Rigid Industrial Group, Cedar Rapids IA, GT AX Round 7 and 8

For Rounds 7 and 8 of the GT Arenacross Series, the Ajax Motorsports 405 Mods Race Team made the long haul to Cedar Rapids, Iowa — the longest drive of the season at just over nine hours. With snow falling and temperatures dropping fast, it quickly became one of the coldest weekends of the year.

Fortunately, the Cedar Rapids round is connected directly to a downtown hotel, making load-in and weekend logistics much easier. Once everything was unloaded, the team was able to stay indoors for most of the weekend — a welcome relief from the weather, even though the arena itself stayed cold with doors open for ventilation.

With a smaller crew on this trip, the long drive gave us time to reset and strategize after the previous round. Honest, positive conversations helped shape a clear plan heading into the weekend, focusing on both rider execution and bike preparation.

Friday Night
Practice and qualifying were a bit challenging, and a tough gate pick in the Heat Race sent Wyatt to the LCQ. He did exactly what needed to be done, winning the LCQ to earn a transfer into the Main Event. Starting from the back row in a traditional horseshoe Arenacross layout made passing difficult, but Wyatt stayed patient and finished 13th and 12th in the Mains for 12th overall on the night.

Saturday Night
Saturday showed clear improvement across the board. Qualifying went better, Wyatt transferred straight out of his Heat Race with a strong second place, and both Main Events came with front-row gate picks. With a few key bike changes and improved execution, Wyatt finished 10th and 8th, earning 8th overall for the night — his strongest performance of the season so far.

After a slow start due to missed points earlier in the year, Cedar Rapids moved the team into 10th overall in the championship standings. With the season now at the halfway mark, momentum is building and the goal of pushing toward the top five feels more achievable than ever.

This weekend was proudly presented by Rigid Industrial Group, our weekend sponsor and year-long helmet sponsor. Rigid provides industrial solutions across fabrication, electrical services, and automation, and we’re proud to represent a partner with such a broad impact.

With the Enid round unfortunately canceled, the team will regroup before heading into a demanding stretch of racing as we build toward the season finale and Daytona.