VOL. 55 ISSUE 32 AUGUST 14, 2018 P51
BENDER WINS SHADY BURR ENDURO
F
ormer top AMA National
Enduro racer and ISDE
veteran Kelby Pepper made the
locals and older set proud, the
40-something farmer topping
the 105-mile first day (dubbed
Perrypalooza) of the 3rd Annual
Shady Burro Enduro, round
seven of the Rocky Mountain
Enduro Circuit (RMEC). Over the
course of seven special tests,
his total time for the day ended
up an unparalleled one hour,
nine minutes and 20.53 sec-
onds, almost a full minute over
Texas resident Haydn Franklin's
1:10:27.55 with Zach Ingram third
for the day at 1:11:12.55.
But there was no holding back
Luke Bender on the second day
(dubbed Aldernation). He had a
good run going on the first day
but went off a small cliff three
miles from the end of the last test
and lost a couple minutes getting
back up to the trail, finishing the
day fourth in 1:11:44.48.
"I fell off the trail, the bike got
stuck in a tree and I had to pull it
back on the trail," the Elite Mo-
torsports/Full Factory Off-road/
Steve Hatch Racing KTM 250
XC rider explained. "It was a bad
deal."
"Today, I rode a little bit
conservative there," he added.
"I was doubting myself [after yes-
terday's mishap], but I knew I'd
do well [in South Fork]. We rode
that test last again today, but I
knew if I could just get to the end
mistake-free, it would be a better
result than yesterday."
And indeed it was, though it
was close. Bender's second-
day time was 1:12:02.67, good
enough for his first victory in
this year's RMEC series; Haydn
Franklin was second once again,
with his 1:12:30.32 aboard his
TBT Racing/FAHQ Racing/
After falling over a cliff
on Saturday at the Shady
Burr Enduro, Luke Bender
rallied back on Sunday
to top the day and the
weekend for his first win in
this year's RMEC.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
MARK
KARIYA
