There is a lot of buzz about the 2012 KTM two-strokes and it’s not just the sound from the exhaust. The latest news making its way to the talk boards involves Factory FMF/KTM riders Cory Buttrick and Charlie Mullins who will be making the switch to the 250 XC two-stroke motorcycles for the remaining National Enduro rounds.

Three-time National Enduro Champion, Russell Bobbitt, has been a “two-stroker” throughout his career with KTM and has won all three of his championships aboard his 250 XC race machine. After witnessing his success and trying the new 2012 models, Buttrick and Mullins have decided to give it a whirl.

Now all three Factory FMF/KTM Team riders will line up for the next AMA National Enduro round on their two-stroke race bikes. Mullins, the reigning National Enduro Champion, commented, “I can’t wait to race on the new two-stroke. After racing a four-stroke for so long, you forget how much fun the two-strokes can be. I’ve been riding it the past few weeks and can’t believe how easy it is to ride in and out of the tight trees. I feel very confident on the new bike.”

It’s no wonder the entire team is switching to the two-strokes after KTM has continuously improved the model line over the past few years. For 2012, the two-stroke machines received an abundance of chassis upgrades including a new frame, a new one-piece cast aluminum swingarm and a linkage suspension system

Single Track Attack The first loop consisted of 42 miles of single-track enveloped with sagebrush. After the start, Abbott found himself in third place and keying off the riders in front of him. He kept up a fast pace, continuing to stay right with the leader. As the race progressed, Abbott and three other racers would pull away from the rest of the field to contend for the podium. “It was one of the best times I’ve had racing in a while,” said Abbott. “Through the entire first loop there were four of us riding within ten seconds of each other. It was almost felt like a fun trail ride with friends. We were giving each other thumbs up as we flew down the trail, it was really cool.”

Comfortably Numb After the first pit stop, Abbott blazed into the second loop of the race which consisted of 60 miles of high-desert single track and mountainous trails covered with snow, mud, and ice. The wind-chill and abundance of snow left the riders freezing cold with numb hands and faces as they charged forward. A more technically oriented rider, Abbott was able to advance his position in this loop, and pull out into the lead. He put a ten second gap on the field and continued to lead for 15 miles before coming into a checkpoint. A complication with officials at the checkpoint allowed the other racers to catch up with Abbott. “The weather was really windy and cold,” said Abbott. “We were riding up this road into the mountains and were going through patches of snow and puddles with ice, so you really had to ride smart. I was able to pull out into the lead and put a ten second gap on the rest of the field before coming into a checkpoint. Once I arrived I couldn’t get anyone to mark my card so the other guys caught up to me while I was waiting. Not far after leaving that checkpoint I got passed on the inside of a turn by two of the riders. I kept sprinting on my KX™ 450F the last 25 miles and ended up finishing only 25 seconds behind the leader. It was definitely one of the best times I’ve had racing in a while. I’m happy to get another podium and to be the only rider of the series who has been on the podium every race so far.”

This weekend Abbott will be heading back to a warmer climate in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. for round three of the WORCS series. There he will meet up with fellow Monster Energy Kawasaki riders Justin Soule and Taylor Robert for another race in the sandy deserts of the southwest.

Results

AMA National Hare and Hound Series – Round 4
Murphy, Idaho
March 20, 2011

Pro Class Results
1. Kurt Caselli, KTM
2. JACOB ARGUBRIGHT, KAWASAKI
3. DESTRY ABBOTT, MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI
4. David Pearson, Honda
5. ROBERT UNDERWOOD, KAWASAKI

Pro Class Points
1. Kurt Caselli, KTM, 106
2. David Pearson, Honda, 98
3. DESTRY ABBOTT, MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 88
4. JACOB ARGUBRIGHT, KAWASAKI, 80
5. JUSTIN MORROW, KAWASAKI, 62

Paul Whibley took the win in Georgia.Washington, GA (March 13, 2011) – Paul Whibley returned to top of the podium after taking a solid win at the Maxxis General GNCC in Washington, Georgia, round two of the 2011 Can-Am Grand National Cross Series.
After finishing out last season with two straight wins, the Am Pro/FMF/Yamaha rider came into the 2011 series with high hopes. However, a close encounter with a tree at the season opener in Florida left him with a disappointing ninth place finish – not what he was hoping for.

At the Maxxis General, however, a strong performance in the red Georgia clay, which saw Whibley lead the final two laps of the seven-lap race, put the 2009 series champ right back in the championship hunt with lots of racing still left on the schedule.

