Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Events District 36 Northern California Enduro Series, Round 4 s towe (Far left) TIm Stowe roosts out of a turn en route to the overall win at the Fool's Gold Enduro in Georgetown, California. (Left) The second.overall finisher, Team Green's Craig Wesner, kept racer winner Stowe honest all day. By Chris Burton and Jill Ashworth Patterson Photos by Jill Ashworth Patterson GEORGETOWN, CA, MAY 2 oodland Cycle's YZ250mounted Tim J. Stowe struck . with lightning-quick precision to claim the overall victory at the 26th annual Fool's Gold Enduro in Georgetown, California. The event was the fourth round of District 36's Northern California Enduro Series and was hosted by the California Enduro Riders Association. • Some 197 riders left the start to begin a tough, three-loop, 102-ground-mile course that offered excellent conditions due to a steady, light rain that began aboutan hour before the race. Loop one consisted of tight wooded trails, a long shale downhill, fire roads and a creek crossing. Low speed averages took riders to check one, at 11.9 miles, where most scored zeroes. ext, faster trails along Darling Ridge allowed riders to capitalize on optimal trail conditions. The first major obstacle of the event, about 25 miles out, was the rain-swollen creek crossing at Rock Creek. The fastmoving current claimed several riders, including top A rider Marty Walden, who watered out his YZI25. The second check, two miles after the creek, was zeroed by Stowe, Team Green's Craig Wesner and the district's defending champion, Dave Wood. "There was a right turn out of the creek straight up a steep hill, with only one line," Stowe said. "1 had to push my bike about 20 feet up the slippery rocks. Then] railed and barely zeroed the check." The first special test ensued, combin- W 34 ing the tight trees of Ballarat Mountain and a 24-mph speed average for five miles. YZl25-mounted Matt Wallace carded the fastest time at the check-out· with a 1:40. Stowe followed with 1:59; then came Wesner and Wood, each dropping 2:03s. XR riders Brodie DeMartile and John S. Poor were next, with 2:19 and 2:32, respectively. A logging road then took riders to the first gas break, at 40 miles. After the gas stop, the course zigzagged up Bald Mountain, where a hidden check-in was located at 44.4 miles. A special test followed, featuring tight, technical trails with a gnarly, rockstrewn uphill section. The rocky climb, known as Last Chance, was slicker than usual because of the rain. Riders on the early minutes covered the rocks with a slimy mud layer and the hill became a bottleneck, costing some· riders up to 20 minutes of furious tire spinning. "1 was riding on minute five and was able to make it up the slick, rocky hill unscathed," Wesner said. "1 got stuck lots of places, including the hill," laughed Wallace. "It was diliicult on those slippery rocks." Next, tight, manzanita-lined trails, set at 27 mph, prevented competitors from making up lost time. The scores at check five, at 56.1 miles, signaled the turning point of the race. Stowe blitzed the section with a score of 6:59, followed by Wood with 7:58 and Wesner with 8:39. Wallace; the early leader, got caught in the bottleneck and fell back with an 11 :54. Stowe left the second gas and hit loop three well in the lead, with Wesner behind him in second. A long fire road took riders u.p Slate Mountain to a long off-camber trail lined with jagged shale. Stowe, Wesner and DeMartile all dropped one .at the next check, but some riders missed the turn-in to the trail, losing valuable time. Wallace and Wood both fell victim to this turn-in, dropping a four and a seven. "] crashed hard on the slate hill near the Balderston Lookout," Wood said. "] lost almost six minutes getting resituated." A series of fire roads led to the final special test, which began in a tight, manzanita-filled section. Wallace screamed his small-bore Yamaha to the fastest time of 3:25 and Stowe and Wesner tied with 3:57s, followed by Wood's 4:22. Some easy Bald Mountain trails then led riders back to camp and the known control finish at 106.5 miles. Stowe emerged victorious with a final score of 11, partially due to his uncanny ability to get to a check right at the end of his minute. "] squeaked in two checks at :59 and one at :57," Stowe said. "That gave me the three-point margin over Craig." Wesner claimed second with 14, and Wallace, Wood, DeMartile and Poor followed in the third through sixth places, all with scores of 19. "It really feels great to win," Stowe said. "It was more fun since 1 was riding with two friends, Anthony Van Brocklin and Paul Gerbi, on my minute." t:N Fool's Gold Enduro Georgetown, California Results: May 2, 1999 (Round 4) OIA: 1. Tim Stowe (Yam); 2. Craig Wesner (K.1w); 3. Matt Wallace (Yam); 4. Dave Wood (eRE); 5. John S. Poor (Hon). AA: 1. Tim Stowe (Yam); 2. Craig Wesner (Kaw); 3. Dave Wood (eRE). A 200: 1. Matt Wallace (Yam); 2. Craig Hoftman (KTM); 3. Christopher Young (Hon); 4. Robert Wynn (KTM); S. Lo'OD Higley (Yam). A 250: 1. jason Gerbi (Hon); 2. Ben Hatch (Hon); 3. jim Matheson (Hon); 4. Greg Ruffoni (Kaw); 5. Anthony Van Brocklin (Suz). A OPEN: 1. Brodie DeMartiJe (Hon); 2. Michae.l Hayes (Hon); 3. Chris Slechta (CRE); 4. Shawn McNeil (KTM). A 4-STRK: 1. john S. Poor (Hon); 2. Russell Pereira (Yam); 3. Scott Meyer (Yam); 4. Glenn Martinson (Yam) 5. Kerry Simpson (A TK). A VET: 1. james Boardman (Hon); 2. Troy Winslow (KTM); 3. Todd Winslow (Kaw); 4. Marc DeMarco (KTM); S. Ben Gledhill (Kaw). A SR: 1. John Poor Jr. (Hon); 2. Chris Von Kleist (Hon); 3. Pete Hansen (KTM); 4. WDyne Hatch (Kaw); 5. Tony Pederson (KTM). A S/SR, 1. Jeff Carr (KTM); 2. Pore, mchan! (KTM); 3. Fred Cameron (TM); 4. Phillip Bishop (Hon); 5. David King (KTM). BOlA: 1. Scott McEnespy (Hon); 2. Tony Elmore (Hon); 3. Kevin Wiley (Yam); 4. Robert Laird (Hon); 5. Tirn Campbell (Suz). B 250: 1. Scott McEnespy (Hon); 2. Tim Campbell (Suz); 3. Chris ea,twright (KTM); 4. Mike Jura (Hnn); S. Michael Christensetl (Suzl. 8 OPEN: 1. Tony Elmore (Hon); 2. Robert Laird (Hon); 3. Dav;d orth (KTM); 4. Scotl Barnetl (KTM) S. Paul Rivera (Hon). B 4-STRK: 1. Kevin Ruffoni (Hon) 2. Jared Webster (Hon). B VET, 1. Kevin Wiley (Yam); 2. Phil Venuti (Hon); 3. Chris Calkins (KTMl; 4. Steve Johnson (KTM); 5. Kevin Morris (KTM). B SR: 1. Fred Habenicht (!

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