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Moose Northern California Championship Enduro Series Motul Northern California B/C Championship Enduro Series Rounds 2/1: Wild Boar Enduro Billy Russell used consistency and good timekeeping skills to bag the Wild Boar Enduro win at Clear Creek, California. "We were all working hard and riding well," Woodland Cycle's Stowe said. "Our scores were really close." Several miles of narrow tra i1s through dense brush, set at 12and 21-mph speeds, led riders to a wellearned rest at the gas stop, which was after the fourth check. Team Green's Wesner pulled out front with a score of 2.107. Wood moved into second with 3.129, just ahead of Stowe's 3.134 and Galford's 3.143. Russell was next with 3.174, while various scores of five, led by the 5.116 of last year's winner, Brian Butler, were next. After gas, loop two featured steep hills, rocky sections and more A/B and C-class splits. The tight trails became even tighter. "It was perfect, where they [TMC] put the trail splits," Russell said. "The C class got sent arou'nd all the really tight and difficult stuff." Checks five, six and seven collectively added eight to 14 more points to each of the leading riders' scorecards. "They didn't throttle off what they threw at us," Matt Wallace said. "We were doing all we could do to keep on time." "They didn't go easy on us," Cycle Gear/Faultline Suspension/Moore & Sons Cycles-backed Glenn Martinson said. "They kept throwing tight manzanita trails at us where we'd think maybe we'd see a fire road or get a break." Not far before the eighth check was a 10-minute reset. Some riders were surprised to arrive there and not find many others waiting. The miscalculated strategy, whether intentional or not, resulted with more than half the A class riding hot through a "possible" - causing "burn" scores that ranged up to 14 minutes at the check. The additional 32 to 57 points dropped by the front-runners eliminated their chances of victory. STORY AND PHOTOS BY JILL ASHWORTH PATTERSON CLEAR CREEK, CA, APR. 1 K TM 250-mounted Billy Russell earned his first overall championship by riding consistently and keeping a sharp eye on his timekeeping at the Wild Boar Enduro, held at Clear Creek, California. The event was round two of the Moose Northern California Championship Enduro Series and the first round in Motul's Northern California B/C Championship Enduro Series. The hosts, the Timekeepers Motorcycle Club, introduced participants to a challenging, two-loop, 84-groundmile course with a special test that began at the start. Set at a 21-mph speed average, the test took riders into loop one up a wide, dusty trail that led to the first of several tight and technical single-track trails to be encountered during the race. Craig Wesner and Race Techsponsored Russell were the only riders to log zeroes at check one, scoring a 0.26 and 0.29, respectively. After more tight and winding trails, Wesner and Russell were still the only riders with zeroes on their scorecards after check two, which separated them from their closest competitors. Fox's Dave Wood was riding third with 1.43. Tim J. Stowe's 1.54 and G&B Kawasaki's Damien Galford's 1.58 were next, leaving aU three within striking distance. Others displayed cards with totals of two or more points. 