“This certainly puts me in the hunt,” said Whibley. “This is a good way to come back out and at least I know I’m on pace with these guys. I feel good, the bike is good and everything went well.”

Nate Kanney kicked things off by grabbing the holeshot in the XC1 class and picked up the $250Motosport.com Holeshot Award for doing so.

Photo By: Shan Moore
Josh Strang was a solid second in Georgia.For the first few laps it was an exciting free-for-all up front, with Whibley, Kanney, Cory Buttrick, Whibley’s Am Pro teammate Thad DuVall, defending series champ Josh Strang, and Florida winner Charlie Mullins, all mixing it up. When things started sorting themselves out at the halfway mark, it was Strang on his FMF/Makita Suzuki, and the two Yamaha riders, Whibley and DuVall, in a tight formation at the front. A few seconds back came Buttrick on his FMF-backed factory KTM, while Kanney ran in fifth on his WMR/Planet Fitness/KTM.
With two laps to go, Whibley made his move for the lead, taking the position from DuVall. A lap later, DuVall stalled his bike, letting Strang go by, and the top three positions were set.

Whibley took the win a good 20 seconds ahead of Strang, with DuVall getting the checkers another nine seconds back.

“We were passing back and forth for most of the race,” said Whibley. “Strang upped the pace late in the race and I had to pick it up too. I was able to get the lead at the two-second board and I just rode a steady race after that.”

Photo By: Shan Moore
Thad DuVall rounded out the podium.Strang led early in the race, but missed a line in the mud, allowing Whibley and DuVall to go around. However, Australian off-road star moved back up into the lead position later in the race, but ultimately gave way to Whibley. His second place finish moves him into second overall in the points standings.
“I couldn’t catch Whibs at the end, he was going good,” said Strang. “We’re just two races in and hopefully I’ll work the bugs out. These boys were going quick and it was a fun race.”

DuVall wasn’t pleased with third, after running with the lead group for most of the race.

“I should have done a lot better, but I had some problems on the last lap,” said DuVall. “I rode a good race, and when Paul caught me at the two-second board I tried to stay with him but I ended up stalling it and Josh got around me and that was it.”

Fourth went to Buttrick, who now sits fourth overall in the standings.

“At the end of the day I have to be happy with fourth,” said Buttrick. “I was running at the front and I was happy with that because there are some pretty fast guys in this class. We were kind of freight-training all day. If you went down you could go from first to fifth.”

Photo By: Shan Moore
Cory Buttrick just missed the podium.Kanney finished out the day in fifth, while Mullins was sixth.
Garret Edminsten put his Kawasaki into seventh, ahead of JG Off-road/GEICO Powersports/Honda’s Jimmy Jarrett. Meanwhile, a pair of former national enduro champions, Russell Bobbitt on a KTM, and Mike Lafferty on a Husaberg, rounded out the top 10.

In the XC2 class, KTM-mounted Jesse Robinson rebounded from a bad start to claim his first win of the year, beating out round-one winner Steward Baylor Jr. and FAR Husqvarna’s Jason Thomas.

“I got horrible start, so I just put my head down took some chances,” said Robinson. “I hit some mud holes that I didn’t know how deep they were, but I just floated across them. I got up to the front and caught Jason and went around him. After that I just kept my handle bars out of the first and here we are.”

Second went to Baylor, who battled with arm pump early in the race.

“The second I hit the woods I got arm pump,” said Baylor. “I was trying as hard as I could, and I got close but not close enough. I know I can do it, I just had a little bad luck today.”

Photo By: Shan Moore
Nate Kanney took the Motosport.com Holeshot Award in the XC1 class.Meanwhile, Thomas was third after suffering a brutal crash on the opening lap.
“I was going down a fast section and the thing just fired me over the bars,” said Thomas. “I think my camelback saved me because it exploded on my back. I got up and got going, but I took a few laps to see what the bike was doing. I gradually picked my way back up to third.”

Virginia hare scrambles champ Brad Bakken finished fourth on a KTM, beating out Am Pro Yamaha’s Jordan Ashburn and KTM rider Andrew DeLong.

Yamaha rider Ted Mullins edged out JG Off-road/GEICO Powersports/Honda’s Scotty Watkins for seventh, while KTM riders Shane Obanion and Zackery Smith finished out the top 10.

Obanion went home with a little extra cash after taking the $100 Motosport.com Holeshot Award by grabbing the holeshot to start the XC2 race.

In the A.M. race, over 440 riders took to the track with KTM rider Corey Arbogast making a last second pass on six-time National Hare Scrambles champion Jason Raines to take the overall win.

