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Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit Round 5: Inyan Kara Enduro Schmelzle Secure First Schleich Trophy By BILL KAMIN UPTON, WY, JUNE 29 Ron Schmelzle took home the inaugural Reece Schleich Memorial trophy as the overall winner at the Inyan Kara Enduro in Upton, Wyoming. The trophy honors a wonderful young man lost at last year's event. The Durelle Racing/Silkolene/Offroad Champions/Renthal/E-Une-backed Schmelzle pushed his Colorado Powersports YZ250 to an overall score of 24.938. This was enough to best the 25.1040 of fellow AA rider "Big Dave" Neumeister, on his KTM 450. "It was a great race, though probably not as tough as the last couple years," said Schmelzle. "They did a good job of mixing up the trails from before. My favorite was the first loop after first gas. I like those rocks a lot better than the tight stuff." The total point scores don't tell the story of how close the contest really was. Big Dave was only a few seconds behind Schmelzle at any particular check, while the rest of the AA riders were more often a minute behind. These two guys were truly smokin'! The racers were thrilled with temperatures that were 10 to 20 degrees lower than in recent years. This fun but challenging qualifi· er-style event has known start and finish con· trois and is designed so that no rider will lose points by arriving early at a check. It's a great format for beginners, with no need to watch a computer - just twist it hard and hang on! The ubiquitous loose, powdery dirt created enough dust to make visibility difficult from the first turn. The first section was less than three miles of typical tight woods and was a great warm-up for the long day ahead. Inyan Kara is infamous as a very tight course around cedar trees that will ventilate all your gear for you - boots, goggles and radiators included. There was plenty of time between sections and plenty of cold water at each restart. The second section was two miles longer than the first, with similar challenges. The third section more than doubled the second, at just under 10 miles. This one opened up more but stili had plenty of tight 'Ieft-right-Ieft action. Section three was also a tie breaker, so every second was critical. Top-notch check workers made it easy for the riders all day. One more short, fast section ~Iess than five miles long brought riders to first gas. Good organization allowed riders plenty of time to catch their breath before it was back l'Tinto the woods for section five. This was a seven-mile section that threw in a lot more ,rocks and hiJls, and a few more fast trails out in the open meadows. Check 10 marked the end of the short course. and Schmelzle was the only rider to card a zero for this one. A long transfer section took riders to the site of the second gas stop. Here. C riders could shed some gear and relax, while the A and B riders still had three sections to go. "The long course had a nice test section that took us through a dry stream bed: said RMEC contingency officer Marc Reynolds. "This section added a nice technical part to the race. I like a race that, at the end, you have had enough riding. Paul and Debbie Douglas did another great job, with another great enduro for Inyan Kara. Sun Honda of Denver and Euro Sport of Broomfield deserve a lot of thanks for their contributions to the contingency program. They've been really generous, helping us to provide some extras for the riders this year." The last three sections were 7.0, 4.5 and 11 .2 miles. respectively, with similar obstacles but generally increasing speed averages. Sections six and eight were tie breakers, with Neumeister only seconds behind Schmelzle at each one. RMEC president Bryan Penney thought the race was excellent. "\ couldn't match Ron and Dave's speeds," said the KTM/Fay Myers/Go-Fast/Emig Racing-backed Penney. "They're going superfast this year. I gave Mark Stevens third overall when I messed up in one section. That was all it took for him to gain the point he needed on me." In a contest similar to that of the AAs. Bryan's dad, Jary Penney, beat rival Floyd Stretch in the Super Senior B class, with a 49.1766 to Stretch's 50.1855. Another flying senior, Howard Utsey, beat Jeff Clark in Super Senior C competition by slightly more than a minute. And the fastest Senior out there, John Blythe, won the Senior A contest with a very impressive 35.1312. Senior B rider Tracy Tubbs summed it up nicely: "It was a great course, as always, but I was too conservative. It's hard to bend my WR around the trees, you know. It's not hinged in the middle." Inyan Kara Enduro Upton, Wyoming Results: .June 29. 2003 (Round 5) O/A: I. Ron Schmeltle (M) (Yam). AA: 1. De~ Neumeister (KTM): 2. Mark Stevens (Hon): 3. Bryan Penney (KTM); 4. Jeff Hernandez (Hen); 5. Scou Bright (KTM). OPEN A: I. Phillip West (Yam): 2. Jeremy Henley (KTM): 3. Bred Cames (Kltw): 4. Keith Hedendehl (KTM): 5. Geoff Thorsen (Yam). 200 A: 1. Donny Murray (KTM); 2. Martin Cywinski (KTM); 3. Christopher Parr (SUI); 4. Billy Rad~ky (Kew). 250 A: I. Jim Koch (KTM): 2. William Hamilton (1"M): 3. Merk McDonough (KTM): 4. Lucky Oliver (Hon): 5. Perry Bicek (Kaw). VET A: I. Wayne lntermlll (Yam); 2. Randy Rengstorf (Hon): 3. Jim Hohn (KTM); 4. Rex McKinney (Yam); 3. Ted Winkleman (Hon). 4·5TRK A: I. Ben Jnnsma (Hon): 2. Jose Armeslo (Hon); 3. Mike Decker (Yam); 4. Jonathan Whitacre (KTM): 5. Dason Repp (Hon). SR A: 1. John Blythe (Yam): 2. Gary Miller (KTM): 3. Brad Schwartz (KTM): 4. Mike Birdsley (Hen); 5. Dan Dailey (Yam). O/A B: I. Lee Johnson (Vet) (Kaw). OPEN B: 1. Nelson Sims (Hon); 2. Stephen Zeder (Yam); 3. Ronald Vialpando (ATK); 4. Sieve Vialpando (Kaw): 5. Brett Geuke (Hen). 200 B: J. Mike Diesburg (Kaw); 2. John BlJtka (KTM); 3. Jesse Vams (Suz); 4. Tyler Anderson (KTM): 5. Jake Heyden (GO). .Ye 7/fe ~rsl· KeVIn Br/ekef' • T0f7!/ SoQZi1 • Roc/ Spencer • Ke" OIrlotGf • ~ -W"clrez. • Ke" Nefto • Rick Hockmg SALINAS, CA I First Race 1 Plus: fifH}o1YCAII Dassie Villtage 4-Slroke Twins Class en 113m Salinas Sporls Complex, Salinas, Ca ~4&~~~~ j(J!ITl "'"_ ::c::::u ~ 1fL c=: ~ ~:i.:o. Tickets & Info: 831-775-3100 1I11lr.WCFTS.COM R.., l!o II =ec< P.CDS Inyan Kara Enduro: Riders line up at the start for round five of Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit action in Upton, Wyoming. cue I e n eVIl's JULY 30.2003 65