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OMA Nationals Rd. 4 Race report Tight trail conditions greeted riders at Round 7 of the OMA Nationals series held near Council Bluffs, Iowa over the weekend, and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM team rider Jason Thomas finished a solid 3rd place in the Pro class. Thomas was disappointed with his race result, saying, "I got an okay start and then I moved forward toward the front and rode with Whibs for the first few laps, until he roosted up a log that hit smack dab right on the clutch hose and snapped it off. If I didn't have bad luck I wouldn't have had any luck at all this year! I was looking forward to having a great battle with Paul for the victory but this issue relegated me back to 3rd place at the end as I cruised along for the last five laps in the tight, rutted trails without any clutch." Meanwhile DirtWise/SRT products support rider Mark Heresco continued his
fine 2014 form with another commanding victory in the Pro 2 class, and an
impressive 4th Overall at the finish. The next racing commitment for the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team will see Jason Thomas and Jesse Groemm competing in Rd. 12 of the GNCC series this coming weekend at St. Clairsville, OH. The Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise Race team is supported by Maxxis tires, KLiM Technical Riding gear, KTM Sportmotorcycles, FunMart Cycles, Fasst Co. Flexx handlebars, TCX boots, Leatt protection, Grimes Manufacturing, HTW Scaffold design, Stuk Graphics, DirtTricks sprockets and brake rotors, G2 handguards and throttle tubes, IMS fuel tanks and footpegs, FMF exhausts, SRT chains and radiator guards, ProGrip goggles and grips, Silkolene Oils, DP brake pads and clutch plates, Wiseco engine components, Stillwell Performance suspension, Fastway linkage guards, DT1 airfilters, TM Designworks chain guides, and P3 pipe guards and skid plates, KTMTalk.com, OffroadChampions.com, Reel helmet cameras, BatteryStuff.com, and MotoSeat.
DIRTWISE WRAPS UP GNCC CHAMPIONSHIP Perfect racing conditions greeted riders at Round 11 of the GNCC series held at the Mountain Ridge race venue in Pennsylvania over the weekend, and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM team rider Jason Thomas rode to an excellent 6th place finish in the XC1 Pro class despite not being on the bike for nearly 6 weeks due to injury. Jason Thomas was pretty happy with his race result, saying, "This was my first time riding in six weeks so I was just going out there to get some quality seat time as I begin to rebuild my fitness again - basically I was looking to have a fun fast trailride. Once the flag dropped though all of that went out the window, the adrenaline kicked in, and I was off to a 3rd placed start. I was surprised at how good I was feeling and riding, especially seeing it was my first time out on Wattsy's mighty KTM 200XCW, so I just kept ripping along in third place Overall for the first two laps - that was such as great confidence boost for me, and I really needed it because I've had some rough times lately. By the time we got to the mid race fuel stop I was totally spent so the rest of the race I dropped into the original plan of doing that fast trailride pace. I'm excited to stick to my plan now in the coming weeks and see what I can achieve for the remainder of this year as I prepare for an all out assault in 2015!". Meanwhile there was plenty of success with the DirtWise "Ready to
Race" bike rental and team support riders also. DirtWise support rider Jesse Ansley again exceeded all expectation with another dominant victory in the 12-13 85cc class, which keeps his perfect season of wins intact. Ansley also scored 2nd Overall in the Youth race, beating all but one of the older age group riders who started in front of him. DirtWise "Ready to Race" participant Mat Herrington nailed down a career best 10th in the XC2 Pro class and was ecstatic! "I'm stoked to finally crack the top 10. I spent the day before the race working on my speed at the DirtWise Race Techniques class and this was for sure a contributing factor to my on-track success!" Meanwhile, DirtWise "Ready to Race" participant Howie Bussard rode to a solid finish in the Morning race Sportmans B class. "I tried the KTM 350 machine and it was flawless and such a pleasure to ride on that brutal race course. The bike was so good I think I'm going to buy it at the end of the year when it comes up for sale." Team owner, and Offroad racing legend, Shane Watts commented with, "That was a great day of racing with plenty of success all around the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM pit area - I can't wait for the next GNCC in two weeks time!" The next racing commitment for the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team will see Jason Thomas competing in Round 9 of the OMA Nationals series in Iowa this coming weekend.