“I didn’t get the best of starts and I just started picking people off,” said Arbogast. “We had a great battle and I wasn’t sure who was going to win. Jason had to gas on the last lap and that gave me enough to get the win.”

Photo By: Shan Moore
Jesse Robinson won the XC2 class.Yamaha rider Jeff Cregg finished third overall with McKinnon Wilborn finishing fourth overall. Arbogast, Raines, Cregg and Welborn also filled the top four positions in the Sportsman A division.
In the Women’s class, KTM’s Maria Forsberg topped Husqvarna rider Mandi Mastin for the win with Honda rider Ashley Crouch in third.

Aaron Curtis won the Sportsman B class over fellow KTM riders Bo Crowe and Nicholas Roughton.

In the Youth race, KTM rider Austin Lee remained undefeated for the 2011 season, taking the overall win after leading every lap of the one-hour race. Second place went to another KTM rider Levi Keller, while Honda Kevin Sutphin finished third overall.

Lee also claimed the win in the Super Mini (12-13) class.

“I knew I had to ride hard today in the mud and I just made the best of it and it paid off,” said Lee.

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Series returns to action on March 26th and 27th for round three of the series at the FMF Steele Creek GNCC, held in Morganton, South Carolina.

XC1 Results:

1. Paul Whibley (Yam)

2. Josh Strang (Suz)

3. Thad DuVall (Yam)

4. Cory Buttrick (KTM)

5. Nate Kanney (KTM)

6. Charlie Mullins (KTM)

7. Garret Edminsten (Kaw)

8. Jimmy Jarrett (Hon)

9. Russell Bobbitt (KTM)

10. Mike Lafferty (Hsb)

XC1 Standings:

1. Charlie Mullins (45/1 win)

2. Josh Strang (43)

3. Paul Whibley (42/1 win)

4. Cory Buttrick (33)

5. Nate Kanney (32)

6. Garrett Edminsten (28)

7. Chris Bach (27)

8. Mike Brown (25)

9. Mike Lafferty (24)

10. Thad DuVall (22)

XC2 Results:

1. Jesse Robinson (KTM)

2. Steward Baylor Jr. (KTM)

3. Jason Thomas (Hsq)

4. Brad Bakken (KTM)

5. Jordan Ashburn (Yam)

6. Andrew DeLong (KTM)

7. Ted Mullins (Yam)

8. Scotty Watkins (Hon)

9. Shane Obanion (KTM)

10. Zackery Smith (KTM)

XC2 Standings:

1. Steward Baylor Jr. (55/1 win)

2. Jesse Robonson (51/1 win)

3. Jason Thomas (46)

4. Brad Bakken (33)

5. Andrew DeLong (33)

6. Jordan Ashburn (27)

7. Shane Obanion (26)

8. Morgan Moss (24)

9. Shane Hufford Jr. (23)

10. Scotty Watkins (22)

MotoSport.com $250 XC1 holeshot – Nate Kanney

MotoSport.com $100 XC2 holeshot – Shan Obanion

About GNCC Racing:

The Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series is America’s premier off-road racing series. Founded in 1979, the 13-round championship is produced exclusively by Racer Productions. Cross country racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The grueling three-hour GNCC races lead as many as 1,800 riders through tracks ranging in length from eight to 12 miles, competing for more than $3 million in prizes. With varied terrain, including hills, woods, mud, dirt, rocks and motocross sections, GNCC events are tests of both survival and speed. For more information, please visit www.gnccracing.com.

Photo By: Shan Moore

By Joe Colombero

It’s rare anymore when we get to see a true “Privateer” win a major event at the highest levels of Professional motorcycle racing. But, on Saturday February 26, and again Sunday February 27, 2011 that is exactly what happened when Bobby Garrison took the win in the Pro race of WORCS round two.

For moto one on Saturday, fan-favorite Destry Abbott took the holeshot. Bobby G gated in the top five and quickly moved into second before the end of the first lap. By this point Destry had taken a tumble and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Taylor Robert had moved into the lead. Robert has never been easy to catch once he has a lead and this race would be no different. Robert, with Garrison on his tail quickly gapped the field, leaving the trail behind them cold for third place. Garrison continued to haunt Robert, but could not make the pass until lap three when Robert handed him the lead by dumping the bike on the slick asphalt entering the pits. Garrison took the lead, the open track and clean air, and made the most of it by pulling away as fast as his privateer Kawasaki would take him.

