ROUND 1 / JANUARY 28-29, 2023
JOHNSON VALLEY SVRA / LUCERNE VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
P70
OFF-ROAD I AMA IRC U.S. HARD ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP / AMA WEST EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP
line in the three-hour time limit. Over
70 amateurs made it through the
finish in time, whereas the rest were
scored based on their checkpoint
times.
Sunday's Race 2 was the final race
of the weekend and would determine
the overall winner. It consisted of
two different laps. Rows of 30 racers
lined up at the bottom of Chocolate
Thunder, with a big crowd of spec
-
tators standing above them and a
livestream broadcast that was being
watched around the world.
Haaker led the first row of racers
through Chocolate Thunder, which
had changed from previous years
yet still showed no easy line through
the rock gardens. The following rows
began to clog up at the first rock gar
-
den and became a traffic jam for the
next 20 minutes. Like the previous
day, the front pack was led by Hart
and Webb, setting a pace that was
impossible to match by anyone else.
In the first 11 minutes of the race
at Checkpoint 1, Hart and Webb
already had a 45-second lead over
LeBlond. This course consisted of
two very challenging laps around
existing King of the Hammers trails
and some new trails that Leinweiber
marked out. The first lap was shorter,
and on the second lap, they raced an
additional section that increased in
difficulty. This race was designed to
give everyone the chance to race in
the final, so it provided a great hard
enduro experience to both the pros
and amateurs.
On the second lap, Webb began
to catch up to Hart, staying about a
minute behind as they picked their
way through lappers. A GPS error
led Webb off-course, where he had
to return after losing valuable time.
Hart won Race 2 in 1 hour and 44