Perfect riding conditions greeted riders at the tenth and final of the National Enduro series held in the lush forests of Indiana over the weekend, and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM team rider Jesse Groemm, despite an uncharacteristic 9th place on the day, wrapped up a sensational year by placing 2nd Overall in the Pro class Championship. Groemm was not content with his race result on the day, saying, "I had a major issue in the first section which lost me a few minutes of time so I had to ride hard to claw back that deficit. To finish 2014 in 2nd place in the Championship though is awesome - there's only one spot better than 2nd and I'm planning on having a good crack at getting that next year! For sure though, this year's result would have been so much harder to get without the excellent support of the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team and all of our other great sponsors!" Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team owner, and Offroad racing legend, Shane Watts was enthusiastic with the Groemm's year long performance, saying, "For sure now, it would have been great if Jesse had placed just that one spot higher in the Championship, but this was another big learning year for him so for him to pull through with this solid Overall finish is awesome! He should be really proud of his achievement!!! From our end it took a lot of behind-the-scenes work to make this all happen so his result makes me very satisfied with the progression of our Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team - you have to remember that this is only the second year of our team so to get this result on the comparatively miniscule budget we had to work with is phenominal. We've got some really great things lined up for the 2015 season with some more top level riders joining our team which is something that we're really excited about as we go for that #1 plate!" The next racing commitment for the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team will see Jesse Groemm and Jason Thomas competing in Rd. 11 of the GNCC series near Somerset, PA on Sep 21.
DirtWise "Ready to Race" Conquers Unadilla. GNCC Racing continued with Rd. 10 on the weekend with DirtWise support rider Jesse Ansley continuing his sweep of the 12-13 85cc Youth class with his 10th straight victory of the year as he marches on toward his goal of scoring a perfect season with just three rounds remaining. Meanwhile the DirtWise "Ready to Race" bike rental and "Full Factory" training programs enjoyed great success with each participant having a blast out on the awesome track. Regulars, Mat Herrington (Pro XC2) and Jeremy Randolph (Open B) performed admirably as they got back into the swing of 3 hour racing to finish out the season strong. Special team guest Pete Petersen, who is a contributing editor with Dirt Rider magazine, handled the conditions with ease as he raced the +40 C class on a fully prepped DirtWise "Ready to Race" 2015 KTM 250, saying the following, "What an awesome experience! The bike was pure magic and absolutely ideal for me in those types of trails, especially with the epic Stillwell Performance tuned suspension. It was great having Shane Watts out there with the pit board constantly updating me not only with my class position but also with handy tips to maximize my on-track performance. Being a part of the DirtWise "Ready to Race" program was so excellent and you will be able to read all about it in the feature article that will appear in the Feburary 2015 issue of Dirt Rider." Last but not least, Pawl Walt Cummings came to the race with some mates to watch but decided at the last minute with the prime trail conditions that he wanted to get some action for himself in the Masters A class. So his first choice was to head straight to the DirtWise Pro pit area and line himself up with renting one of the additional spare DirtWise "Ready to Race" KTM 250 bikes that are available at each race. Deep inside the grunts, groans, and grumbles of his thick New England dialect it was deciphered that Walt said the following, "DirtWise is awesome, grunt, the bike was perfect, grumble, grumble, I can't think of a better way to get your race face on while doing it the cheapest way possible, groan, grumble, grunt, grunt, ughhhh........". Down in Australia, DirtWise support rider Daniel "Chucky"
Sanders finished the Aussie Offroad Nationals with consecutive victories and
the Championship win in the Transmoto Under 19 class, plus he finished an
outstanding 6th Outright in the Overall classification.
GNCC Rd. 10 Perfect racing conditions greeted riders at Round 10 of the GNCC series held at the Unadilla race venue over the weekend, and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM team rider Jesse Groemm rode to a disappointing 10th place finish in the XC2 Pro class, while team mate Jason Thomas didn't race in the XC1 Pro class due to requiring continued recovery from previous recent injuries. Jesse Groemm was extremely upset with his race result, saying, "I
got a decent start and moved up into 2nd place just after the end of the
first lap. I was feeling so awesome and ready to such a great result but
then I hit a huge hidden hole on the side of the track which cartwheeled me.
