Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Northern California Championship Enduro Series Round 2: Wild Boar Enduro STORY AND PHOTOS BY JILL ASHWORTH PATTERSON .1' ClEAR CREEK, CA, APR. 2 I!i earn Green's Brian Butler skillfully ~ maneuvered his KX125 to seize the overall victory at the Wild Boar Enduro, dispelling any notion that smaller bikes can't be handled well enough to outperform bigger ones during such lengthy and difficult races. "My KX125 is just awesome!" exclaimed the defending series champion and Wild Boar title holder. "This was one of the best enduros I've ever ridden!" The event, held at Clear Creek, California, was the second round of the Moose Northern California Championship Enduro series and was hosted by the Timekeepers Me. Warm weather and dry course conditions prevailed as 16Q entrants set out onto the three-loop, 96-mile course. Riders left the start at Jade Mill and worked their way over a combination of trails and fire roads to the first check, where several recorded zeroes. Check two marked the end of the first special test. Many riders thought they had burned the check but later learned that the scoring clock was off; resulting in the zeroes they had worked hard for. At the first gas stop, a quick review of scores showed Team Green's Craig Wesner in the lead with O. II, while A 250cc rider Mike Pascarella was in second with 0.19. AA rider Dave Wood and B Senior rider Bob Thompson each had scores of 0.23 and were tied for third. Butler was next with 0.26, followed by Kevin Wiley (0.27) and Damien Galford (0.29). The second loop took riders through a tougher mix of single-track trails, fire roads and double-track. At check three, Wood and Galford took over first and second place, being the only ones who carded zeroes. Wesner and Butler each dropped a one and Pascarella lost two, putting them in the next three positions. A high-speed test section ended at check four, where Galford was the only rider to score another zero, giving him the lead. The second gas stop was after the fifth check, and another quick tally of scores showed Galford in the lead, with 0.54. Wood was in second with 1.26, and Butler was next with 2.68. Tim J. Stowe moved into fourth with his 2.79. Wesner's 3.85 placed him fifth, and Matt Wallace was in sixth with 4.95. Several other riders had scores .of fives and sixes. "I had a pretty good score going," Galford said. "It was fun hearing other guys telling me how I was waxing them." Loop three sent riders into some of the tightest and brushiest trails that many had ever seen. A sign that read "Welcome to Pereira's Palace" was ==.....==' (Left) Brian Butler did It: He bagged the Wild Boar's fint-ever perpetual trophy for taking the overall win. (RIght) Craig Wesner was the second AA rider and second overall at the second round of the Northern California Championship Enduro Series. actually a warning sign for what was coming up next. "It was like a true, old-fashioned enduro," said the Faultline Suspension/Renthal/Red Line Oil/Moosesponsored Butler. "It got progressively tighter, steeper and more difficult as you went." The tougher terrain, dust and heat took its toll on several riders and their bikes. Many houred out early into the loop. Bent levers, smashed pipes and other torn bike parts hindered the progress of others. "I severely smashed my shift lever on something I couldn't see," said the Woodland Cycle/Bennett Ltd.