With Bobby G well set in first and Robert hunting him in second, a battle for third ensued between Gary Sutherlin, Justin Soule, Mike Brown, and defending WORCS Champion Kurt Caselli.  Caselli, who had gated poorly on the dead-engine start eventually won the final spot on the podium, but could not close on Garrison or Robert before time ran out.

Garrison took the win with Robert close on his rear Maxxis in second, Caselli finished third with Soule in fourth and Brown in fifth.  With Caselli taking the opener and finishing third in Saturday’s race, and Garrison taking third in the opener and winning day one of round two – Caselli and Garrison were tied for the Championship point’s lead going into the race on Sunday.

Moto Two was even more amazing than moto one. This time former WORCS Champion Mike Brown got the holeshot with Taylor Robert close on his heels. Brown and Robert immediately gapped the field and it looked as though we would see the two of them battle for the rest of the hour. Meanwhile, both Caselli and Garrison were back out of the top five with a host of very fast and determined racers in front of them. But Brown had to slow as his forearms turned to cement on the high speed rough Primm course. Then Robert bobbled and stalled his bike. Now Kyle Summers charged to the front to challenge for the lead, but Summers too would fade as his hands blistered up (hamburger) hanging on in the endless high speed sand whoops.

Then Garrison moved into second and started putting in the fastest laps of the day and closing on Robert. Caselli moved into third, but could not close on Bobby G. In the closing minutes, Garrison took the lead and kept pushing. Robert put in one of his fastest laps on the white flag, hard on the attack to regain the lead. But Garrison would not be denied this weekend as he took moto two for the overall win and the points lead in the WORCS Series.

Robert was close behind in second and Caselli finished third for an identical podium as Saturday’s main event.

Enduro Del Verano 2011
Piramar, Argentina

Pro Class Results
1. Milko Potisek, Honda
2. Adrien Van Beveren, Yamaha
3. TAYLOR ROBERT, MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI
4. Kurt Caselli, KTM
5. Jean Claude Mousse, Yamaha
6. JUSTIN SOULE, MONSTER ENERGY KAWSAKI

Irvine, Calif. (February 14, 2011) – Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Justin Soule dominated the Adelanto GP, taking the wire-to-wire win, and topping the all-green podium. Knowing the track would be dusty, and with the late afternoon-sun dropping toward the horizon, Soule made sure he got a good start and never looked back. Joining him on the podium were fellow Kawasaki riders Bobby Garrison and Robby Bell, who took second and third, respectively.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Under the Tent

It’s All About the Start

Soule knew the key to winning laid in the start of the race. With a setting sun and a silt-laden track, getting out front was paramount. He maneuvered into the lead coming around the second corner and continued to pull away from the field. With everyone behind him forced to navigate the illuminated dust clouds, he maintained a comfortable lead throughout the race.

“I knew how important the start would be because the track was so dusty,” said Soule. “My goal was to get the holeshot and be the one making the dust for everyone else. I ended up in third coming around the first corner, but the guys in front of me made mistakes in the second corner and I went right around them. I ended up getting the lead right away, and that was the race.”

Setting The Pace

He led the race from the second turn, keeping the dust-factory working hard behind the back wheel of his Kawasaki KX™450F. Once he got a comfortable lead, he kept one eye on Garrison, and the other on his pit board, ensuring he wasn’t losing any ground. His pit crew splashed him so fast he barely saw them, and his KX450F carried him the rest of the way through the checkered flag.

 “I was pretty much controlling the race,” said Soule. “I watched my pit board to see where (Bobby) Garrison was, then just paced myself accordingly. I did what I needed to do to win, but my primary goal was to finish. It’s a fast race, the sun was at eye level, and once I got out front I didn’t need to push too hard and risk the win. My KX450F was awesome and really powered through the sand. This was a great shakedown for the upcoming WORCS races in Nevada and Arizona.”

Sandy Days Ahead

After taking the win on the sand in Adelanto, Calif., Soule feels especially confident going into the upcoming beach race at the Enduro Del Verano in Argentina. His teammate Taylor Robert also grew up racing sand, and is looking forward to the race. The duo should provide quite a show for the South American crowd. Once they get stateside, they team back up with Destry Abbott to tackle the sands of Primm, Nev. at the second round of the WORCS series.

Results

Adelanto GP
Adelanto, Calif.
February 12, 2011

Pro Class Results
1. JUSTIN SOULE, VICTORVILLE, CALIF., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI
2. BOBBY GARRISON, HESPERIA, CALIF., KAWASAKI
3. ROBBY BELL, SUN CITY, CALIF., KAWASAKI

Kurt Caselli Dedicates WORCS Race Win in Honor of Nathan Woods

FMF/KTM rider Kurt Caselli’s goal this season is to defend his championship one race at a time. This weekend, that took a backseat to honoring his friend and fallen teammate, Nathan Woods.

