Davis Jr. Wins Inaugural California
Trials Invitational
K
arl Davis Jr. took top honors
at the inaugural California
Trials Invitational held at the KTM
facility in Murrieta, California,
July 24. The event was pulled
together to allow the top trials
riders to compete since most
trials competitions have been
postponed due to the coronavi-
rus pandemic.
The KTM group purchased
GasGas in 2019, and for the first
time, the Austrian company has a
brand to compete in trials. KTM
hired Geoff Aaron, a 10-time
AMA U.S. Trials Champion and
longtime GasGas rider, to man-
age the GasGas team for 2020
and beyond. When it became
clear that most trials competi-
tions were not going to happen
anytime soon, the Austrian firm
opted to create one themselves,
inviting all the top riders in the
country to compete, regardless
of which brand they ride.
Aaron constructed a trials sec-
tion at RD Field, the same prop-
erty in Murrieta, California where
KTM and Husqvarna factory
teams have their supercross and
endurocross testing and training
courses. Like a typical national
event, the course included five
sections with each rider attempt-
ing each section three times.
Karl Davis got off to a hot start
on his Scorpa, collecting only
seven points on the five sections
during round one. Rounds two
and three did not go as well for
him, as he recorded 16 and 13
scores, but his final score of 36
was enough to edge out Sherco
rider Josh Roper, who ended up
with 39.
Roper's day was the opposite
of Davis' as he had a tough time
on the first two loops, scoring
20 and 26 points, respectively,
but then he had an amazing final
IN
THE
WIND
P32
Karl Davis Jr. got off
to a great start and
held on for the win at
the California Trials
Invitational, hosted
at the KTM group's
newly constructed
trials training section
at RD Field.
