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That change was a welcome relief for most, but not everyone. Veteran ISDE rider Eric Ducray, lead member of the winning Over 30 Expert team, was eating up the opposition. "That kind of track suited me," Ducray said. "At one point we had actually moved up close to third [overall]. But they took out that single-track stuff and we faded back to fifth when those motocross guys started getting us." For the first time in the series history, transponders were used to aid in tracking lap times to determine course-cutting questions. "We only had 100 of them," track man- ager Lori Bryant said. "And with 93 entries (nearly 50-percent more than last year's 12 Hour field) I was afraid we'd be short." Except for a few glitches in the early laps, the electronics worked wonders and proved valuable in sorting out a few scor- ing discrepancies. Get-offs were abundant, as is usual in an endurance race, but one turned tragic during the midmorning run. Gary Kruger, a member of a Over 30 Sportsman team from the San Fernando Valley area out- side Los Angeles, crashed during his first- lap stint, but was able to remount and continue, shaking off the effects of what was later deemed a spinal fracture. When he came through the pit area, he opted to continue racing and sped away for his sec- ond lap, whereupon reaching the rough ridge route, he collapsed, complaining of thirst to a course sweeper before losing consciousness. Trackside EMT's per- formed CPR and Kruger was airlifted to Loma Linda Hospital where he was pro- nounced DOA. During a later phone conversation, Kruger's teammate Aldo Scarfo said that a coroner's autopsy ruled out a heart attack. "It was a combination of things," Scarfo said, "The fracture and subsequent bleeding, heat, pain, exhaustion, stress and arrhythmia." Still shocked by his friend's sudden death, Scarfo added, "I've been riding with Gary for about 12 years, and when he came through after his first lap, I could tell something just wasn't right. But he continued on, and when it came time for his return, I geared up and put on my helmet and waited. And wait- ed. He just never came back." CN HYR 12 HOURS OF GLEN HELEN SAN BERNADINO, CALIFORNIA RESULTS: JULY 1, 2006 OPEN EXPERT: 1. David Pearson, Matt Gosnell, Kurt Casselli, Mike Corder (KTM), 43 laps; 2. Greg Jones, Brad Goolsby, Robbie Goolsby (Yam), 41 laps; 3. Freddie Sanchez, Bryce Oaxley, Colton Udall, Luke Orr (Hon), 41 laps; 4. Matt Eddy, Max Eddy Jr., Tye Hames, (KTM), 40 laps; 5. Steve Sileski, Andy Vanderbury, David Norris, Justin Morrow (Yam), 39 laps; 6. Brian Legg, Kris Nelson, Eric Smith, Jeff Trulove (Hon), 35 laps. 125-250 EXPERT: 1. Jeff Maginn, Chris Dvoracek, Ryan Miller, Kameron Burger (Hon), 38 laps; 2. Justin Heckman, Kirt Brooks, Chris Hernandez, Eric Rizzo (KTM), 35 laps; 3. Victor Gomez, Ernesto Inowe, Roger Pando, Leonel Ruvalcaba (Yam), 33 laps. OPEN SPORTSMAN: 1. Tracey Monterone, Brys Kuntz, Greg Fountain, Mitch Lewler (Yam), 38 laps; 2. Keith Sautel, Steve Luly, Scott Luly, Brandon Luly (Hon), 35 laps; 3. Steven Thompson Sean Smorick, Chris Finley (Hon), 34 laps; 4. Jeremiah Watson, Shane Fox, Josh Thompson (Kaw), 34 laps; 5. Tony Discuillo, Shawn Carpenter, Travis Fithiam, Otus Bakkas (Hon) 34 laps. 125-250 SPORTSMAN: 1. Adam Enticknap, Nick Mueller, Tyler Enticknap, Ryan Thiesen (Hon), 36 laps; 2. Joe Johnson, Josh Bartlett, Jordan Bartlett, Josh Hagy (Hon), 36 laps; 3. Dustin Becker, Jacob Argubright, Mark Harstine (Yam), 35 laps; 4. Kevin Vandermark, Mike Bauldry, Evan Rogg, Ryan McAlister (Hon), 34 laps; 5. Garrett Willey, Russ Lanfield, Jack Moore, Trevor Willey (KTM), 34 laps. 30 EXPERT: 1. Eric Ducray, Bucky Gerolamy, Shawn Hybarger (KTM), 39 laps; 2. Rod Fowler, Mark Dwyer, Jim Doman (Hon), 37 laps; 3. Bebo Gutierrez,Nino Rojas, Richado Silva, Armando Lobato (Hon), 35 laps; 4. Steve Bailor, Mark Goelz, Cory Noseworthy, Brad Smithson (Hon), 29 laps; 5. Jason Spina, Craig McCall (Yam), 23 laps. 40 EXPERT: 1. Mike Sage, Ray Spore (KTM), 38 laps; 2. Bill Jaeger, Mile Daley, Steve Wiseman, Mike Tripes (Kaw), 35 laps. Glen Helen Raceway San Bernadino, CA