The entire off-road racing community was devastated after hearing Friday’s news of Woods’ passing. The winningest rider in WORCS history and a 2-time WORCS Champion, Woods succumbed to injuries after a crash during Friday’s practice session. Saturday’s race schedule was moved to Sunday to allow the WORCS community to participate in a parade lap in honor of their late friend. The parade lap was led by Woods’ wife Amanda and former mechanic and long-time friend, Charles Jirsa. Caselli followed behind with Nathan’s son Braxton, and behind them was a long train of friends and family who rode a lap for one of the sports’ best riders.

With a heavy heart, WORCS resumed the race schedule on Sunday and riders lined the gate to race a 1 hour plus 1 lap moto. Caselli took the holeshot and led the entire race, increasing his lead each lap. His only mistake throughout the race occurred when he washed out the front end on the first lap, but Caselli quickly recovered to still finish the lap with a 25 second lead. The FMF/KTM Team had Caselli and teammate Mike Brown pit once for gas near the end of the race to ensure the riders would have enough fuel to reach the finish.

While Caselli held the lead out front, Brown bounced back and forth inside the top three, battling with Still Performance/KTM rider Kevin Rookstool. Near the end of the race Brown struggled with arm pump and dropped a few positions to eventually finish 5th. Rookstool took a spill halfway through the race and recovered to finish behind Brown in 6th. Caselli took home the win by 1 minute and 1 second over the 2nd place ride of Kyle Summers.

“We are very happy with the results today. Caselli is exactly where we expected him to be and his new training program is paying off. Brown was also inside the top three for most of the race and we feel both of our riders will be top competitors throughout this series. As devastating as this weekend has been, it is welcoming for Caselli to win in honor of our friend Nathan Woods,” remarked Antti Kallonen, Factory FMF/KTM Team Manager.

After rearranging the race schedule on Saturday, WORCS officials decided to give each rider 24 points for Saturday, with the exception of Woods who was awarded 25 points for Saturday and 25 more for Sunday. Fittingly then, at the end of the day it is Woods who will lead the series heading to the next round, as he has done many times before.

Next Event: February 26-27, 2011 – Primm, NV

Overall Race Results –
1. Kurt Caselli – KTM
2. Kyle Summers
3. Bobby Garrison
4. Taylor Roberts
5. Mike Brown – KTM
6. Kevin Rookstool – KTM
7. Bobby Bonds
8. Robbie Bell
9. Destry Abbott
10. Brendan Ritzman

Overall Points –
1. Nathan Woods – 50
2. Kurt Caselli – 49
3. Kyle Summers – 46
4. Bobby Garrison – 44
5. Taylor Roberts – 42
6. Mike Brown – 40
7. Kevin Rookstool – 39
8. Bobby Bonds – 38
9. Robbie Bell – 37
10. Destry Abbott – 36

Round 1 is in the books, and with it are pages of stories that the NHHA community will be talking about for months. David Pearson started the year out right where he left off, and mixed results meant that the season is going to be a little bit tougher then everyone originally thought for both the returning champ Kendall Norman, and the new guy in the mix.

David Pearson takes the win on his Purvines Racing Honda. Photo by Mark Kariya.

The new guy in the mix, Kurt Caselli, made it look easy for most of the race. Leading off the mass bomb-run start, the Factory FMF/KTM rider looked effortless as he held off the charge of the second place rider, only a few hundred yards behind. Unfortunately for defending champion Kendall Norman, things wouldn’t come as easy for him as the JCR Honda racer would go down hard at mile marker 8 and would be left a little bloodied and unable to continue on the 85-mile course.

With Norman out of the mix, things were looking up for privateer racer Justin Morrow. The past 125cc national champion was ripping through the course well ahead of Factory Kawasaki rider Destry Abbott. Morrow was passed somewhere midway through Loop 2, and Destry Abbott took over the final podium spot heading into Loop 3.

Jacob Argubright and his Off Road Support KX450 pushed his way from 20th overall to 5th at the start of Loop 2 and would sit in this position until halfway through the third and technical loop where he would make a pass on Morrow, working his way into 4th place.

The big shocker of the day however, came when the crowd watched as Kurt Caselli and his KTM came to a screeching halt just one mile from the finish line. Capitalizing on the misfortunes of the rider whom he had literally trailed by just yards all day long, David Pearson piloted his Purvines Racing Honda to a first overall finish, and his first win of the 2011 season.

