Want to know when our news & stories are updated? Sign up NOW to receive email alerts so you know when to check back for NEW stories & events in the Rocky Mountain area! Just type your email address in the box below and you'll never miss another great story--and your privacy is totally protected!
Unsubscribe at any time with a click!
Kirkpatrick Rounds Up Win at Agua Negro!
Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit
Texas State Championship Enduro Circuit
Rounds 8 & 14: Agua Negro Enduro
Santa Rose, NM. | October 1, 2006
By George Pennington
The Agua Negro Springs Ranch, a 10,000 acre private ranch, near Santa Rosa NM played host to the inaugural running of the aptly named Agua Negro Enduro, filling the gap left when the popular Kachina Enduro cancelled their event for this year.
Knowing an opportunity when they see one, regional KTM sales rep Scott Bright and former National Enduro Champ Steve Hatch joined forces with the ranch owners to not only fill the open gap in the calendar with a quality enduro, but also spiced up the weekend with ’07 KTM demo rides and a very good riding school presentation by Hatch on Saturday afternoon.
Dry desert conditions, as one would expect, set the stage for this RMEC and TSCEC co-sanctioned event and offered the most neutral of meeting grounds this year for the two organizations. The relatively simple course consisted of a 24 mi. loop run three times by all riders with two special tests per loop. The first test consisted of a 3 mi. long grass track, or perhaps in this case, more accurately, a sagebrush and sand track that also featured a unique three lane start offering a relatively equal opportunity to get to the main course ahead of the others on your minute. Following the opening test it was a 10 mi. jaunt over easy terrain to the terrain test, which featured the most challenging real estate of the day. The approximately 3 mi. long test featured a combination of rocky virgin trail, rocky road sections and narrow, twisty sandwash sections before heading riders back to the pits to start over again.
Both TSCEC series points leader Cole Kirkpatrick and RMEC champion Ron Schmelzle knew that the relatively short tests meant there was no margin for error today as the finish would come down to tie-breaking seconds, putting a lot of pressure on both of them to not only win the overall today, but also making them vulnerable to simple mistakes that could damage their championship drives for this season.
While both riders maintained their composure, tying on route points at 14, it was Kirkpatrick and his KTM emerging atop the overall standings placing 29 seconds between himself and the Davis Cycles sponsored Yamaha of Schmelzle. Making Schmelzle the filling in a TSCEC sandwich, Don Hogan and Cameron Kirkpatrick also finished on 14 today, 43 and 53 seconds respectively behind Schmelzle. Mark McDonough upheld RMEC honor, rounding out the top five as the only AA rider to finish on 15.
Other top A performers included Ian Blythe, again topping the 200’s with a dominant score of 15, topping Bryce Bingham by three points.
Bryant Cope edged Jordan Chambliss for the 250 win, both riders dropping 16, while Billy Radecky, who has been riding exceptionally well as of late put a hurting to the four-stroke A’s dropping a 16 to the 18 points of second place George Villanyi.
Senior A’s turned into a four rider dogfight as Yamaha mounted, Alan Clark topped in order, Rob Weiher, Richard Kirkpatrick and Paul Scroggie. All finished on 18 with just a 49 second gap separating them all.
Honda Mounted Chad Parker headed the list for overall B honors as well as the win in the four-stroke class, while Allan Phillips shared honors with Parker as the other of the only two B riders to finish on 18 with a win in the 250 class.
Surprisingly, in a rare opportunity to compare scores head to head with the A & B riders, three C riders stood out as more than up to the challenge. 200 C rider, Andrew Cherry, 250C rider Greg Storie and Open C rider Ben O’Neill all finished with 18 points dropped for wins in their respective classes. Cherry led the way, securing the overall C victory by a margin of 14 seconds over Storie. See you guys in the B class soon!
