Press Release from Team Dirty Bikes, June 16 2010

DBESC Round 1 – Burnt River 

The riders who braved the weather on Saturday were rewarded with a fantastic event at the first round of the Dirty Bikes Enduro Sprint Series. All of the riders agreed that this was a superior format to traditional enduros or cross country events. The loop consisted of a Cross Test (fast and open grass track), an Enduro Test (longer tight trail) and an Extreme Test with a newly built Enduro Cross section with tires, logs and rocks which was great for the spectators to watch. This event was also the first time the entire DB Racing team was together with Steven Hart and Pat O’Neill making their first appearances of the year. 

Photo by Shari Martin 

KC rode conservatively to make certain he would be in good shape for Sunday’s Cross Country. Kevin finished 3rd behind Wojo and Milson. On the other hand,  Pat O’Neill was charging hard as he was preparing for upcoming CEC events in Western Canada. Pat had a very respectable day and was pushing his teammate and fellow Pro, KC, for 3rd place. Pat is very excited to have a series such as the DBESC in order to train for the rigors of CEC competition. 

Rob’s Dirty Bikes KTM with the Revloc Dyna Ring performed flawlessly in this style of racing. The course was laid out very well, and each test was a challenge in a different way. Rob made some smooth laps through the extreme section followed by some not so smooth laps. Thanks to Roger Messier and his tips Rob’s cross test times remained low and consistent. Enduro course took its toll on a few people each lap, but perseverance there helped Rob bring home a 1st place in Vet.   

Photo by Suzanne Howie 

Rob would like to give a big thanks to Alan at Revloc, for his personal assistance with the Dyna Ring set up and his support of this great series. 

Steven Hart is coming back from a training injury to his shoulder and would not let being rusty stop him from trying the DBESC. Steven had to take the bypass of the endurocross section of the Extreme Test in order to not re-injure his shoulder. But it was a fun day none the less for Steven as he finished second in his class. 

WEC OCCC Round 2 – Burnt River 

Photo by Suzanne Howie

The rain held off Saturday night and by race time on Sunday the sun came out, however heavy rain on Friday had filled up all the water holes on the 18km cross country loop. When the flag dropped on the cross-country race Cockayne got the jump off the start and his Mission Cycle/ Race Tech KTM 250 SX took the holeshot despite missing the Weisner Insurance holeshot award by photo judgment. KC proceeded to lead the first portion of the race until a bobble on a rooty off-camber “hamburger” hill. Wojo went to make the pass and went down taking KC with him. The two riders were tangled up and blocking the trail for the trailing riders. Milson profited from this mayhem and got off to a clear lead while the remaining riders struggled to race up the hill. VanHove and Wojo got up next and KC in 4th. Both Wojo and KC made it around Vanhove on the grass track. Vanhove had a problem with his clutch and had to pit on the first lap to get it fixed. On lap 3, KC and VanHove put on an exciting race through the enduro cross section with KC coming out ahead before both riders came in to pit. Cockayne’s crew put together a quicker stop than the VanHove camp and got their rider out ahead. However, Vanhove charged hard and made the pass on Cockayne right before hamburger hill. This time VanHove and KC got stuck on the hill, VanHove regrouped first but KC was stuck on the hill for over 5 mins and had to settle for 4th position on the day. 

Photo by Suzanne Howie

Rob Martin started this race with a much better position than round 1, getting the holeshot and having clear riding in front of him. The course was pretty slimy and fresh on the first lap, with very long deep water crossings. So it was a balance between gas and patience. Rob took the advice of his team mate Kevin, and a few other top riders and took it easy through the water, and on the second lap it was evident that a lot of guys didn’t get that advice. Water out bikes were scattered everywhere. Rob settled in to a comfortable pace and cruised for 3 laps, On the 4th lap the course started to take its toll on the Dirtybikes KTM, the gear shifter skipped a tooth and was jammed down, so Rob was unable to change gears and stuck in 3rd, even the Revloc Dyna ring couldn’t make up for that, heading into the 5th lap the problem was compounded by an attempt by Rob to adjust it on the fly. Brad Brown kept a good pace and kept the pressure on. The lead was swapped back and forth. With Rob surviving the last lap and taking home 1st place. 

Rob would like to thank his team mates Matt, Kev, Pat and Steve, for their support in the pits and preparation before the race. Mr. and Mrs. Cockayne for their moral support and shared racing experience. His wife for her tolerance of his addiction. 

Kevin would like to thank his fantastic crew and his sponsors: Mission Cycle, KTM Canada, Race Tech, LRP, Enduro Engineering, IMS, Scorpion Exo Helmets, Whitelaw Performance, PG Graphics, and A Vicious Cycle. 

Rob is supported by A Vicious Cycle, Revloc and Apex Cycle sport, great companies providing great products and service. 

The next race for DBR is June 20 at Moto Park for round #3 of the CMRC/WEC Ontario Cross Country Championship