The resulting crash bent one side of my bars so bad that I had to pull into
the pits and take 10 minutes to swap out these for a new set of handlebars.
I went back out and charged the rest of the race which got me all the way
back up to 10th position." The next racing commitment for the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team will see Jesse Groemm competing in the final round of the National Enduro series in Indiana this coming weekend.
PODIUM FINISH FOR GROEMM AT COLORADO NATIONAL ENDURO Dusty riding conditions and high elevation greeted riders at Round 8 of the National Enduro series held in the high country of Colorado, near Grand Junction over the weekend, and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM team rider Jesse Groemm roosted to a solid 3rd place finish in the Pro class. Groemm was content with his race result, saying, "Following my win at the last event I was pumped up to do the same again here. Unfortunately I turfed it in the 2nd test and dropped into a ravine which took ages to get out of - I lost at least 30 seconds with the whole episode, which ironically is how much I lost the victory by. Following this incident I just rode hard the rest of the event and clawed my way back on to the podium, thanks especially to a ballistic final test which I won by over 20 seconds. Overall my whole to trip to Colorado was awesome! I got to do some fun tourist stuff with my girlfriend, I had a spectacular trail ride with some cool guys on some epic high country single track a few days before the race, and I scored a podium finish at the National - that was a very productive and enjoyable few days away from my normal 9-5 job of being a boilermaker!" Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team owner, and Offroad racing legend, Shane Watts was very satisfied with the Groemm's performance, saying, "For sure I wish that Jesse didn't have those issues in Section 2 which would have then allowed him to be right in there fighting for the victory, but our goal for him is score a podium position at the minimum. He fought back strong to achieve that so I'm stoked for him, and he should be proud of himself for pulling through on that." The next racing commitment for the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team will see Jason Thomas competing in Rd. 7 of the OMA Nationals in Illinois on August 24. Photo credit: Shan Moore
DIRTWISE RULES THE ROOST AT THE RATTLESNAKE Perfect riding conditions greeted riders at Round 7 of the National Enduro series held near Cross Forks, PA over the weekend, and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM team rider Jesse Groemm roosted to an emphatic maiden victory in the Pro class. Groemm was very pleased with his race result, saying, "Winning my first National Enduro is a great achievement, but to tell you the truth it came pretty easily now that I've eliminated all of the small mistakes I was making earlier in the year. I was feeling the magic so to speak where you ride without issues and within you're comfort zone - I really like that feeling, so I'm planning to stay in that zone for the remainder year and finish it real strong. I'm so grateful though for all of the great companies and friends that have supported me so far to make this happen!" Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team owner, and Offroad racing legend, Shane Watts was very satisfied with the Groemm's performance, saying, "Jesse started the year strong but then we had some problems that we worked through and had to rebuild from. I'm stoked for Jesse to get his first ever National win of his career, and to do it with our team, but honestly I expected him to do it this weekend - I even presented him with a bag of "victory cookies" the night before the race because I was so confident in him. I've been working with him for the last few months, and trying to help guide him to where everything just clicks for him at the races, and going by the way he has been acting and the things he has been saying in the last few weeks I knew that he was finally in the zone to win. He finally found the magic, and that is a very rewarding and satisfying feeling for me to have helped him with that!" Watts was also extremely pleased with the performance of the DirtWise
"Ready to Race" bike rental program which SOLD OUT all of the
available $300 rental bikes for this event. "As expected there were no
bike issues or breakdowns with our bikes, and each participant loved the
bikes and had a fun and enjoyable ride on our fully prepped KTM race
machines. And who wouldn't when it only costs $300 - that's cheaper than
what it would cost them to prep and bring their own bikes. The response has
been to huge to the"Ready to Race" program, and we currently only
have two more available spots open for the South Carolina round, and three
for the last round in Indiana!" The next racing commitment for the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team will see Jesse Groemm competing in Rd. 8 of the National Enduro series in Colorado on August 10.