Abbott was next over the hill and was able to pass Caselli, who was still pushing his bike, to take second on the podium. Argubright and Morrow crossed the valley virtually side by side, but it was the orange helmet of Argubright that could be seen in the lead when they finally crossed the finish line for third place. Morrow was happy at the finish with a fourth, but stated that he would be back in three weeks for his turn on the podium.

In his true competitive spirit, Caselli pushed his bike across the finish line as the first five riders had created a big enough gap for him to remain at 5th overall, much to the disappointment of his fellow competitors who know that a DNF would have been much more rewarding to their hopes of a 2011 championship.

On the Vet Pro side of things, favorites Paul Krause and Chilly White both had struggles of their own as their made their way around the track. Chilly was held up with a poor start on Loop 1 and played catch up for most of it. Krause made it out on Loop 2 with a good margin, but a crash on Loop 3 left him without a petcock, and he spent the final 5 miles filling his float bowl just enough to make the bike run before having to stop and fill the float again to keep moving. Dan Capparelli of Sparks, NV had enough to hold off his closest competitor, David Fry of Purvines Racing, and took the win as the first Vet Pro Class winner at an NHHA event.

As the afternoon wore on, it was all about the woman as a guessing game developed over who would be first female to the finish line. Nearly two hours after leaving the pits, word came in the Sarah Kritsch had broken down and was stuck across the valley. Rumors started to spread over what could have happened, and all focus shifted as the finish line (and race announcer George Antill on the NHHA Podium) began to look for Blais Racing Services rider Shayla Fulfer, who had been leading since the first pit stop. Fifteen minutes later and the first woman was spotted from the finish line. Sarah Kritsch had gotten her bike running after making repairs on the trailside, and cruised into the finish for the win.

Sara Kritsch takes the win in the Woman’s A Class. Photos By Grumpy.

Fulfer followed in second place, limping across the finish line with a broken front brake caliper and a whole new outlook on the Desert MC National. Within the next forty-five minutes, national champion Joanna Kaczmarek finished despite running out of gas just two miles short of the finish line.

Shayla Fulfer takes 2nd Overall Woman’s A class on her Blais Racing Services, Kenda, Fasst Co, KTM 250XCF-W. Photos by Grumpy.

The ATV’s raced one loop, and 19 out of the 20 that had started, finished without little if any struggle. Kyle Penner started things off right where he left off, with another NHHA win on his freshly built Blais Racing Services engine, and with a five minute margin over second overall of Bill Markel, Kyle took home a pair of Flexx Handlebars from sponsor Fasst Co for his win. On top of that, he hole-shotted the quad row through the banners at the end of the bomb run, and will be seeing Travis at TBT racing for a free suspension service some time soon.

Kyle Penner taking the ATV win on his Honda TRX 450R. Photos by Grumpy.

Round 1 had over 12 prizes to be awarded at the finish line and here is a list of people who will be receiving certificates and/or product:

B Class Holeshot- Cody Klein wins a $100 TBT Racing Gift Certificate
C Class Holeshot- David Rickaby wins a $100 TBT Racing Gift Certificate
Quad Holeshot- Kyle Penner wins a $100 TBT Racing Gift Certificate
1st B Class 3-Looper – Michael Allen wins a pair of Alpinestar TECH 8 Boots
1st C Class 2-Looper – Colton Jones wins a pair of Dirt Tricks/Ironman Sprockets
1st 60+ – Dale Parriott wins a $50 off from Fastway/Pro Moto Billet
1st Woman A/B – Sarah Kritsch wins a $50 off from Fastway/Pro Moto Billet
1st Woman C – Brittany Sligh wins a $50 off from Fastway/Pro Moto Billet
1st 250 Overall – Morgan Crawford wins a free BRP Triple Clamp set-up
1st Quad Overall- Kyle Penner wins a set of Fasst Flexx Handlebars
1st 250 B- Michael Allen- 1 Gallon of Oil from MadJack/Amsoil
1st 50+ B- Steve Guyse- 1 Gallon of Oil from MadJack/Amsoil
1st 250 C- Randy Garrett- 1 Gallon of Oil from MadJack/Amsoil
1st 40+ C- Lawrence Leyva – 1 Gallon of Oil from MadJack/Amsoil

Kenda Kash awarded at the finish line of each round:

Morgan Crawford- $50 Kenda Cash for running Kenda Tires
Kevin DeJongh- $50 Kenda Cash for running Kenda Tires
Chilly White- $50 Kenda Cash for running Kenda Tires
Billy Courtney – $50 Kenda Cash for running Kenda Tires

Round 2 takes racers north just about 50 miles to Red Mountain in the Spangler Hills OHV Area, just south of Ridgecrest. Join the NHHA as the stars return yet again to try their luck in the California Desert. With Kendall DNF’ing Round 1, he is already 30 points behind and will need a strong finish if he wants to keep his Championship hopes alive.

