Cycle News

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON LAWSON VOL. 50 ISSUE 24 JUNE 18, 2013 P29 RPM Racing's Justin Jones never gan (KTM) and David Broderick let Robert get away. Behind him, it (Kaw). Those were the only riders was a medium-size gap to TM ridwho finished within 25 minutes of er Jacob Argubright, Husqvarna's the leader's time, so they qualified Cory Graffunder, Ryan Sandoval for the final, most grueling stage. and Lucas Oil's Colton Haaker. There were 22 official finishers, Unfortunately, that race had and most were quite happy to take off organizational issues. With four their boots and watch the final race. different courses in a small area, In fact, several of the lucky eight had the hills around Glen Helen were reservations about continuing. a confusing crosscross of arrows There were three major changes and ribbon and virtually all the to the course. The most spectacutop riders got lost at some point. lar was a high-dive board that led Argubright was the first man to to a 27-foot drop. But the most cross the finish line, ahead of significant turned out to be a new Graffunder, Sandoval and Jones. hillclimb. It was short, steep and Robert actually got so lost that he loose; every rider had to make rode most of the loop twice, and several attempts. They gathered still finished 17th overall. at the bottom and compared notes With such a questionable finbefore Robert finally succeeded. ishing order, the Prairie Dogs Broderick was an early casualty in decided to nullify the results for this round, dropping out with methat race. Any rider who finished chanical trouble. within an hour of the leader's The advantage that Robert time was allowed to line up for gained on that hill grew into a huge the next race, but without reliable lead. By the time he got to the highColton Haaker makes the 27-foot drop during the Last results; it would be staged in the dive at the end of the loop, he had Dog Standing event. same order, with Taylor, Jones and six minutes over Graffunder. Seven Argubright again on the front row. of the eight riders started the secA total of 64 riders qualified within an hour of the ond loop and almost immediately, Haaker burned leader's time. As expected, the third race of the up a clutch and dropped out. The next to throw in day was a brute, with the inclusion of a downhill the towel was Jones, who was beat up from a numthat was more like a series of cliffs. The Prairie ber of crashes. In the final circuit, Taylor's lead only Dogs actually built a 20-foot bridge in the middle grew. In fact, the entire field spread out and the ridof the section. ers never even saw each other. At the end, the order This time Robert stayed on the course, and of the five survivors remained Robert, Graffunder, spent most of the loop trading the lead with Graf- Sandoval, Gerston and Morgan. The overall finish funder. Haaker was always within striking distance was to be a combination of the final two rounds, but along with Sandoval. Argubright had the hard luck that worked out to be the same as the final round. story of this stage, drowning out his TM in a man"It was definitely tough," said Robert, who made water hole that took its toll on dozens of other looked fresher than anyone else at the finish. "The riders. At the end, Graffunder was the winner with downhill in the last two races is hard to describe in Robert close behind. Haaker was third ahead of words. You had to see it." Sandoval, Jones, Max Gersten (Beta), Justin MorRon Lawson

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