New faces on Podiums and strong ride for Chris Bach on New Yamaha

Photos by Shan Moore

From Husqvarna – First Win Of The Year For Andrew DeLong and Husky 

Just one week after finishing a career-best third overall at an AMA National Enduro, Fred Andrews Racing (FAR) Husqvarna’s Andrew DeLong put on an incredible charge to win the XC2 class and finish an unprecedented second overall at the Limestone 100 GNCC.

Working from a dead last start on the XC2 line, DeLong pushed his 2012 TC250 past the entire pack, capturing the lead by lap two. “Stew (Baylor) and I were going so fast today,” Andrew commented. “It’s fun riding with a guy you can trust. I had to work my way to the front today, but I was on a roll, and my TC250 worked so good!”

“What an awesome day,” team manager Fred Andrews said. “I was running in and out of the woods trying to get split times on Andrew and Baylor, but when I heard the announcer say that he was only 8 seconds off of the leader, that’s when it all clicked. Andrew beat every guy out on the track, except for one… who started a minute ahead of him. Andrew’s back!”

At the end of the day the XC2 rider took the checkered flag at second overall, more than 6 minutes ahead of second in his own class. “I saw the pit boards the last few laps, but it never registered that I was that close to the overall,” Andrew said. “I was in a heated battle with Stew, and it carried us both to the front. I had no idea his bike quit on that last lap; I could hear him there the whole way to the checkers. I just never looked back and focused on winning this race for myself, and the team! I am 100% sure now!”

Andrew’s teammate, Nick Davis chose to take the day off and heal an injured knee he suffered last weekend at the enduro. “I am so proud of Andrew,” Davis said. “This is such an exciting day, and I am just happy to be here to share it with him. I will be back in two weeks for the Mountaineer Run GNCC, hopefully we can get two Husky TC250′s on the podium at that one!”

From KTM – Russell Wins Limestone 100 GNCC 

Factory FMF/KTM rider Kailub Russell collected his fourth win of the season at the sixth round of the GNCC Series at the series newest Indiana venue.

Russell earned a mid-pack start behind his teammate, Charlie Mullins, who rounded the first lap in 2^nd place. Russell quickly moved through the pack and soon found himself battling with Mullins for the lead. The two riders quickly pulled from the rest of the pack while swapping for the lead through the first half of the race.

On the fourth lap while battling for the lead, Mullins encountered a mechanical issue at the farthest point of the 10.5 mile course. His team rushed to him in order to provide assistance. He eventually received the help he needed but found himself one lap down and in 13^th place when he reentered the course. With two laps left to make up positions, he set to work. He eventually made up two more positions and finished 11^th overall for the day.

Meanwhile, Russell began to pull a larger lead over the XC1 class as each lap progressed. At the end of the 7 lap race he finished over a minute ahead of the 2^nd place ride of Paul Whibley. Russell’s win moved him up in the overall point standings. Now six rounds into the series, he is tied for the championship points lead with Whibley.

KTM XC2 rider Steward Baylor suffered his first loss of the series. After working his KTM to the front of the pack from a bad start he suffered a mechanical issue while leading that cost him a lap. He eventually returned to the racing action and was able to salvage a 10^th place result. Baylor still maintains a comfortable lead in the series point standings.

Factory FMF/KTM rider Maria Forsberg dominated the Women’s GNCC class once again. She walked away with her sixth win of the series to remain undefeated in the Women’s class. “It feels great to get another win,” remarked Forsberg. “The goal is to go undefeated in the women’s class and also capture the overall win the in the morning class. The team is behind me 100% and I believe both goals are within reach.”

Honda/JG Offroad - The sixth round of the Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series, the Dunlop Limestone 100, left its mark on the American Honda/JG Off Road team this weekend. The Springville, Indiana event was the second of three new events on the 13 stop season and while American Honda/JG Off Road/ FRE Brian Wolf and team newcomer Scott Grills showed well in their respective classes, seasoned riders Jimmy Jarrett and Nate Kanney struggled with injuries.

“Our veteran riders had a rough day today,” said team co-owner JT Bennett. “Nate came into the race day nursing some injuries from a race last weekend, and Jimmy took a rock to the face. Luckily, neither of them came out any worse for wear. Our young rider Scott Grills and Brian stepped up this weekend and put in solid rides for the team.”

XC1 rider Nate Kanney’s troubles started last weekend at a local race the rider had entered to prepare for the Snowshoe GNCC. Kanney bruised his ribs and aggravated an old back injury. Despite the injuries, Kanney made plans to compete, but after two laps, Kanney made his way back to the pits.