Visit www.NationalHareandHound.com for series updates and information on points, results, and anything else regarding the AMA/Kenda National Hare and Hound Championship Series.

Round 1 Race Video by Beau Cottington

Check out your event photos at PhotosbyGrumpy.com

NHHA Pro Support Class Points

Preliminary Results from DMC Round 1

17 year old District 37 Champion Justin Imhof, the JCR 8x racer who had a high speed crash in the Baja 1000, remains hospitalized in a coma at the UCSD medical center in San Diego and needs everyone in the community to be aware of his condition and what we can all do to lend a hand.

The racing and off road community at large has shown an overwhelmingly huge outpouring of support and spiritual awareness for this very popular and well liked young warrior. DUST asks everyone to keep Justin and his family in our thoughts and prayers as he fights to regain consciousness. His family and doctors remain upbeat about his prospects for recovery but there’s a lot we can do from our perspective.

First, please join TEAM JUSTIN IMHOF on Face book and stay aware

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Team-Justin-ImHof/162418143799830

Donate directly to Justin’s recovery via PAYPAL
justinfund@truechampion.org

Donate via BLAIS RACING at
http://blaisracing.com/imhof/

Stay aware and keep this champion and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

BY SCOTTY BREAUXMAN

It was billed as the Race of the decade since last year’s BAJA 1000, also the race of the decade, was in the last decade. That’s because of the fierce rivalry Steve Hengeveld and Mikey Childress have with JCR HONDA. For years, Henge and Childress, two of HONDA’s expatriates, have been going after Johnny Campbell (JCR) in an attempt to dethrone the king.

Kendall Norman, Quinn Cody & Johnny Campbell celebrate another Pro Class 22 win.

Kendall Norman

In last year’s showdown, Steve Hengeveld and Robby Bell on the 1x bike of Wahoo’s /Penhall KAWASAKI, led the race from wire to wire on a physical basis, but Kendall Norman on the 12x bike stalked Hengeveld for the final 160 miles of nighttime racing in northern Baja. Hengeveld crossed the finish line first and KAWI began to celebrate, but not Henge. He sat there and counted off time on the clock until “Night Stalker” Kendall Norman crossed the finish line and did a huge burnout, dogging Henge for the time adjusted lead and beating him at his own game.

So as 2010 rolled around, Henge got picked up by David Pearson and THR Racing’s Mike Childress and Shane Esposito. This was a big deal for all these guys, who added young Mexican ace Ivan Ramirez. Stepping up to the plate with THR was Dean Pottz from Bonanza Plumbing who forked over a huge sum of money to fund the effort which was supported by KTM. They had the bikes, the pre-running budget and the helicopter to seemingly match resources with JCR HONDA. It was to be another showdown.

All the guys from both JCR and Bonanza THR KTM spend weeks living in BAJA training and pre-running the 1060 mile point to point course from Ensenada to La Paz. In the final days leading up to the race, DUST was on the ground in BAJA checking in on both teams as they devised their strategies. JCR HONDA was particularly tight lipped which is standard protocol for the most successful bike racing program in BAJA history.

BONANZA / THR/ KTM, on the other hand, were not shy in sharing their motivation to beat Johnny Campbell. They just didn’t see that they had anything to lose by going heads up against Johnny Campbell.

As the race unfolded throughout the morning, young warrior Ivan Ramirez (7x) stayed up with both HONDA’s Kendall Norman (1x) and Colton Udall (8x), at one point taking the physical lead for a moment in the pits. Norman got right around him when Ramirez pitted.

It was a very close and tight race with all three on the same minute or two through San Felipe’s grueling “Puertocitos Trail” the infamous 20 miles of endless whoops culminating in treacherous rocky whoops at the end. JCR’s Colton Udall was trailing Ramirez’s KTM when it happened.

“He was in front of me when I looked down and saw his skid-plate laying in the whoops. I knew I’d be seeing him soon after that. There was also a big dust cloud as if he’d gone down and had to turn around to get going again.” Not long after that, Udall pulled on Ramirez and had a minute and a half on him getting into the paved speed zone north of Puertocitos when Udall heard over the radio that Ramirez was making time up on him and wondered if he was a little hot on the throttle where he shouldn’t be.