OMA Nationals Rd4 Race report Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team Tight trail conditions greeted riders at Round 4 of the OMA Nationals series held near Lynnville, IN over the weekend, and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM team rider Jason Thomas finished an excellent 3rd place in the Pro class. Thomas was content with his race result, saying, "I got an average start but then I moved forward toward the front. The tight trails made it pretty hard to pass. By the time the checkered flag flew I could see those guys just up ahead of me but unfortunately I ran out of time to make some moves on them." 1st - Paul Whibley 2nd - Nick Fahringer 3rd - Jason Thomas 4th - Jordan Ashburn The next racing commitment for the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team will see Jason Thomas competing in Rd. 5 of the OMA Nationals series in Sturgis, SD and Jesse Groemm competing at Rd. 7 of the Nat. Enduro series in Pennsylvania on July 27.
Perfect loamy conditions greeted riders at Round 3 of the OMA Nationals series held near Memphis, Missouri over the weekend, and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM team rider Jason Thomas finished an excellent 3rd place in the Pro class. Thomas was content with his race result, saying, "I got a decent start and got into the lead pack where I remained for the majority of the race. With two laps to go the rib I broke the week before really started affecting me with the excessive pain. At that point I ran off the track and dropped into a ravine which lost me about 30 sec, so from there I just settled and brought it home in 3rd place. My KTM 350 was awesome, and I'm looking forward to a week of recovery before going for the podium at the Snowshoe GNCC, which is one of my favorite tracks!". Results 1st - Paul Whibley 2nd - Chris Bach 3rd - Jason Thomas 4th - Nick Fahringer 5th Jimmy Jarrett The next racing commitment for the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team will see Jason Thomas and Jesse Groemm competing at Rd. 9 of the GNCC series in Snowshoe, WV this coming weekend.
Warm and slightly dusty conditions greeted riders at Round 7 of the GNCC series held near Masontown, WV over the weekend, and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM team rider Jesse Groemm rode to a solid 5th place finish in the XC2 Pro class, while team mate Jason Thomas finished with a season best 7th place in the XC1 Pro class. Jesse Groemm was disappointed with his race result, saying, "I got a decent start and moved up into 5th place where I remained for the rest of the race - I just couldn't make any inroads into catching the gs in front of me. I'd charge and make up time and then crash and lose that time again." Jason Thomas had these comments about his ride, "I got a great start and ran in 2nd for a while before a few guys passed me and I dropped back to 5th. On the last lap I lost a bit of focus and Bach caught and passed me - each race I'm getting better because I'm focused on improving each week and refining my program after a slow start to the year." The next racing commitment for the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team will see Jesse Groemm competing in Rd. 5 of the National Enduro series in Virgina this coming weekend. The Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise Race team is supported by Maxxis tires, KLiM Technical Riding gear, KTM Sportmotorcycles, FunMart Cycles, Fasst Co. Flexx handlebars, TCX boots, Leatt protection, Grimes Manufacturing, HTW Scaffold design, Stuk Graphics, DirtTricks sprockets and brake rotors, G2 handguards and throttle tubes, IMS fuel tanks and footpegs, FMF exhausts, SRT chains and radiator guards, ProGrip goggles and grips, Silkolene Oils, DP brake pads and clutch plates, Wiseco engine components, Stillwell Performance suspension, Fastway linkage guards, DT1 airfilters, TM Designworks chain guides, and P3 pipe guards and skid plates, KTMTalk.com, OffroadChampions.com, Reel helmet cameras, BatteryStuff.com, and MotoSeat.
Cool weather greeted riders at Round 4 of the National Enduro series held at Park Hills, MO over the weekend, and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM team rider Jesse Groemm rode to a solid 5th place finish in the Pro class, which maintains his top 3 placing in the Overall Championship standings. Groemm wasn't fully satisfied with his race result, saying, "I started steady and was just starting to find my groove in the middle of the day with a solid 2nd place time in the fourth test, but then finished out the day by making a mess of the last section where I got lost, and had some other mistakes, which resulted in a slow time for that section. My overall goal for this year is to be consistent with my results, and to at least score a top 5 on my bad days, so at least I achieved that - I can't wait for the next race though so as I can charge for a podium finish which is where I belong!" The next racing commitment for the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team will see Jesse Groemm and Jason Thomas competing in Rd. 7 of the GNCC series in West Virginia this coming weekend.