“I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to race yesterday,” Kanney said. “There were no broken bones and no actual serious internal injuries so I couldn’t justify not trying to race, but once I got out on the track it was just too painful. Every bump I hit was just too much. It’s certainly been a disappointing year so far.”

Jarrett had a strong start to his race, finishing the first lap in third. He kept it in the top 10 the first four laps of the race, but when a rock got launched into his goggles, Jarrett’s day ended.

Grills recovered the day for the team in the XC2 Pro Lites Class, taking his second top 5 finish of the season. Grills consistently moved his way through the ranks from 7th to 5th by the 5th lap, despite struggling with arm pump. Grills and Brad Bakken went back and forth towards the end of the race, until Grills crashed and stalled in the last lap, letting Bakken pass and pull a gap. Grills put himself back together to finish 5th. “I’m definitely feeling better out there,” Grills said. “I was able to stay pretty steady and everything came together pretty well. I don’t really have any complaints.”

Next Event: May 26-27, 2012 –Masontown,WV

Overall Results XC1 Class –

1. Kailub Russell – KTM
2. Paul Whibley
3. Jordan Ashburn
4. Thad Duvall
5. Chris Bach
6. Rory Mead – KTM
7. Takeshi Koikeda – KTM
8. Garrett Edmisten
9. Jesse Groemm – KTM
10. Steven Squire

Overall Results XC2 Class –

1. Andrew Delong
2. Jason Thomas
3. Jedediah Haines
4. Brad Bakken
5. Scott Grills
6. Cody Gragg
7. Michael McGinnis – KTM
8. Ricky Mair
9. Zach Nolan – KTM
10. Steward Baylor – KTM

Overall Results Women’s Class –

1. Maria Forsberg – KTM
2. Ashley Crouch – KTM
3. Hannah Otto – KTM
4. Rebecca Sheets
5. Leeann Bange
6. Rachel Gutish – KTM
7. Samantha Steiner – KTM
8. Samantha Fisher
9. Dawn Silvia – KTM
10. Shelby Rolen

Overall Point Standings XC1 Class –

1. Kailub Russell – 147
2. Paul Whibley – 147
3. Charlie Mullins – 121

Overall Point Standings XC2 Class –

1. Steward Baylor – 161
2. Jason Thomas – 118
3. Jesse Robinson – 111

Overall Point Standings Women’s Class –

1. Maria Forsberg – 120

Related posts:

1. Steele Creek GNCC KTM Race Reports
2. Big Buck GNCC Race Reports
3. “The General” GNCC Race Reports

French Delight For Meo, Renet and Nambotin On Day Two in Portugal

Sunday, 13 May 2012

Antoine MEO, Pierre-Alexandre RENET and Christophe NAMBOTIN enjoyed a winning result on day two at the Maxxis Enduro World Championship GP Polisport of Portugal.

Spain’s Laia SANZ (Gas Gas) defeated France’s Ludivine PUY (Gas Gas) to win the Women’s Cup while France’s Mathias BELLINO (Husaberg) continued his dominating run in Enduro Junior to claim his sixth victory of 2012.

France’s Antoine MEO (KTM) put his disappointment of retiring on day one behind him to secure his seventh win of year with victory on day two in Enduro 1. Finishing second on the first Enduro Test of the morning, MEO quickly got to work on the dry and dusty conditions to set the fastest time in six of the day’s nine special tests.“It was unfortunate not to finish yesterday but today I needed to make amends for my mistake,” commented MEO. “I was a little unsure of the conditions during lap one so I was careful not to make any mistakes. After that I began to push hard and was able to win comfortably.”Finding the Cross Test to his liking, Finland’s Matti SEISTOLA (Husqvarna) was on top form on day two. Enjoying a tough battle with France’s Rodrig THAIN (HM Honda), the Finnish rider eventually beat his rival to secure second position by less than one-second. Adding to his winning result on day one, THAIN ended day two in third place. Although matching the pace ofSEISTOLA and THAIN during the early morning, Finland’s Eero REMES (KTM) finished fourth. France’s Jeremy JOLY (Yamaha) rounded out the top five.

