time caught up with him.
"I knew Kana-Boy [Waiwaiole-
Kahalepuna] was probably com
-
ing," Wentzel said. "I caught him
right at the end. There's a creek
just before the finish. Whoever
got out of the creek [first] was
winning. He was up one line
stuck wide open, I went up
another way and was wide open,
and he just edged me out."
The narrow margin at the final
creek crossing defined the dra
-
ma of the day, with only seconds
between Waiwaiole-Kahalepuna
and Wentzel. IRC Beta's James
Flynn claimed third, candidly
admitting his struggles on the
slick East Coast single-track but
crediting the technical sections
for keeping him in contention.
For others, the day was a mix
-
ture of lessons and setbacks.
Tobin Miller (KTM) rebounded
from his first-turn crash to finish
a career-best fourth, describ-
ing his ride as smooth and
calculated. Lewis, who started
strong, faded with health issues
that spiked his heart rate, while
veteran Nick Fahringer (Sherco)
openly acknowledged his lack
of race fitness after time off to
focus on fatherhood.
From the amateur charge led
by Shike to Waiwaiole-Kahale
-
puna's nail-biting Pro win, Fallen
Timbers once again delivered
the full spectrum of hard enduro
racing: unpredictable conditions,
bottlenecks that reshaped the
running order, and the kind of
close finishes that leave fans
and riders buzzing long after
the checkered flag. At Wildwood
Lake Raceway, the rocks, hills
and caves proved unforgiving
but fair, rewarding those who
balanced speed with strategy
and adding another memorable
chapter to the U.S. Hard Enduro
season.
The USHE season continues
on October 11, when the UP
Sandstormers hosts the Mad
Moose Hard Enduro in Michi
-
gan's Upper Peninsula.
Stephanie Vetterly
OVERALL Pro / A (Top 10)
1. Kamakana Waiwaiole-Kahalepuna
(KTM) 2:35:09
2. Quinn Wentzel (Rie) 2:35:28
3. James Flynn (Bet) 2:42:10
4. Tobin Miller (KTM) 2:43:48
5. Daniel Lewis (Bet) 2:52:16
6. Maverik Thaxton (KTM) 2:54:56
7. Nick Fahringer (She) 3:19:02
8. Boogie Rivera (Yam) 3:20:29
9. Leiber Ponce (GG) 3:20:34
10. Tucker Miller (KTM) 3:34:32
WIND
IN THE
P40
James Flynn completed the overall podium.