-supported Stowe. "I couldn't get out of second gear for most of the third loop." Fox Racing/Mach 1 Motor Sports/ Factory Connecti-on-backed Wood bent and lost the use of his rearbrake lever. "There were some hills as steep as I have ever seen in a race before," Wood said. "Even without my rear brake, it was great!" "It was pretty gnarly out there," said the G&B Kawasaki/Faultline Suspension/Motul-sponsored Galford, who also lost the use of his shift lever. "You had to hit lots of stuff and be aggressive just to get through it." In one of the tightest sections, AA: 1. Brian Butler (Kaw); 2. Craig Wesner (Kaw); 3. Dave Wood (CRE); 4. TIm J. Stowe (Suz). A 200: 1. Matt Wallace (Yam); 2. DZlVid Peel (KTM); 3. Steve Shoemaker (Yam): 4. Robert Wynn (KTM). A 250: 1. Damien Galford (Kaw): 2. Jeff Wilson (Kaw); 3. Brian Jelich (Hon); 4. Mike Pascarella (KTM); 5. Chris Young (Yam). .A OPEN: 1. Curt Kiser (KTM); 2. Lance Mandarino (KTM): 3. Tony Elmore (Hon); 4. Michael Hayes (Hon). A 4-STRK: I. John S. Poor (Hon): 2. James Ptarcinski (Yam); 3. Glenn Martinson (Yam). A VET: 1. Kevin Wiley (Yam): 2. Andrew Norrish (KTM); 3. Shawn Black (KTM); 4. Dave Clemons (Hon): 5. Todd Winslow (Kl.lw). A SR: 1. Ken Peschel; 2. John Poor Jr. (Han); 3. David Smith (KTM); 4. Robert Miho.vich (Yl.lm) 5. Chris Von Kleist (Hon). A S/SR: I. Pete Prichard (KTM). A WMN: J. Heather Wilson (Kaw). 8 O/A: 1. Wes Thomlls (Yllm); 2. Brody Borgogno (KTM): 3. Kevin Walker (Kaw); 4. Dave Tiesso (Suz); 5. Randy Johnson (Kaw). 8 200: 1. Chris Cartwright (KTM): 2. Sean ~wett (KTM). B 250: 1. Jason Pettinato (Ki!lw); 2. Allen Thomas (Yam); 3. Mike Christenson (Sut): 4. Preston Barker (Han). B OPEN: J. Tim Simmons (KTM); 2. Scott Bamett (KTM). B 4-STRK: 1. Wes Thomas (Yam); 2. Paul Murphy (Hon); 3. Mark Anklam (Hon). B VET: 1. Brody 80rgogno (KTM); 2. Kevin Walker (Kaw); 3. Dave Tiesso (Suz); 4. Randy Johnson (Kaw); 5. Kevin Morris (KTM). 8 SR: 1. Bob Thompson (Suz); 2. Dale Parrish (Han); 3. Larry Weber (KTM): 4. Harvey Schuler (Yam): 5. Hugo Zwetsloot (Yam). B S/SR: 1. Donald Chase (Yam); 2. Dave Baumann (Hon); 3. Earl Frederick (Suz): 4. Richard Tiesso (Hon). eO/A: 1. Robert Pascarella (KTM); 2. Jake Mahler (Yam); 3. Eric Tyler (Hon); 4. Daniel Hoagland (Hon); 5. Jack Pederson (Yam). 250: I. Jake Mahler (Yam); 2. Eric Tyler (Hon); 3. Steve Tourdo (Yam); 4. Mathew Workman (Husky); 5. Andrew Hagan (Kaw). OPEN: 1. Robert Pascarella (KTM); 2. Daniel Hoagland (Hon); 3. EH Echelmeier (ATK). 4·STRK: 1. Derek Poe (Hon); 2. Jamee Garcia (Hon). e VET: 1. John Clayton (Hon); 2. Jim Smetona (Yam); 3. Bill Wheeler (Hon). SR: 1. Jack Pedersen (Yam); 2. Matt Mejer (KTM); 3. James Connell (KTM). e S/SR: I. Rick Rinks (Hon): 2. David Vonasek (KTM). Wesner, Galford and Wallace were riding together and appeared to be playing a game of leapfrog. "It was so tight that whoever was in front couldn't see what was next," said Cycle Pro of Santa Rosa's Wesner. "When the leader crashed, we would change positions. It was comical, like we were pinballing our way out of the section." "It was a really nasty, tight and fun section," said the Cycle Gear/Wilson's Motorcycles/Smith-sponsored Wallace. After the ninth and final check, scores were calculated quickly so trophies could be awarded the same day. The event's first perpetual trophy, a huge wild boar, was waiting for the victor. Butler's final score of 29 captured his third consecutive overall victory at the event. Wesner's total of 30.449 gave him second, over Wood's 30.475 and Stowe's 30.486. Galford finished fifth with 31.474. When asked about his motivation for doing so well in the third loop, Butler commented, "All I could think of was, 'I want that pig!'" eN e e e Wild Boar Enduro Clesr Creek, Cslifamis Results: April 2, 2000 [Round 21 e O/A: 1. Brian Butler (KllW); 2. Craig Wesner (Kaw); 3. Dave Wood (CRE); 4. Tim J. Stowe (Suz): 5. Demien Galford (Kaw). eye I EO n EO _ OS • APRIL 26, 2000 33

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