Antoine MEO (F – KTM) took his revenge after his yesterday’s DNF
Pierre-Alexandre RENET (F – Husaberg) returned to the top of the Enduro 2 standings on day two. Etching out an early lead after the first Enduro Test of the morning, RENET maintained his pace throughout the day to secure an eight-second victory over KTM’s Johnny AUBERT (F). Recording his fourth victory of year, RENET now holds a 15-point lead in Enduro 2 as the championship passes the halfway point in the season.“It was a tough race,” remarked RENET. “I managed to set a fast pace early on and it was enough to hold off Johnny to secure the win and extend my championship lead.”While unable to record another victory in Enduro 2, AUBERT ended his GP of Portugal with a podium result. Matching RENET’S pace during the final lap of the race, AUBERTfinished nine seconds behind the Husaberg rider. Spain’s Cristobal GUERRERO (KTM) improved on his fifth place result on day one to secure a podium finish with third on day two. After a fierce battle with GUERRERO, Italy’s Alex SALVINI (Husqvarna) finally placed just five seconds behind the Spaniard to finish fourth. France’s Jeremy TARROUX (KTM) produced a solid result to end his weekend in fifth.

It was another winning performance by France’s Christophe NAMBOTIN (KTM) inEnduro 3 as he recorded his eighth consecutive victory of the season. Mastering the dry and slippery special tests, the Frenchman remained unbeaten throughout the day to top his class by 67 seconds. “I’m really happy with my result today as I managed to win all the special tests,” confirmedNAMBOTIN at the end of day two. “Although I have a 50-point lead in the championship, my goal is to keep focused on each day and try to do the best I can. In Italy I will keep fighting for victory.”Spain’s Oriol MENA (Husaberg) led a three-way battle to claim second position in Enduro 3. Setting a fast pace on the long Enduro Test, MENA held off Estonia’s Aigar LEOK (TM)and Sweden’s Joakim LJUNGGREN (Husaberg) to record his best result of the season. Adding to his third place result on day one, LEOK ended day two less than ten seconds behind MENA to finish third.Finishing fourth, LJUNGGREN now moves up to second overall in the championship standings placing just one-point in front of LEOK. Gas Gas’ Sebastien GUILLAUME (F) completed the top five.

France’s Mathias BELLINO (Husaberg) claimed another comfortable victory in Enduro Junior by winning all of the day’s nine special tests. Making a slow start to the morning, Spain’s Victor GUERRERO (KTM) overhauled Britain’s Danny MCCANNEY (Gas Gas) on the final lap to secure second. With MCCANNEY recording his second podium result of the weekend with third place, Italy’s Rudi MORONI (KTM) and Jonathan MANZI (KTM) finished fourth and fifth respectively.Italy’s Giacomo REDONDI (KTM) was once again victorious in the Enduro Youth Cupfinishing over 30 seconds clear of runner up Portugal’s Luis OLIVERIA (Yamaha) and Italy’sMatteo BRESOLIN (Husaberg).

Fortunes were reversed on day two in the Women’s Cup as Laia SANZ (Gas Gas) claimed victory. After her second place result on day one, the Spaniard started day two in a determined fashion. Beating her teammate, Ludivine PUY (F – Gas Gas) on all but three of the day’s special tests,SANZ secured her third victory of the season. With PUY finishing second, France’s Audrey ROSSAT (KTM) took advantage of Husaberg’s Blandine DUFRENE’S (F) early retirement to claim third. The Australian duo of Jessica GARDINER (Yamaha) and Jemma WILSON (Yamaha) placed fourth and fifth respectively.

The Maxxis Enduro World Championship continues with round five in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy on June 30-July 01.

Related posts:

1. 2012 EWC Chile Two Day Results
2. 2012 EWC Standings after Round 2
3. 2012 EWC Euskadi Day One Results

Robby Bell wins Primm Big 6 GP

Photo Mark Nevin

Robby Bell enjoyed a clean sweep, winning all four races he entered at round four of the Big 6 AMA West Coast Grand Prix Series aboard his THR Motorsports/Monster Energy/Precision Concepts Kawasaki KX450F. The sole round of the eight-race series held outside of Southern California (though it almost qualifies, being in Primm, Nevada), it provides a unique set of challenges for both the rider and his mechanic.

“The Shamrocks Motorcycle Club marked out an enjoyable course with a balanced mix of twisty sand whoops and high-speed, choppy straightaway’s,” Bell shared. “Bike setup would be a compromise: too stiff and the chop will rip your hands apart, but too soft and the deep whoops will be more than happy to kick your back end out from under you. I felt my bike was set up perfectly for the course conditions and was ready to get out there.”

As usual at GP races, the Unclassified race was the first event of the weekend, and Bell established a pattern that he’d follow both days.

“Unclassified went well for me,” he said, “as instead of my usual routine of just cruising around, I felt good enough to jump out front and win, passing both of the Honda boys (Timmy Weigand and Colton Udall) and hopefully, from my point of view, setting the stage for the races to follow.”

