Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

District 36 Northern California Enduro Series, Round 9 By Ji ll Ashworth Patterson UPPERLAKE, CA, NOV. 6 X250-mounted Bri an Butler locked up th e 1999 cha m p. ionship serie s title by taki ng the ov erall victory a t the 53rd annual Cow bell Enduro, which was the ninth of 10 rounds in District 36's Northern California Enduro Series. The event was hosted by the Hayward Motorcycl e Clu b and staged near Upper Lake, Californ ia. "I came knowing 1 really wanted the win," Butler said. "I needed to prove to myself 1 cou ld ride better than 1 did last w eek.at th e Buckhorn [where h e fin ished sixth overall]. " Ne arly 150 entrants took ad va ntag e of the good course condition s that still prevail ed more than a week and a half after a day of r ain . The re were so me trails along open rid ges that produced dust, but it settled quickly. A few shad ed a re as with lin gerin g mud puddles were a welcome sigh t to many. The 87-gro und- mile, two- loop course began at the Middle Creek campground and too k riders up nea rly 2,400 feet in elevation to the high er trails of the rid ing area. HMC's cou rse cap tai n, Jer ry "Bu ffalo" Lozier, laid ou t a rou te that sent rider s in the reverse direction along so me o f th e same trails th at were u s ed in 1998's event. Winding si ngle -trac k, s teep hills, creek crossings , wood ed sections an d fire road s led riders over th e firs t 38 ground mile s of the course . The firs t four checks w ere placed in stra teg ic locati on s, and with speed ave rages set mostly at 18 mph, the firs t loop was a tru e test of tw timekeeping skills of the rid ers. San Luis Motor Spo rts /Faultline Suspen sion /Red Line Oil /FMF-spon sor ed Butler, along w it h th e maj ority of th e top rid ers, went int o the gas stop wit h a I~ . m m m 00 ~ .. . E u C 18 p erfect sco re of z e r o. A few others weren' t as proficien t with th eir timekeepin g a n d we re ca ug h t off guard, which res ulted in a few burned checks. Last yea r's eve nt wi n ner, Ti m J. Stowe, had a burn ed-check score of two at the gas stop . "1 just di dn' t have m y head together," Stowe said, "and 1 got caught no t _ loo king d o wn w hen [ s ho u ld h a v e . What else can [ say?" Aft er th e gas, rid er s w ere ready to tackle the 49 gro u nd miles of the second . loop. Check five , which was a cou ple of miles after the gas , was the check-in to a long special test. Nea rly 17 miles of tight trails, wood s, jersey-sh reddin g brush and sho rt roads later, rid ers were a t th e check-ou t at check six. The test was nearl y id ent ical to last year's, but it was also run in the re verse dir ection. Bu tle r dropped th e on ly p oints h e los t all day in th e tes t and logged ou t wi th a score of 4.250 - second fastest of the day and almost a du pl icate of last yea r's 4.246. "The test was grea t!" Butler sai d. "It' s one of m y favorites tha t 1 look forward to all year." • Su z uki 's Bennett Lt d ./ M o os e / Sprocket Speciali st-backed Stowe, who clocked the fas test tim e las t year w ith 4.222, was again th e fas test thi s year, and he astonished everyo ne w ith a test score of 3.180. "The re we re a lot of guys making fun of me at gas for burning an early check," Stowe sai d , "s o [ kn ew it was time to rid e 'ball s to the wall' in the test to make up so me time. [ even su rprised myself whe n [ score d the thr ee at exact ly 30 seconds int o my minute." G&B Kawa sa ki' s Dami en Ga lfo rd, wh o burned the sa me chec k as Stowe, was th e third fa st est in th e test with 4.268. The other rid ers all dropped fives or more, including Cycle Gear /Wood - land Cycle-s uppo rted Glen n Martinso n, w ho carded th e fourth -b est tim e of 5.271. 