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Trials: AMA/NATC National Trials Championship: Rounds 3 and 4 Mammoth Bar OHV If rounds three and four were scored like a motocross' two-moto format, then Montesa's Ryon Bell would have been the overall winner in Auburn. Bell rode well both days, posting runner-up status on Saturday and top honors on Sunday. BY SHAN MOORE/TRIALS COMPETITION NEWSPAPER SATUROAY "Right off the bat I thought, 'Uhoh, we're going to have a tough day,' because I fived the first section of the event while the rest of the guys were getting through it," Aaron said of his ride in the slippery rocky creek section that opened the event. Seven of the 15 championship level sections were set in the treacherous rocky creeks that run through the Mammoth Bar OHV riding area and these sections eventually would produce some pivotal rides over the weekend. Aaron's fortunes improved after section one when the course moved to higher and dryer ground and the Team ERE/Gas Gas pilot started to accumulate a string of clean rides. Team Montesa's Ryon Bell, who is very much at home in low traction terrain, had a better start, picking up a three in section number one, which required the riders to exit the creek over a VW sized boulder and jump a four-foot gap to another rock at the finish. The traction was not good enough to make the jump easily and most riders struggled here. The remainder of the first loop was relativey uneventful until the course dropped back into the wet sections for the last three sections. "I had a really good ride going until the last couple of sections on the loop," Geoff Aaron said of his first loop. "I'm not really sure what hap- AUBURN, CA, APRIL 8-9 hat a difference a week makes. Last week in Goldendale, Washington, Ryon Bell felt as though he could do nothing right. One week later in Auburn, California, the Vancouver Island native could do very little wrong as he posted second and first place finishes to climb back into contention for the 2000 U.S. National Observed Trials Championship title. The event, which was hosted by the Pacific International Trials Society of Sacramento, was by far the most challenging of the events held so far and was quite a mistake-filled event for all of the top contestants involved. On his way to Sunday's win, the U.S. Montesa -sponsored Bell not only made some very spectacular rides, but also did a better job of minimizing mistakes to take a one-point victory over Gas Gas teammates Geoff Aaron and Jess Kempkes. On Saturday, five-time U.S. Champion Geoff Aaron proved that he can win under pressure by coming from behind to take round three of the ten round series. Last week's win was relatively easy for Aaron as he jumped into the lead early and stretched it into a comfortable win each day, posting final scores that were half as much as the second place finisher. The California event, however, was a different story. W 26 APRIL 26. 2000' cue I e n e _ s pened, but we dove back into the water and I started spinning out and I took a couple of fives at the very end that kind of ruined my good loop." One of these fives occurred in section 14, which was considered one of the toughest of the day. -The riders were having trouble making it over a seven-foot tall rock slab, which was proceeded by a slick and mossy approach. Most of the rides here ended with bike and rider tumbling back down the slab and into the moss. Ryon Bell made a particularly good ride here for a three after having made the only clean ride en the waterfall in section 13. Bell ended the first loop with a three-point lead over Aaron, 27 points to 30. Bultaco's smooth riding Ray Peters was tied for second, also with 30, followed by Jess Kempkes with 32. Not wanting the reputation of not being unable to win in wet conditions, Aaron lowered his head and attacked the second loop. The result was the best loop of the day. "I was thinking that people are probably going to be talking about me," Aaron admitted. "That as soon as there is water - that I won't do well. I figured I had better try and improve my scores in the wet stuff and win this thing. The second loop it all pieced together and I not only was doing well in the dry stuff, but I was doing well in the wet." Aaron pieced together a blistering 12-point second loop, which was less than half of Bell's 33 and was only bettered by his own 20 on the last loop. Peters added one point to his first loop for a 31, while a fatigued Kempkes turned in a 37. By the third loop the top riders were to now in trouble on time, having used a full five hours of the six hour time limit to complete the first two loops. Part of the problem stemmed from the long sections and an unusually large number of flats that the competitors were gettin9. In an effort to try to get better traction on the slick and jagged rocks, the riders were running lower air pressures. BeJi started the day with a fresh tire and ended with six flats. Almost motocrossing the last loop, Aaron made the only clean of the day in section one. Arriving seven minutes late at the finish, Aaron turned in 20 points for a total of 32, but was penalized 3.5 points for being late. Bell snuck in under the time limit, but turned in 25 for a total of 75 and second place behind winner Aaron. '" had serious tire puncture problems today," said Bell. "I got all my flat tires in the sections, but I lost the trials on the first loop with a couple of mistakes," Bell added, refusing to use Last week's double-round winner, Geoff Aaron, won Saturday and then struggled in the wet terrain a bit on Sunday, but still finished second.