springs. In addition, B 25+ champion Dylan Epley is from Morganton.
Connelly Springs’ Glenn Ledford Jr. was the 2025 MEHS Series champion in the Senior class of ATVs.
TIM WEATHERMAN / FOR THE PAPER
Ledford won seven races, was the runner-up four times, and came in third on two occasions.
Brian Seagle, the third ATV rider from Connelly Springs to win a 2025 MEHS Series championship, finished at the top of the points standings in the Masters class.
TIM WEATHERMAN / FOR THE PAPER
Seagle posted five victories, highlighted by four straight from Aug. 16 through Sept. 27, to go with five runner-up performances and one third-place finish.
Dylan Epley of Morganton was the 2025 MEHS Series champion in the B 25+ class of ATVs.
TIM WEATHERMAN / FOR THE PAPER
And Epley was a seven-time race winner, a three-time runner-up, and finished third in two races.
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