A few hours later, Bell lined up for the Heavyweight Expert event on his all-conquering KX prepared by Bob Bell of Precision Concepts. After a somewhat slow start to deal with vision issues after getting doused while following Weigand through a water puddle, Bell marched on to win by about 35 seconds over Gordon Ward, Weigand, Udall and Justin Seeds.

Bell’s final race for Saturday was Four-stroke Heavyweight Expert, where he set himself a goal: “Get the holeshot and make it easier on myself.”

Unfortunately, that didn’t work out as he found himself almost getting taken out in the first turn, but he quickly passed a few competitors to settle into third behind Weigand and Udall. After sizing them up, he cut inside Udall for second in one turn and then sailed into the lead after Weigand went down in another turn. Chalk up another one for Bell followed by Weigand, Udall, Jason Parsons and Steven Gibson.

On Sunday, Bell had only the $2000 two-hour Pro race, and he was confident of another good result. After some banging around in the first turn, he found himself in third, chasing Udall and Mark Samuels, but Bell put in some good moves to grab the lead before long.

“I maintained about 15 seconds to the hallway point of the race as we were to come in for our only pit stops and as I exited the pit, I saw my chance to sprint and get out of visual range, which would hopefully demoralize [Udall] and have him settle for second,” Bell confided. “I pushed hard and came around the next lap with almost 30 seconds and from there only continued to pull away to almost 50 seconds.”

From there, Bell was able to control the race, taking his fourth victory of the weekend followed by Weigand.

“I have to admit being so dominant this weekend felt amazing; I’ve been working for it all year and to finally get the results I’ve wanted has really been a shot in the arm for me.

“It’s definitely gratifying to repay all of my sponsors with a result like this. From here, I have a week off and then [it’s off to] the Racetown WORCS event, followed shortly by the Baja 500, and I’m truly going to be working hard to keep this momentum going. Winning really is addicting!”

Big 6 AMA West Coast Grand Prix Series, Round Four results:

For more information and updates on the THR Motorsports Team, visit the THR Motorsports Web site at www.thrmotorsports.com or like us on Facebook. THR Motorsports thanks and is proud to represent Monster Energy, Kawasaki, Hoosier Precision Machining, Precision Concepts, John Burr Cycles, FMF, IMS, Dunlop, VP Racing Fuels, LAPC, ZLT, Kal-Gard, BRP, Zip-Ty, and KLeN.

Related posts:

1. Robby Bell Primm WORCS Race Reports
2. Robby Bell Big 6 GP Race Report
3. Robby Bell Taft GP Race Report

National Hare and Hound Round 5 Jericho, Utah

Well, im sitting here at home, after a long weekend in Vegas-Utah- and then Vegas, and honestly am writing the best race report of my life. My weekend started off really bad, with me getting stuck in the Matrix section right before the finishline at EnduroCross, and I failed to qualify for the main. But ended with the biggest thrill of my life as I crossed the finishline at FIRST OVERALL for the FIRST TIME EVER in a NATIONAL HARE AND HOUND! 

Friday Night/Saturday Morning

We left Endurocross at 11:00 PM and we were all really tired, but very thankfully for the invention of the best energy drink out there, Monster Energy Rehab- which kept my crew awake enough to drive 7 hours to Jericho Utah. We got there at 6:30 AM and while the crew got some rest I unloaded, had oatmeal for breakfast and went out for a wake up ride. I felt pretty good, tired but ready to go. I heard the course was going to be somewhat same from last year so I switched from a Dunlop MX51 front tire to a MX31 for the sandy condition which ended up being a great choice.

I went over to the bomb and the start was the same one as a couple of years ago, but it was still gnarly jumping the sand dunes and bombing it through the sage brush. I ended up going to the middle left by Kurt Caselli, Nick Burson, David Kamo, and Justin Morrow.

The banner went up and thankfully it was only a minute this time, so I didn’t get to queezey and was able to focus. I had a great first kick jump and I was the first one out of the hole. I decided to let off on the massive jump that was 50ft of the start and Kurt thought otherwise and actually jumped over me which was insane to watch! I was 4^th off the start behind my Purvines teammate Justin Morrow. We got into the course and I got aggressive and passed Justin and got right behind my other Purvines Racing teammate Nick Burson. I wanted to make the passes early and not loose Kurt to early in the race. We got into a silty tree section and I actually slid out and Justin passed me back. The course then transitioned into some wide open roads and the dust was so bad I actually slowed down to first gear at some points. I kept my head down, took a breather and waited till we got into the sandy section where I was able to push and pass both Justin and Nick into 2^nd place. I kept pushing, but could see Kurts dust way off in the distance, which was nice because usually hes gone by that point.