The race between BONANZA / THR and JCR ended shortly after David Pearson got on his bike in Puertocitos (50 mi south of San Felipe). After Ramirez crashed, an oil line got pinched, cutting off the flow and “KABOOM”, the effort of the year went down the tubes. From Baja Pits #6 we got the word that 7x was nowhere to be seen. Both JCR teams speed down the fast sections and into the night in a very close race.

This is where the somber and sobering moment took place: Word came across the airwaves that 8x was down and rider unconscious just outside of Loreto near the mission town of San Javier. The Weatherman took the transmissions down and went into code red as SCORE ops tried to get a rescue vehicle to the scene.

This is where the heroics of multi-time SCORE champion Brian Pinard (306x) and AMA Hall of Famer Ricky Johnson came into play. Both riders stopped their races as they passed by downed BAJA rookie, 17 year old Justin ImHof. ImHof, who was debuting on Udall’s 8x, had a horrible crash at high speed.

Pinard was first to reach a sprawled out ImHof and stopped his race for the overall class 30 win and season points championship for rider of record Francisco Septien. Pinard found ImHof’s radio and instantly got a copy from HONDA relay. That’s when the airwaves started to go crazy with all sorts of false relays. Since Pinard knew he couldn’t move ImHof, he turned his 306x bike around and flickered the lights a few minutes later at oncoming racer Ricky Johnson on board the Brett Helm bike of Louie Franco (404x), also in the lead for the Baja 1000 class win and, ironically, the season points class 40 championship.

Brian Pinard Stopped his race to help downed rider Justin ImHof

Ricky Johnson and Bob Johnson from Louie Franco’s 404x Team of Brett Helm

When Johnson arrived on the 404x bike, the two discussed the plan. Pinard was first on the scene and would stay with ImHof while RJ would ride 4 miles down course to the mission San Javier to summon the authorities.

Pinard stayed back and answered questions for HONDA relay while SCORE ops tried to get a rescue vehicle up the graded road. RJ found the police chief in San Javier and directed him to the crash site before continuing on in the race, as previously agreed upon by the two.

Once the police came to the scene, Pinard gave them instructions to not touch or move him, but to slow oncoming race traffic and stay on the scene. Pinard made a final check of ImHof’s breathing and then continued on into the night.

A short while later, the ambulance arrived and got ImHof down the mountain and into the hospital in Loreto. He was later flown to La Paz after sunrise. ImHof’s condition, at press time, is in a coma, but with some very positive signs of response and thankfully, no bleeding in the brain or major swelling. His family and the racing community remain very positive and upbeat as an outpouring of spiritual support has spread through modern media.

Even after stopping their races, both Pinard and Johnson helped their respective teams win both the race in their class and the season points championships as well. The team of Louie Franco and Brett Helm is comprised of RJ, Jeff Kaplan, Bob Johnson and Scotty Myers. They won their 3rd class 40 championship for Helm in 4 years. Pinard helped Septien’s team of Noe Ibarra and Mike Johnson.

Jeff Kaplan rode the 404x in through heavy pea soup fog to claim 2nd bike OA and 1st Place class 40

In the IRONMAN class (which is not an official class), Gabriel Williams (2x) of Provo Utah finished his 2nd B1K as a soloist and this time took top honors over Michael Korenwinder (275x) who narrowly beat Williams in 2008.

Gabriel Williams (2x) First Ironman across

Probably the biggest hero of the entire event is Lance Kane, co-founder of Racers and Ranchers and the rider who soloed over 1000 miles to benefit the children of Rancho Santa Marta Orphanage. Lance put together a very classy effort to ride for a very specific need that the children of RSM have, a piece of equipment designed to aid the development of autistic children.

Some things that made Kane’s mission special and unique were that he funded his entire race out of pocket, not using a dime of donated funds on any race expenses, thus entitling every donor to the legitimate charitable tax deduction (many times in the past, racers touting charities have used portions contributions to fund the race effort itself). A second point worth noting is that Kane literally went out into the streets to raise money, hosting fundraisers and setting up shop at Southern California establishments while doing PR with local media.

Lance Kane 258x SOLO— Raised over $7,000 for the kids of Rancho Santa Marta Orphanage

Kane raised over $7,000 while sacrificing his body and risking his wellbeing. Here at DUST we take our hats off to Lance Kane and award him the MVP of the 2010 Baja 1000.

Below are pictures taken at Moto The Movie 2 Film Shoot a few months back. The film features both Norman & Vildosola and must have been an intuition about the 2010 Baja 1000… This Movie is a must see!