'T here was a fa ir amo u n t of reall y tig ht stuff and so me tough off-camber sections in the test," Martinson said . "I tried to get myself pumped up to make a charge while still ridi ng con sistent. " Th e route b a ck t o ca m p after th e cha lleng ing test, again wi th speed averages mostly at 18 mph, see med mild to a lot of the ride rs. Some, inclu ding Butler, were seen falli ng back ab out 50 or 55 seconds int o their minutes and then railing to get back on time. "It was obvious th e cou rse speeds had been pl anned for the same dusty condition s we' ve su ffered all fall," Butler sai d . Two chec ks lat er, the rid ers we re a t the finish. HMC and D-36's enduro steward, Alan Plumbridge, u tili zed a new co m puter sco ri ng system for end uros tha t was d eveloped by district member Scott McLelland, and they w ere ab le to produ ce same-day results for the riders. Butler's sco re of 4.250 held for first. Stowe settled for secon d w ith his 5.180, and Martinso n's 5.271 placed him third . Wood la n d Cycle's Marty Wald en tu rned in the fourth-best score, a 5.278, and Wil son' s of Fresno /Cycle Gear / Smith -spo nso red Mat t Wallace filled in the fifth ove rall position with 5.285. "Co nditions we re pretty much perfect," Wallace said, "and the club did a good job with th e course, co ns idering th e li mited u se of trails th ey have to wo rk with." eN Cowbe ll Enduro Upper Lake, California Results: Novembe r 6, 1999 (Round 9 of 10) O/A: 1. Brian Butler (Ka w): 2. Ti m J. Stowe (Suz) ; 3. Glen n Martin son (Ya m ); 4. Ma rty Wa lden (Ya m) ; S. Matt Walla ce (Yam ). AA: 1. Brian Butl er (Ka w ): 2. Tim J. Sto we (Su z): 3. Dave Wood (CRE); 4. Cra ig Wes ner (Kaw). A 200: 1. Marty Wa ld en (Ya m); 2. Matt Wa llac e (Yam ); 3. Steve Shoemaker (Yam) ; 4. Chad Gras s (Hen): s. Robert Wynn (KTM ). < (Above left) Brian Butler waited on no one at the Cowbell Enduro, tak ing the overall victo ry . (Center) At the penultim ate round of Dist rict 36's Northern California Endu ro Series , Tim J. Stow e came in second overall. (Above) Glenn Mart inso n placed th ird ove rall, first A Fou r-Stroke rider, at the event in Upper Lake, California. A 250: 1. Jaso n Howe (H usky); 2. Damie n Ga lford (Kaw ): 3. Greg Ruffon i (Kaw): 4. Ben Ha tch (Hon): 5. Je ff Wilso n (Ka w). A OPEN : 1. Billy Ru ssell (KT M); 2. Ty Spooner (KTM); 3. Dav e Peel (KTM); 4. Michael Hayes (Hon) . A 4-STRK : 1. Glenn Martinson (Ya m) ; 2. Ru ss Perei ra (Yam); 3. John S. Poor (H e n): 4. Ma rty Smith (KTM) . A VET: 1. Jim Boardman (He n): 2. Ben Gled hill (Kaw) ; 3 . Ma rc DeMa r co ( KTM); 4. T ro y Wi ns low (KTM); 5. Kevin Wiley (Yam). A SR: 1. Kent Parker (Kaw): 2. Ros s Liberty (He n): 3. Terry Pederson (KTM); 4. Den nis Hia tt (Ho n): 5. Tim L. Stowe ISuz). A S/SR, 1. Jeff Ca rr (KTM); 2. Richa rd Adan (Hon): 3. Pet er Pritch ard (KTM) ; 4. Ph illip Bis hop (H en): 5. Jose p h Ferran te (Yam) . A G NTLM N: 1. Pau l Winslo w (KTM) . B OlA: 1. Michae l Phair (Yam ); 2. Scott McEnes py (KTM); 3. Karl Goe tz (Kaw): 4. Tro y McWilliams (Hen); 5. Cha rlie Plumbrid ge (Ka w ). B 2001250: 1. Scott McEn esp y (KTM) ; 2. Cha r lie Plumbridge (Kaw): 3. Jerry Blinkenbc rg (Yam); 4. Matt Teega rden (KTM); 5. Mik e Chri stenson (Suz). B O P EN: 1. Mi chael Ph a ir (Ya m ); 2. T ro y McWilli am s (He n) : 3. Ton y Elmore (He n): 4. Ti m Simmo ns (K'fM); 5. Robert Laird (Hen). B VET : 1. Karl Goetz (Kaw ); 2. Brod y Borg o no (KTM); 3. Ga ry Burton (KTM); 4. Curtis Dupuis (KTM); 5. Larry Weber (KTM). B SR: 1. Joe Pelli grini (Yam ); 2. Bob Thompso n (Suz) ; 3. Jim Pea cock (KTM); 4. Doug Hannan (He n): 5. Russ G reenfi eld (He n). COlA: 1. Colby No ble (He n): 2. Joe Perry (Hen): 3. Matt Finn egan (Hon): 4. Daniel Ambler (Hen): 5. Gary Svec (Suz). C 200 1250 : 1. Matt Fi n nega n (He n ): 2. Ben Lesn iewski (Yam ); 3. Brian Chase (Ka w ): 4. Ron Hoyt (Kaw ): 5. Luis Reyes (Kaw ). COPEN, 1. Colby Noble (He n): 2. Joe Perry (Hen): • 3. Steve Van Waardenbc r (Ya m). C 4 ~STRK: 1. Daniel Ambler (H on ); 2. Richard Cla rke (Ya m); 3. Tom Ba xte r (Yam) ; 4. David Arn dt (KTM)i 5. Kevin Anderson (Hus) . C VET: 1. Ci nd i Ma gn ussen (Ya m); 2. Eric Elvin (He n): 3 . Kev in Wa lk e r (Ka w) : 4. La w r e n ce M a ys (Kaw): 5. Paul Zischka (Ya m). C SR: 1. Gary Svec (Suz): 2. Ben Ellis (Hon ): 3. Neil Kimm el (He n): 4. Dennis Potter (KTM); S. Robert Jump (H en). /

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