Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1547087
Desmo Dominance: 24 Hours of Glen Helen E ndurance off-road racing is the ultimate test of man and machine, where speed gets you to the front, but reliability gets you to the finish. The 24 Hours of Glen Helen proved that golden rule, culminating in a historic milestone: Ducati's first-ever victory at the famed 3Bros 24-Hour Endurance Race at Glen Helen Raceway. The four-rider team of Ciaran Naran, Cody Simpson, Ryan Surratt and Colton Udall showed speed and consistency, completing 77 laps and outdueling the 76 teams that lined up for the 27th edition of the marquee event. When the green flag dropped at 10 a.m. under the Southern Califor- nia sun, Ciaran Naran immediately put the off-road world on notice. Piloting the number three Hero Racing Ducati, Naran rocketed off the line to take the holeshot, setting a blistering early pace that kept the red machine at the front for the opening hour. Behind Naran, last year's champion Dustyn Davis on the number 58 Zip-Ty Racing Husqvarna FX350 kept him honest as the two stayed within a few sec- onds through the opening laps. The early-race lead was briefly checked when Dustyn Davis went an extra lap without pitting and slipped into the lead. However, the Ducati squad struck right back, re- claiming the lead before hitting their first major roadblock of the day—a sudden bike issue that left the team dead in their tracks trailside. With the Ducati temporar- ily sidelined, the Zip-Ty Racing Husqvarna squad capitalized, taking over command at the front. Behind them, the race locked into a steady cadence for the next five to six hours. The number 22 Dirt Bike Test Yamaha team, anchored by Trevor Hunter, settled into sec- ond place, while the number 111 KTM squad led by Tyler Nicholson held on to third. Through the early afternoon, the Hero squad faced minor me- chanical issues that halted their progress to the front of the pack, while the number 22 Yamaha team also began to struggle. But as day faded into dusk and raindrops fell, the race's narrative shifted. The resilient Hero Racing Ducati team mounted an impressive charge back through the field, eventually executing a clean pass on Nich- olson's number 111 machine to reclaim a podium position in third. Meanwhile, disaster struck the Yamaha camp. Trevor Hunter's number 22 team battled persistent fuel-pump gremlins, losing nearly a full lap to replace the pump and falling out of contention. When night swallowed up Glen Helen's infamous elevation chang- WIND IN THE P44 The Ducati team led by Ciaran Naran took the overall win at the 24 Hours of Glen Helen. PHOTOS: TREVOR HUNTER.