I came into the first alternate pit where I pitted myself and was off. It started to get rocky and maybe 3 or 4 miles in I came down a hill to find Kurt sitting on the ground I stopped and made sure he was okay and then I knew I was in the lead and didn’t wanna lose it so I went balls out from that point! Justin was in 2^ndand made a push too because he was only 30 seconds behind me in my dust. I came into the pits and made sure I had a quick pit, everyone was cheering for me which was awesome encouragement. I had some energy and sprinted for the first 15 miles of the second loop. The trees are always fun but being so tall I have to crouch for long periods of time and it starts making my neck and upper back sore. I was nervous being in the lead so I would pin it into corners almost miss it, slide and pin it out like a goon but it was working so I kept with it!

I only blew one or two corners the whole second loop, so I was happy with that. I came into the 2^nd alternate pit where I saw Donnie who was so excited he couldn’t contain it. I pitted my self and had 25 miles to go. I set it into a fast cruise mode where I thought I would be safe but I wasn’t. I looked back and Justin Morrow was riding awesome and was in my dust! For the last 10 miles I made sure it was an all out blitz. I was out of the trees and heading towards the finish where I greeted by a family of cows in the trail. I slowed down and went in the other direction but they were frantic and went the way I was going and I ended up coming close to taking them all out! After getting through that I went on and made to finish my first Overall National Hare and Hound win!!

Results 

1. 1.      Jacob Argubright (Monster Energy Team Green Kawasaki, Purvines Racing)
2. 2.      Justin Morrow (Purvines Racing)
3. T.J. Hannifin (Kawasaki)
4. David Pearson (Kawasaki)
5. 5.      Nick Burson (Purvines Racing) 

Notes

Great job to my teammates Justin and Nick they are killing it and are getting top consistent finishes. Along with my first win this was Megan’s (my girlfriend!) first win in the Womens Novice class and is now in the points lead in her class!

Im sorry to see Kurt get hurt like that. It sounds like it might be a Collarbone and since I did that earlier in the year, I know that he will likely miss the next round if that ends up being the case.

Did you see that the top 5 in this race were ALL ON KAWASAKI’S? That is pretty cool, and a true test for the fact that they are just great all around bikes. They have the speed to go wide open in the desert, but are agile enough to make it through the trees of Utah without being much of a problem. I am really lucky to have such a great bike, and the way that Eddie, Adrian, and the rest of the team have been so consistent with the setup and race day operations are really the reason that I am able to even be in a possition to win a race like this!

I want to dedicate this win to my mom and dad who have done everything in their power to make me a successful racer. I know that since the first time I entered the Mini class on a KX80 they hoped that I would be able to one day win a big race, and after everything that we have been through I feel like this is the biggest race I could have won for them!

Related posts:

1. Jacob Argubright EnduroCross Race Report
2. Jake Argubright Race Report
3. Jake Argubright Race Report

The folks at Kawasaki must be pretty stoked to see their riders winning at the National Hare & Hound. Kawasaki does not usually write a Hare & Hound report, but here is the one to celebrate Jake’s first overall win, congratulations.

We should also give a shout out to Purvines racing who sponsors Jake, Justin Morrow and Nick Burson. As a team they have a strong group of riders and are getting stronger each race.

Kawasaki Sweeps the Podium at the Hare & Hound in Utah Kawasaki Sweeps the Podium at the Hare & Hound in Utah Irvine, Calif. – Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Jacob Argubright captured his first professional AMA Hare & Hound win on Saturday in Jericho, Utah at Round 5 of the series. Argubright led a train of Kawasakis across the finish line with Justin Morrow taking second and T.J. Hannifin in third. Kawasaki riders swept the top five positions in the overall. Turning Things Around Argubright’s weekend did not start the way he would have liked. On Friday, he competed in the opening round of the 2012 EnduroCross series in Las Vegas, Nev., but came just short of making the main event. Disappointed, he packed up at 11 p.m. and started driving north to Jericho, Utah. Driving through the night, he did not arrive until 7 a.m. the next morning. Argubright was ready to turn things and was determined to get a better finish in the Hare & Hound. The course at Little Sahara Dunes OHV consisted of two 60-mile loops, the first of which was mostly sand. Argubright started around fourth and half way through the first loop began making his way towards the front, moving the lead.“My KX™450F was awesome,” said Argubright. “I ran a Dunlop sand tire instead of a hard-packed tire and that made all the difference. Once I got into second, I saw the leader down and started to tighten up a bit. I have led before, but never won, so I tried to push and get away before the second loop.” Focused to the End After a successful pit stop, Argubright headed into the second loop which featured multiple twisting trails through cedar trees. Holding the lead started to weigh on him as they got closer to the finish, but Argubright was able to stay focused and consistent to ride through and take his first professional Hare & Hound win. After getting injured at Round 1, Argubright now has two podiums in the last two rounds and is more determined than ever to keep the wins coming.“I always have a problem with trees,” said Argubright. “Because I’m tall, my neck always cramps up in tree sections. Second place started to catch me towards the end, but once I saw him, there was only about 15 miles left. I just put it in overdrive and pinned it to the finish. The next round is in Utah again, so I feel like I have a good drive and can carry this momentum through the rest of the season.”

