SHOTGUN HARD SCRAMBLES
After a full night of fixing bikes
and trying to rest up, the Shot-
gun Hard Scrambles took place
30 minutes down the road in
Sugarloaf. This race, hosted
by Mike Soudas and the High
Mountain Dirt Riders, was new to
the scene last year and quickly
became a formidable challenge
among pros and amateurs alike.
Since this was day three of the
Keystone Challenge, the HMDR
club decided to simplify their
format from last year and just
host a two-lap hard scramble.
This 16-mile course ramped up
in difficulty as it went on, tra
-
versing up steep rock gardens
and dropping into fern-covered
creeks. Some of the sections like
Stairway, Tombstone and Green
Acres took the riders through a
variety of terrain throughout this
4000-acre property.
Hart gained an early lead on
Webb, while a charging LeBlond
and Walker put pressure on the
frontrunners. As the race went
on, Hart continued to push ahead
of the lead pack and finished
his first lap in approximately
90 minutes. LeBlond and Webb
were only a minute behind, while
Walker was a few minutes back.
On lap two, the course split off
onto more difficult sections and
the pros had to work through the
amateurs still making it through
lap one. Despite the more dif
-
ficult obstacles and lapped
traffic, Hart finished his second
lap only a minute slower than the
first, winning the Shotgun Hard
Scrambles and Keystone Chal
-
WIND
IN THE
P60
Husqvarna's Ryder
LeBlond suffered radiator
damage that led to a
seventh-place finish at
the Tough Like RORR,
but he rebounded for a
second-place finish at the
Shotgun Hard Scrambles.