30 APRIL 25, 2001 • cue I e neVIl's Some of the riders who heeded their route sheets and computers didn't yet realize their scores were now among the best. "When I got to the check where Jim Matheson was [check nine]," Powerhouse Yamaha/Independent Race Shop-sponsored Kevin Wiley said, "I thought he was kidding when he said I might be winning. It motivated me to ride harder to the finish." Russell moved from riding fifth into taking over first. "I was amazed at how many burned that check," Russell said. By the finish at check 10, Russell extended his lead by being the only one to drop three points to everyone else's fours, fives or more, securing the victory with his final 'score of 21.564. Wilson's/Smith-backed Wallace claimed second with a 24.525. "Its just too funny to think of all those guys seeing their computers flashing the 'idiot flash' at them," Wallace said. "We've all been there before." Martinson turned in a score of 28.635, which was good for third, while Wiley and Steve Shoemaker rounded out the top five. A 4-STRK: 1. Glenn Martinson (KTM); 2. Kerry Simpson (ATK); 3. John S. Poor (Hon); 4. Andres Ruggiero (Yam); 5. Justin Con)'~rs (KTM). A VET: 1. Kevin Wiley (Yam); 2. Steve Shoemaker (Yam): 3. Jim McGrath (Yllm): 4. Ben Gledhill (Kow); 5. Eric Von Urff (KTM). A SR: 1. John Poor Jr. (Suz); 2. Robert. Mihovich (Yam); 3. Bob Stene (Yam); 4. Chuck Perlow (Kaw); 5. Scott Reynolds (Hon). A 5/5R: 1. Richard Adan (Hon); 2. Peter Prichard (KTM); 3. Frank Zanca (Hon). A GENT: 1. David King (KTM). B O/A: 1. Jeff Wold (KTM); 2. Eric Tyler (Hon); 3. Chris Colkins (KTM): 4. Mike Baxter (G-G); 5. Chris Ghione (Kaw). B 250: 1. Eric Tyler (Hon); 2. Chris Ghione (Kaw); 3. Jeff Page (Hon): 4. Michoel Christensen (502); 5. Jake Mahler (Yom). B OPEN: I. Mike Baxter (G-G); 2. Preston Barker (Hon); 3. George Smymtotis (KTM); 4. Aaron Phillips (Hon); 5. Brion Carey (KTM). B 4-STRK: I. Paul Murphy (Hon); 2. Steven Poor (Hon); 3. John Murphy (Hon); 4. Joel Sizemore (Hbg): 5. Joseph Cannon (502). B VET: I. Jeff Wold (KTM); 2. Chris Colkins (KTM); 3. Gianni Vestito (KTM); 4. Phil Rittenmeyer (Hon); 5. Cindi Roberson (Yam). B SR: 1. Jack Lento (Hon); 2. Dele Parrish (Hon); 3. Randy Patterson (KTM); 4. Hugo Zwetsloot (Hon); 5. Rick DeCorly (KTM). B S/SR: 1. Donald Chase (KTM): 2. Jim peocock (KTM); 3. Leonord Page (Hon). B GENT: I. Tony Harrell (Yom). COlA: I. Edward Land (KTM): 2. Nick Dobbel (Kaw); 3. Nick Rizzi (Hon); 4. Jay Gordon (Yam); 5. Brian Raymond (KTM). C 250: 1. Nick Rizzi (Hon); 2. Michael Thompson (Hon); 3. James Pelligrini (Hon); 4. Derren Walker (Kaw); 5. Isr8el Aguirre (Kaw). OPEN: 1. Bri8n R8ymond (KTM); 2. Russell Fowler (Yam); 3. Tony Hill (Hon); 4. Robert McGown e (Yam). e 4·STRK: I. Jay Gordon (Yam); 2. W8yne Skicki (Hon); 3. Rich8rd CI8rke (Y8m); 4. AI Connolly (VOR); 5. TIm Zanca (Hon). C VET: 1. Edward Land (KTM); 2. Nick Dobbel (Kaw); 3. Michael Briggs (Yam): 4. Bill Wheeler (KTM); 5. Steve Tob,.tt (KTM). e SR: 1. Brian Willett (Hus); 2. Mike G8uveau (Yam); 3. Anthony Gonzalez (KTM); 4. Scott Riechers (KTM); 5. John Alarouzos (Hon). e S/SR: 1. Rick Rinks (Suz); 2. John Phillips (Hon). (Left) Glenn Martinson placed third overall and first A Four-Stroke. (Below) Riding different types of terrain presents no problem for overall runner-up Matt Wallace, who placed first in the A 200cc class at round two of the Moose Northern California Championship Enduro Series. "This was a lucky week for me," Hayward Honda/CERA-supported Shoemaker said. "I got fifth place and learned that my wife, Desty, and I are expecting our first child." CN Wild Boll, Endure CIu, enek, Celifomie Results: April " 2001 (Round 2l O/A: 1. Billy Russell (KTM); 2. Matt Wallace (Yem); 3. Glenn Martinson (KTM); 4. Kevin Wiley (Yam); 5. Steve Shoemaker (Hon). AA: 1. Ty Spooner (KTM); 2. Demjen Galford (Kaw); 3. Dave Wood (CRE); 4. Tim J. Stowe (502); 5. Brian Butler (KTM). A 200: J. Matt Walloce (Yam). A 250: 1. Billy Russell (KTM); 2. James Ptarcinski (Hon); 3. Ch8d Gr8SS (Yem); 4. Greg Chione (Kew); 5. Craig Hoffman (Hon). A OPEN: 1. Brody Borgogno (KTM): 2. Dovid Moser; 3. Tony Elmore (Yam).