Related posts:

1. Utah Round 5 National Hare & Hound Race Report
2. National Hare & Hound Round 5 Preview – Utah
3. Update – 2012 Sage Riders Hare & Hound Results

Results

Related posts:

1. 2012 Prospectors Enduro Results
2. District 37 Lost Coyotes Scrambles Results
3. 2012 UMC “Not So Tuff Enough” Enduro Results

The first round of the 2012 Geico Endurcross season is finally in the books. After much anticipation, the team left the Orleans arena with achieved goals. Between Kacy Martinez’s close race with Maria Forsberg and Bobby Prochnau’s main event finish, the team is motivated and ready to head to Sacramento for round two. While Kacy Martinez, Bobby Prochnau, Travis Coy, Josh Strang and I were in Las Vegas for Endurocross, our team member Ivan Ramirez journeyed North with Kurt Caselli for the National Hare & Hound in Jericho, Utah. And although Ivan stopped  with Kurt after his crash during the race, we are proud of Ivan for doing the right thing and look forward to our next race in two week at Racetown 395 for WORCS. Huge thanks to everyone involved in our program we look forward to bringing you more success this season! Sincerely, Michael Hurlbert RPM Racing Team Kacy Takes 2nd at Endurocross Opener Following her performance from 2011, Kacy Martinez came into the Endurocross series fully prepared to take on the tough course. In her qualifying Heat during the day, Kacy won over Nicole Bradford and Shelby Turner by .26 seconds. With certain confidence she lined up for the evening’s Main Event ready to challenge Maria Forsberg to the finish. Off the start she stayed on Maria’s rear tire and moved into 1st on lap 2. Maria was able to capitalize on a different line choice and make the pass back, but Kacy charged through the obstacles to the finish. Finishing just .02 seconds behind Maria, Kacy stated, “I was excited about my race! I kept it on two wheels the whole time, which isn’t easy to do in Endurocross. I know I have the speed to win, I just need to concentrate on getting a better start and minimizing small mistakes!” Kacy is already qualified for X-Games, and now sits in 2nd behind Maria for the Championship with 25 points. Prochnau Takes Top Ten, Strang Introduced to Endurocross Bobby Prochnau has picked up where he left off after months of logging camp, and is back in the Endurocross game. Prochnau kicked off the night show taking 2nd in his heat just behind Cody Webb. After avoiding Taddy’s first turn crash in the Main Event, he looked ahead to put down some strong laps. He moved from 10th to 9th ahead of Kevin Rookstool and spent 4 laps there. By lap 9, Prochnau had a few small mistakes and was unable to defend himself as Rookstool made the pass, but was able to hold onto 10th to the checkers. “I am just happy I made it to the Main. I really learned a lot this weekend, and now I just have to fine-tune a few things before Sacramento!” Prochnau said. Our newest team member of 2012 Josh Strang experienced his first Endurocross race. With his considerably long recovery, Josh has only recently spent his time training for Endurocross at a few of his local tracks. In his Heat, he was able to take a solid 7th just behind Gary Sutherlin. Although Strang did not make the Main, he now understands the fundamentals of Endurocross and will be busy preparing himself over the next few weeks for Sacramento. Travis Coy hit the track during the day for night show qualifiers, taking 5th in his heat. Moving into the Semi, Coy put down the fastest lap at .54:414 and finished 2nd.

Related posts:

1. 2012 Las Vegas Endurocross Results
2. RPM Racing WORCS Report
3. Beta’s Cody Webb Endurocross Report

From Kawasaki-  Kawasaki riders dominated the opening round of the 2012 AMA EnduroCross season at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., taking the top two spots. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Justin Soulé put together a solid ride aboard his KX™250F to claim the runner-up spot behind fellow Kawasaki rider Colton Haaker. Taylor Robert looked more confident than ever as he scouted the fastest lines over some of the most difficult obstacles and finished the night in fifth place. Fan-favorite Destry Abbott put together some of the most exciting racing of the night to get to the main event and wrapped up the evening in 11th place. Although Bobby Garrison wasn’t able to make the main, he learned a lot in the first EnduroCross event he’s raced in years.