Warm and humid weather greeted riders at Round 6 of the GNCC series held at the Loretta Lynn's Ranch over the weekend, and Maxxis/ KLIM/ DirtWise KTM team rider Jesse Groemm rode to a solid 4th place finish in the XC2 Pro class, while team mate Jason Thomas DNF'ed with a broken nose in the XC1 Pro class. Jesse Groemm was disappointed with his race result, saying, "I got a decent start then binned it in the second corner which put me at the back of the pack in the muddy conditions. I'd pass most of those guys back then crash and end up behind them again - I felt like I was riding like such a goon! I wasted way too much energy early in the race so I got a little tired towards the end of the race and ended up losing 3rd place just a couple of corners from the finish." Jason Thomas had these comments about his ride, "I got an average start but quickly moved my way up into 3rd place by the end of the first lap, and I was feeling great on the 450. Then part way into the second lap I got roosted with a big rock that broke my nose on impact - I kept going for a few more laps until the inability to breathe and amount of pain became too much. Today's result isn't going to get me down because I'm focused on improving each week and refining my program after a slow start to the year." The next racing commitment for the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team will see Jesse Groemm competing in Rd. 4 of the National Enduro series in Missouri this coming weekend.
Fantastic weather greeted riders at Round 5 of the GNCC series held near Springville, IN over the weekend, and Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM team rider Jesse Groemm railed to an impressive 3rd place finish in the XC2 Pro class, while team mate Jason Thomas rode to a solid 10th place in the XC1 Pro class. Jesse Groemm was enthusiastic about his performance, saying, "I got into the lead early on and built up a 30 second buffer without feeling like I was pushing hard at all, and led the first 3 laps. Then Grant and Ricky came along and they were rolling so I went to hitch a ride with them and tag along for a few laps but the lappers just weren't working for me and I tangled and crashed with them 3 times on that 4th lap. That put me at a deficit that I just couldn't catch back up from. This is my first GNCC podium, but next time I'm planning on being on the top step." Jason Thomas had these comments about his ride, "Last week I had a great ride at the OMA race but this week it was just average so I need to work on being consistent with my performances. Today's result isn't going to get me down because I'm focused on improving each week and refining my program after a slow start to the year." Team owner Shane Watts added, " I'm very pleased with how things went for Jesse, and that is the kind of result we were expecting from him during 2014. It's great to see that he has been able to turn things around after a difficult start to the season and get himself back to the results he is capable of. Jason rode well also but he just missed being in the right spot at the right time to make use of the opportunities to run further up towards the front." DirtWise support rider Jesse Ansley continued with his domination of the GNCC 12-13yr 85cc class by taking his 5th straight victory of the season. DirtWise "Ready to Race" bike rental program participant Mat
Herrington scored a season best 16th place in the XC2 Pro class. Meanwhile in Australia, DirtWise support rider Daniel Sanders again laid
waste to the competition in the Under 19 class at the Aussie Offroad
Nationals with another very convincing performance that also placed him in
the top 10 Overall for the event.
GNCC Rd. 4 Race report Fantastic weather greeted the GNCC Racing nation at Round 4 held near Cross Anchor, SC over the weekend and our team riders Jason Thimas and Jesse Groemm regrouped and started rebuilding their progress to the top of the podium following a difficult start to their respective GNCC seasons, and the devastating loss of team mate Rory Mead to spinal injuries at the previous race. Jason Thomas was enthusiastic about the turn around in his performance in the premier XC1 Pro class. "I've been struggling so I really needed a good start and to run up front for a while to get back in the mix, and that is exactly what happened thanks to switching over to Rory's KTM 250 2 stroke machine. It was excellent to finally be a part of the lead pack again, and I was feeling great being there, but then right at the end of Lap 1 Whibley hit a big vine and it snagged me which resulted in a decent crash. From there I just rode solid and pushed it all the way to the end, finishing only a few seconds behind Steward Baylor. I tell you what though, going through the Pro pits on the first lap was a huge highlight when I put sick pass back on Kailub Russell with a mad, back-it-in slide. Everyone on the inter-webs are loving the pics and video of it!!!" Video Jesse Groemm rode strong to finish 5th place in the XC2 Pro class, saying, "That was a decent result, but I'm not happy. I want to win these races. I need to focus on getting better starts and also riding more hard pack Moto style tracks in the future to get better with this style of racing. Getting top 15 Overall just doesn't cut it for me - I want to be top 5 Overall and winning XC2, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to make that happen." Team owner Shane Watts added, " I'm pleased with how things went
today for our guys, and we're looking to build on this for the next GNCC and
have both of our riders placing higher up just like they are very capable of
doing. It's been a difficult and stressful few weeks around here with Rory's
injury and all, so just like with Rory we are all in a good spot to move
forward with improvements in the immediate future. We are ecstatic with the
response to the Fundraiser Raffle that we conducted for Rory in conjunction
with this event, and although final numbers haven't been totaled yet, this
raffle generated in excess of $30,000 of funding for Rory's future medical
costs."
The Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team started the 2014 GNCC season with some big wins and strong performances from its team riders at Rd. 1 of the 2014 GNCC series. Team rider Rory Mead kicked off the series with a very calculated ride to
take victory in the XC2 Pro class which solidifies him as the number 1
Championship contender for this class in 2014. "I began the race steady
and hooked up with my team mate Jesse early on the first lap when we were
both back in the pack. From there we just settled into a steady pace that
took us to the front by the middle of the race, and then we started gapping
the rest - it was just like another day at the practice track riding
together, ha! Jesse was riding really good but unfortunately he had a bike
issue that took him out of the race with two laps to go, so from there I
just focused on having two solid final laps which extended my lead out to
over two and a half minutes." Team owner, and Offroad racing legend, Shane Watts said this about the day of racing, "I'm ecstatic for Rory's win but devastated by Jesse's dnf. Both of them were riding strong and established themselves as a notch above the rest which is where we were expecting them to be. Unfortunately Jesse's radiators got fully clogged with mud which resulted in all of the coolant being totally boiled out of the motor - the engine got so hot it melted all of the hoses and then eventually the piston. As a team we should have been better prepared for those kinds of track conditions and in identifying this issue as it developed. I need to take full responsibility for this dnf and now for developing the necessary cure so as this or any other problem doesn't arise again in the future." XC1 class team rider Jason Thomas didn't have the start to his GNCC season as hoped. After being involved in the spectacular first corner crash that brought down several of the other top riders in the class, Thomas then charged into the front group of riders in a fine display of Euro grass track skills. As the laps wore on things went downhill for the Welsh native with multiple crashes and then finally an engine that wouldn't re-fire from the strains of the demanding course. "Things were looking good there earlier in the race, and then basically I just started riding like a donkey and crashing everywhere. I'm looking to redeem myself at round 2." Meanwhile the DirtWise "Ready to Race" bike rental program participants, Matt Herrington (XC2 Pro) and Aled Humphreys (250A) performed admirably in the difficult conditions and both scored career high GNCC finishes. Herrington said, "The bike was perfect and I'm very happy with my result, so once I get some more seat time after the long hard winter we had in Wisconsin I'm looking forward to getting right up front!", while Humphreys added, "That was one of the toughest races I've ever done - I'm so happy the bike didn't miss a beat and kept on charging the whole race!" In the morning Amatuer race, Shane Watts took the Overall victory by something like 10 minutes and had this to say, "I really wanted ride in the Pro class in the afternoon race but it was important that I was on the sidelines to support our team riders in the Pro race. The issues we had during that Pro race reinforces my decision to for go my own desires in order to give our Pro riders the best support possible. The morning race was a blast though and I had such a great time out there - going out and riding my KTM is a big priority for me in 2014 so I'm stoked that I still had the chance to do it at this race."
Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race Team riders came through with some stellar performances over the weekend at the first round of the National Enduro series in Salley, SC. Pro class rider Jesse Groemm got the season started with an excellent 2nd place position, team owner and Offroad legend Shane Watts convincingly won the +40A class by 10 minutes and also scored 12th Overall, plus Rory Mead enjoyed a solid day of GNCC fitness training with 15th Overall, while DirtWise "Ready to Race" bike rental participant Greg Olenic achieved a great day roosting some awesome trail on a fully prepped Pro race team KTM machine! Jesse Groemm was ecstatic with his result, saying, "This is the exact way I wanted to start the race season! A lot of effort went into my preseason preparation, and the Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team is a great fit for me. The whole environment I'm in now gives me the best opportunity to challenge for race victories - I want to win this year, and I want to win a lot of these Enduros but for now I'm looking to roll this great result over into a strong performance in the XC2 at next week's first GNCC race!" After several years off the race track Shane Watts made a triumphant return. "What a great day out on some magnificent single track! I basically just rode a steady and smooth pace out there tagging along with Rory as we finalized his race prep and testing for next week's start of the GNCC series. I actually surprised myself with how close to got to hitting the top 10 Overall - maybe I should have pinned it a little bit harder out there, ha, ha!!!" Rory Mead was content with his on-track performance, commenting, "The GNCC is my main goal for 2014 so I was pretty much just using this race as some quality seat time in a race situation to test a variety of different settings. I had so much fun ripping through the single track today!" Meanwhile Greg Olenic from Pittsburgh, PA went full factory and signed up for the DirtWise "Ready to race" bike rental program, and spent the day roosting around on a fully prepped DirtWise KTM 250 machine. "What a great way to go racing! I just showed up to an immaculate KTM 250 and got on and raced it. I didn't even have to adjust the bars or levers - it was perfect already. All I had to do was focus on getting to the race and having one of the best days ever riding a great bike on some sensational single track. I'm doing this again for sure!" The Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise KTM Race team now prepares for Rd. 1 of the GNCC series this coming weekend, March 9, in Florida. The Maxxis/KLIM/DirtWise Race team is supported by Maxxis tires, KLiM Technical Riding gear, KTM Sportmotorcycles, FunMart Cycles, Fasst Co. Flexx handlebars, TCX boots, Leatt protection, Grimes Manufacturing, HTW Scaffold design, Stuk Graphics, DirtTricks sprockets and brake rotors, G2 handguards and throttle tubes, IMS fuel tanks and footpegs, FMF exhausts, SRT chains and radiator guards, ProGrip goggles and grips, Silkolene Oils, DP brake pads and clutch plates, Stillwell Performance suspension, DT1 airfilters, TM Designworks chain guides, and P3 pipe guards and skid plates, KTMTalk.com, OffroadChampions.com, Reel helmet cameras, BatteryStuff.com, and MotoSeat.
DIRTWISE RIDERS DOMINATE SORCS RACE Maxxis/KLiM/DirtWise KTM team racers Rory Mead and Jason Thomas rode to magnificent 1st and 3rd place finishes at Rd. 4 of the SORCS Cross Country series, held in perfect conditions at Perry, GA on Sunday, Febraury 16. Having just returned to the US from his native New Zealand, Rory Mead was feeling good about the outcome of his first race for 2014, saying, "The first few laps I felt a little sluggish due to some lingering jet lag. For the final half of the race I started to feel good and just rode a steady pace, which was enough to stay up front and snag the win. I'm really focused on being fully prepared to go win this year's XC2 Championship at the GNCCs, so with these final few weeks of fine tuning my program I'll be totally ready come early March to continue this win streak!" Jason Thomas was very pleased with the way he rode and went on to say, "I had such a fun time out there today and was stoked was get another strong result so early in the race season. The track was actually quite technical with lots of deep ruts especially through all of the swampy sections. I basically had the win in the bag until I encountered a mechanical issue early in the last lap which let the other two riders catch and pass me. I've been building my strength and endurance during the winter getting ready to hit it hard in this year's XC1 class in GNCC. I'm building up to be a bonafide contender at the GNCCs so today's result reinforces that I'm definitely on track to make that happen. I'm excited and eager to come out swinging at Rd. 1 in Florida!!!" 1st - Rory Mead 2nd - Ricky Russell 3rd - Jason Thomas Rory Mead and Jason Thomas are supported by DirtWise Riding schools and Instructional DVDs, Maxxis tires, KLiM Technical Riding gear, FunMart Cycles, HTW Scaffold Design, Grimes Manufacturing, Bell Helmets, Stuk Graphics, DirtTricks sprockets and brake rotors, Flexx Handlebars, G2 handguards and throttle tubes, Leatt protection, IMS fuel tanks and footpegs, ProGrip, FMF exhausts, TCX boots, SRT chains and radiator guards, DP brake pads and clutch plates, DT1 airfilters, TM Designworks chain guides, P3 pipe guards and skid plates, KTMTalk.com, and OffroadChampions.com Share |
GROEMM
FINISHES 2ND IN NATIONAL ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP
GNCC
Rd. 6 Race report
