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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/100352
Round 3
OFF-ROAD
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A MA District 37 Enduro S er ies
les
Geo ffrey Bro w neD(KTM).
0 ��200 B: I . lOny Santero (KTM).
"is Blais dominates VCMC Qualifter
By KANDY THORNTON
PHOTOS BY JOHN JACOBS
very year AMA Distr ict 37 riders look forward to the Ventura Co unty MC Qua lifie r
because it's a break from the
normal timekeeping enduros.
The course is always fun and challenging.
and th is year 's didn 't d isappoint. The
course featured 75 miles of varied terrain
and five special tests. With the growing
environmental concerns and the amount
of playriders increas ing each year, the
Ventura County MC is presented with
the daunt ing task of overcoming various
obstacles before the event is held. Th is
year was no different . as the club had to
dea l with obtaining a waiver to allow redst ickered bikes to compete and a last minute course alteration when they were
informed that the motocross track would
be unavailab le . as well as the daunting
task of kee ping playriders off the course
in a 5tate Recreationa l Veh icle Area.
Despite these challenges , Ventura Coun ty MC provided a great day of racing for
the participants.
For enduros it is important to have a
st rategy going into the event. And top
overall finisher Mid Cities Honda-backed
Chris Blais made sure he had his race
strategy in place before arriving Sunday
morn ing.
"My who le goal today was to not fall
down in any of the specials," Bl is said.
a
"Any one mistake can cost you the race .
You can be slower than the top fast guys
E
in a qualifier,
but if a fast guy
falls down, you
come out even
because every
second counts."
Blais swapped
out his usual race
bike . a Honda
XR650 .
for
a
Honda
CRF450 ,
and altho ugh he
found the 450 to be a better advantage in
the woods sect io n, he missed the
smoother power the 650 offers on the
open trails. Blais was also the first place
Four-Stroke A finisher. and he had an
impressive 220 lower point total than
Luke Dodson . who was the second place
overall finisher.
District 37 regulars Dodso n and Jason
Trubey finished second and third overall
respectively with only nine points separating them.
As is the case at many Distr ict 37
events. this event became a family affairas
three sets of siblings finished in the top
seven overall positions. One of the most
notable famil ies: the Blais brothers. There
was Chris Blais, who took the overall, and
his yo unger brother, Nick. who finished
fifth ove rall and third in the Four-Stroke A
division. The Trubey brot hers did well
also. Jason Trubey took third overa ll, and
his older brother, Dal Trubey. too k seventh overall and claimed top hono rs in the
Vet Open A class. Zach Dodson , brot her
of seco nd place overall finisher Luke. finished sixth overall and fi rst in the 0-200cc
A division on his Barsto w Moto rcycle
Cent erl Moose-sponsored RM 125. The
Dodsons live close to the Hungry Valley
SVRA and ride there on a regular basis.
"I have been riding the wo ods section
since I was a little kid," Zach said. "I love
that sect ion! I had a blast riding with
Elmer Symons on my minute . He would
Luke Dodson k e p t Blais honest all d a y
very respectable secand overa ll.
leave first for the special te st and clear the
playriders off the trail. and I wo uld have a
clear shot ."
While Symons' trailblazing actio ns did
hinder his perfo rmance a little, he still
rode away with the fourth overall position
and second place in the 250cc A class on
his Malcolm Smith Motorsports KTM .
"I don't know how VCMC can prevent
playriders from getting on their course: '
Symons said. "But Ispent a lot of time stopping riders going the wrong way on the
course and explaining that they were on a
compet ition course and it was dangerous.
Most of the playriders were polite and
pulled off to the side 50 we could pass."
Eighteen-year-old Bryan Norma n was
the top overa ll B fin isher. and he cred ited
his grea t fi nish to the fact that no timekee ping was involved with this event.
"I really prefer the qualifier format
without all the timekeeping eleme nts,"
No rman said.
eN
HUNG RY VAW Y S V RA
GoRMAN , CAUfORNIA
RESULTS: MAy 16, 2004 (ROUND
3)
O /A: I. Chris Blais (Hon): 2. luke Dod>on (Suz) ; J.
Jason Trubey (Y;un); 4. Elme< Symons (KTH ); 5 . N icholas
Blai (Hon) .
s
O PE N A: I. Bob Roberts (Y;un); 2. Kult Hintz (Y;un);
www.cydenews.com
3. Mike Baskin (KTM); -4. Mar k Babcoc k (Hon); S. Brett
Tacke tt (KTM) .
OPEN B: I. Kelty C hristensen (Hon); 2. Eric Elliot
(GG) ; J. Richie Wohle" (Hon) .
O PEN C : I . Eric Be hrsa (KTM); 2. Keith C hristensen
(KTH); J. Pet ... Grote (Hon) ; 4. Ch ris Y""y (KTH) ; 5. Don
HowMd (Hon) .
4 -STRK A : I. C hm Blais (Hon); 2. )ason Trubey (Yam) ;
3. N ichobs Blai (Hon); -4 . Bren t Farrell (Hus) ; S. Travis
s
LM
too (KTH).
'f-STRK B: I. Bryan Nonnan (Hon); 2. Scott lynch
(Hon); J. Brian C Wl< (KTH) : 4. Brian Hemtt (Y;un); 5 . 80.
Gibn (Yam ).
4�� STRK C: I. Kyle Weav er (KTM); 2. Curtis
C hristensen (KTM) ; 3. I(jrk Johnson (Hon); -4. Greg
Robenson(Y;un); 5 . Todd 5""",, (KTH) .
4��ST RK 0 : I. Mike Schiada (Han); 2. Ryan Shaw
(Hoo ); J. _
U/y (Kaw).
2S0 A: I . l uke Dodson (Suz); 2. Elmer Symons (KTH);
.
3. Craig Hoffman (Yvn); -4 Mike Caudillo (Yam); S. Rodney
Goehnng (Hon).
2S0 B: I. Bnd Price (Y;un).
2S0 C: I. i