Already a veteran of the sport, Soulé knows what it takes to earn an EnduroCross championship. You have to be fast, consistent and you must finish every race. He came to the opening round more prepared than ever. In the heat race Soulé got a good start, pulled out front quickly and rode smooth all the way to the checkers. When the gate dropped for the main event, he came around the first turn in second and began pacing fellow Kawasaki rider Haaker. Soulé rode a flawless main while waiting for an opportunity to make a pass, but the opportunity never came. He finished in second place, just behind Haaker, to give Kawasaki the top two spots on the podium.

“I really wanted to win this one, but I had to play it smart,” said Soulé. “You can’t win the championship in the first race, but you can lose it. The night started out great, I felt solid in practice and took the win in my heat race. In the main event I got a good start right behind Colton (Haaker) and we started pulling away from the pack. Colton was riding really solid. I settled in behind him and was staying close so I could strike like a snake as soon as he made a mistake, but it didn’t happen. I kept looking for a place to pass, but didn’t want to force the issue and potentially cause an accident that could cost me the season. I’m happy to finish on the podium, but I really wanted the win. The team has been working so hard and the KX250F is better than ever; we are looking to dominate this season.”

From KTM- Red Bull/KTM Factory rider Taddy Blazusiak put together an impressive ride after charging to a podium finish after a dead last start. Fellow KTM rider, Mike Brown, finished 6^th overall.

Blazusiak and Brown started the day well finishing 1^st and 2^nd fastest in the timed hot laps. It was Brown who secured the fastest time with Blazusiak finishing 2^nd. Brown carried his momentum into the first heat race where he quickly put his KTM into the lead by the third corner. He led the heat race for three laps before a mistake in the matrix allowed Justin Soule to pass and takeover the position. Soule went on to win the heat while Brown earned 2^nd to secure a spot in the main event.

In heat number two, Blazusiak got off to a 3^rd place start and quickly moved into 2^nd by the end of the first lap. On lap two, he had a small crash in a deep sand corner that cost him one position. On the third lap he suffered another crash and was unable to make the passes he needed to transfer into the main and had to return to the track to try and qualify through the semi.

Blazusiak returned for the semi where he easily took the win and a transfer spot into the main event. “I had a rough heat,” commented Blazusiak. “Part was my fault for making small mistakes but we also realized we needed to make some adjustments on the bike. We got everything worked out and I was able to come back to the semi and take and easy win to ensure a spot in the main event.”

In the main event, Blazusiak had a bad gate pick and attempted to take the far outside line around the first corner. Unfortunately, he got pushed out causing his front wheel to hit the side barrier sending him over the bars. His luck worsened as his levers and bars got bent in the crash and he had to take a moment to adjust them. When he recovered he was nearly half a lap down in last place.

Meanwhile, Brown had a great start and completed the first lap in 2^nd place. On the third lap, he connected with another rider over the big tire jump which caused him to crash. He recovered in 7^th position. On the fifth lap of the race, Blazusiak had caught up to where Brown was and the two teammates battled for a lap before Blazusiak made the pass to take over 4^th place. Blazusiak then set his sights on the 3^rd place ride of Cody Webb and quickly reeled him in to take the podium position. With only a few laps to go, Blazusiak was indeed the fastest rider on the track but had run out of time to run down the leaders. He continued to run a strong pace through the checkered flag to take 3^rd place. Brown finished 6^th overall.

“Of course it is disappointing not to win,” commented Blazusiak. “People often say your race is won or lost in the first round, and the good thing is, I didn’t lose it today. A podium is still a good finish considering my poor start. My bike was set-up perfectly for the main event and I am really looking forward to getting another shot at a win at the next round.”

KTM had a great presence in the women’s class with the brand taking a complete podium sweep. The class was won by Factory FMF/KTM rider Maria Forsberg with 2^nd place going to RPM/KTM support rider Kacy Martinez and 3^rd place going to KTM support rider Louise Forsley.

The KTM brand took another win in the Vet class after Kurt Nicoll took an impressive victory over his Vet class competition that came down to the last obstacle on the course.