Round 2 July 1, 2006 JULY 26, 2006 • C Y C L E N E W S 46 HYR 12 Hours of Glen Helen Raceway Grand Prix STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOHN BETHEA K TM USA came one step clos- er to achieving a goal the fac- tory has attempted for the p a s t f e w y e a r s w h e n i t s squad of David Pearson, Kurt Caselli, Matt Gosnell and Mike Corder ripped up the competition from start to finish at the second round of the HYR Endurance Series, the 12 Hours of Glen Helen on a very hot, humid Southern California day. Caselli, riding the opening laps aboard the 450 XC that he's piloted regularly in the WORCS circuit, showed he is as strong as ever despite his recent recuper- ation from a season-shortening knee injury. He led the field of 93 teams by more than a minute at the end of the first 13.5-mile loop. That's all the field saw of Team KTM throughout the day, except when being lapped, which even happened twice to the runner-up team of Greg Jones, Brad Goolsby and Robbie Goolsby. It was the team's second victory of the series, having already dominated the 6 Hour Endurance opener in similar fash- ion. Their goal is a sweep, and their final target is now the 24-hour event in the fall. But Team KTM will have to face the chal- lenge of Ty Davis' Montclair Yamaha squad, who has dominated the 24 Hours of Glen Helen for half a decade. "We've got the perfect team on the perfect bike," said Caselli, who will be concentrating on the two North American World Enduro Championship rounds later this month. "These guys [his teammates] are used to riding 525s, but they adapted quickly to the 450 and the motor ran great all day." The only hang up they experienced came very late in the race-just as it had in the previous round. Within a lap of the white flag during a routine tire change, the team encountered a problem. "We had a mousse failure that messed up the brakes," Caselli explained. "They wouldn't pump back up again." Their lead wasn't threatened despite a five-minute pause to replace the brake and wheel and they went on to finish with ease. Their only other obstacle all day was the humid heat, climbing to a sizzling 108 degrees in the afternoon, which com- pelled riders to back off to conserve ener- gy. It affected everyone, with most teams cutting back laps per rider. The only ones who couldn't cut back were the Ironmen. Benny Breck is dominating the Ironman class with the same goal as the KTM team. After his win in the 6 Hours, the Intermediate-ranked Suzuki rider took con- trol of the class early on lap one and never faded for the remaining 26 tours, although he did the final three with a flat rear tire. Even with a drink system, hydration was still a problem for the Santa Barbara Motorsports/Dunlop/FMF/Barnett teen. "My God, I've never been so happy to have a race over," Breck said at the end. "Dirt Bike magazine supplied me with the motorcycle; think they'll give me another for the 24 Hour?" Nobody has ever swept all three Ironman classes in the same year. Breck will attempt to be the first this fall. His closest rival all day, Bill Donnan, also had a late-race fight with a flat tire, only he opted to stop and change it with only one lap to go. "I work in Thermal [California] where it hits 118 every day," Donnan said, "So I'm kinda used to the heat." What did wear him down, however, was not having raced in 10 years, only recently coming back to racing the SRA series and taking a stab at the 6 Hours. "I'm delirious right now; it's hot in this helmet! But I'm very happy with second - I did get second, right?" The longest course in Glen Helen Endurance race history had to be short- ened in the afternoon when the single track on the northwest ridge became too dusty after the wind calmed and riders simply couldn't see. "It was so hot," Chad Shelter, runner- up of the Over 30 Sportsman class said, "And the single-track trail was so dusty, everyone was falling. But once they roped it off, everything seemed to be going smooth." The KTM team of Kurt Caselli, David Pearson, Matt Gosnell and Mike Corder conquered the competition and the sweltering heat on their way to victory at the 12 Hours.