Next Event:Sacramento,CA– June 9, 2012 

Related posts:

1. Taddy Perfect in Vegas Endurocross
2. 2012 Las Vegas Endurocross Results
3. 2010 AMA Endurocross Las Vegas

photos by Shan Moore

From KTM - Support rider Steward Baylor claimed his fourth win of the season at the fifth round of the AMA National Enduro Series to further strengthen his hold on the series point standings.

Baylor started the day well with a win in the first special test section. His biggest challenger of the day was Husaberg’s Mike Lafferty who was able to take the win at the second test. Baylor came back strong in the third test and also claimed the fast time in the fifth and sixth tests.

At the end of all six tests he was able to edge out Lafferty to claim is fourth win of the season. Now five rounds into the series, Baylor holds a 32 point lead in the series point standings.

Two other KTM riders joined Baylor in the top five. KTM rider Jesse Groemm was able to secure 4^th overall while Factory FMF/KTM rider Russell Bobbitt earned a 5^th place result. Unfortunately, Bobbitt’s teammate and the winner of third round of the series, Cory Buttrick, suffered a crash early in the first test section injuring his knee. Buttrick was unable to complete the test section and sat out the remainder of the race to get his knee evaluated.

From Husqvarna- Andrew DeLong and Fred Andrews Racing (FAR) gave Husqvarna a historic return to the podium in the AMA National Enduro Series.

With temperatures in the 90′s, Forest Hill, Louisiana played host to the Cajun Classic National Enduro, round five of the series. Recording times of fourth or better on each of the six tests, DeLong put his TXC310 into third overall, giving Husqvarna its first National Enduro podium in decades. “We made a few changes to my TXC310 this week,” DeLong commented. “Obviously they paid off!”

Andrew pushed his TXC310 through the trees of Louisiana’s Cajun Classic finishing as high as second in test number three. “It was really slippery; there were pine tree roots everywhere,” DeLong described. “I just held on and tried not to crash, I was close a few times, but didn’t hit the ground until about 15-feet before the finish.” Third overall marked a career-best for DeLong in the National Enduro Series. Andrew was also the only four-stroke in the top ten at the Louisiana round.

“I am just so proud of these guys,” team manager Fred Andrews said. “Andrew and Nick both rode so well today. It was really a great day in the FAR pits!” Nick Davis put in a solid effort aboard his TC250, but a crash on test five ended his day prematurely. The 17-year-old chose to pull out of the race after injuring his knee.

From Husaberg- Mike Lafferty put in a remarkable ride at the fifth round of the AMA National Enduro Series where he earned 2^nd overall after a close battle for the lead position throughout the race. His teammate Nick Fahringer earned 6^th overall.

Lafferty, who had completely revamped his training program for 2012, came to the Louisiana race course ready to give point’s leader Steward Baylor a run for his money. Lafferty started off well taking the third fastest time in the first section, but knew he needed to pick up his pace in order to challenge for the win.

In the next test he proved he had the speed to run with the best and took the win in that special test. He finished third in the next test and followed that with the fastest time in the fourth section. In the final two tests he was able to finish second and was just barely edged out by Baylor for the win. Lafferty’s second place result at this round helped move him up in the point standings. He now sits 32 points down from Baylor in the championship standings.

“It was a really challenging race,” remarked Lafferty. “This was the first race of the year with really hot weather conditions and that took a toll on a few riders. I was happy that my hard work has paid off and I was able to challenge for the win today. My goal is to get a win this season as it will mark my 70^th National Enduro win.”

His teammate, Nick Fahringer, had a decent ride at the Cajun Enduro. Fahringer earned three top five special test results and was able to secure 6^th place overall

The riders will now take a one month break before returning to the series for the sixth round of the series to be held inUpton,WYon June 17, 2012.

Related posts:

1. 2012 Cajun Classic National Enduro Results
2. Husaberg National Enduro Report
3. KTM Race Reports

Steve Hengeveld talks with "announcer dude" George after riding solo in Silver State 300

Here are the quick results from the Best in the Desert race this weekend. I understand Steve Hengeveld rode solo. I assume Robby Bell was at the Primm Big 6 GP. Gary Sutherlin may have ridden solo also, as Justin Morrow was racing the Utah Hare & Hound at the same time.

Open Pro Results

1. Ty Renshaw/Ricky Brabec
2. Robby Bell / Steve Hengeveld
3. Justin Morrow / Gary Sutherlin

If you look through the finishers, the bike entries are getting pretty slim for this series. I am not even sure if they had finishers in all the classes.

Link: Complete Results

Related posts:

1. 2012 BITD Laughlin HS Today -
2. 2012 WORCS Primm Results
3. 2011 Baja 1000 Results – Updated