Return to Off-Road
Results:
AA: 1. Cole Kirkpatrick (KTM); 2, Ron Schmelzle (Yam); 3. Don Hogan (KTM); 4. Cameron Kirkpatrick (KTM); 5. Mark McDonough (Yam)
200A: 1. Ian Blythe (Yam); 2. Bryce Bingham (KTM); 3. Nicole Bradford (Yam)
250A: 1. Bryant Cope (Kaw); 2. Jordan Chambliss (Yam); 3. Jim Koch (Yam); 4. Thomas Hoover (Kaw); 5. ken Helgeson (KTM)
4-Stk.
A: 1. Billy Radecky (Kaw); 2. George Villanyi (Kaw); 3. Lance Bross (Kaw); 4. Josh Aumiller (Hon)
Open A: 1. Cory Adair (Yam); 2. Michael Mechler (KTM); 3. Brent Erickson (KTM); 4. David Schadle (KTM); 5. Rex McKinney (Yam)
Vet A: 1. Wayne Intermill (Yam) 2. Cory Schmidt (KTM) 3. Rusty Davis (Kaw); 4. Clay Anthony (Kaw); John Harris (Yam)
Senior A: 1. Alan Clark (Yam); 2. Robert Weiher (Yam); 3. Richard Kirkpatrick (KTM); 4. Paul Scroggie (KTM); 5. Donald Miller (KTM)
200B: 1. Adam Krefting (KTM); 2. Michael trumble (KTM); 3. Adam Donaldson (Yam); 4. Brody Kunz (Kaw); 5. David Kuhny (KTM)
250B: 1. Allan Phillips (Yam); 2. Jarod Wilhite (Hon); 3. John Cash (Kaw); 4. Martin Craven (Kaw); 5. Curtis Miller (Yam)
Open B: 1. Kevin Butts (KTM); 2. Ray Barnard (KTM); 3. James White (Hon); 4. Steve Sadler (KTM) 5. Brett Anderson (KTM)
4-Stk. B: 1. Chad parker (Hon); 2. Braden Van Matre (Yam); 3. George Reed (Yam); 4. Jeff Brooks (Yam); 5. Richard Poe (Hon)
Vet B: 1. Dave Anderson (KTM); 2. Erik Jensen (Hon); 3. James Robinson (KTM)
Senior B: 1. Gene Torrisi (Hon); 2. Pat Soester (Hon); 3. Ronnie Jones (Hon); 4. Tom Cope (Kaw); 5. Steve Hilbert (Yam)
S.Sen.Long: 1. Dan Daily (Yam); 2. Floyd Stretch (KTM); 3. Gregg Hawks (Hon); 4. Mike Fortman (Hon); 5. Steve Lanoue (KTM)
16 & Under: 1. Kyle Schafer (Hon); 2. Henry Lanman (Yam); 3. Tyler Pennington (Hon); 4. Cale Maupin (Hon)
200C: 1. Andrew Cherry (KTM); 2. Ryan Patterson (KTM); 3. Brooks Freehill (KTM); 4. Michael Warren (Kaw); 5. Ethan Morefield (KTM)
250C: 1. greg Storie (KTM); 2. Kevin Merritt (Hon); 3. Michael Graff (Hon)
4-Stk.C: 1. Mark Dykema (Hon); 2. Ric Justus (Hon); 3. Matt Bratcher (Hon); 4. Trace Bailey (Yam); 5. Garrett Marshall (Yam)
Ladies: 1. Angela McTee (Yam); 2. Ashley Walker (Kaw); 3. Shawn Stretch (KTM)
Open C: 1. Ben O'Neill (KTM) 2. David Bales (KTM)
Senior C: 1. Steve Thoeme (KTM); 2. Don James (Hon); 3. Rob Anderson (Hon); 4. Paul Christy (KTM); 5. Mike Griffiths (Yam)
Vet C: 1. Delbert Bostock (Hon); 2. Aaron Faatz (KTM); 3. Christian Faatz (KTM); 4. Chris McPherson (Yam); 5. Rodney lewis (Hon)
S.Sen. Short: 1. Benton Curry (KTM); 2. Jim Ruffer (KTM); 3. Ernest Patterson (KTM); 4. Bob McDowell (Yam)
Super 60: 1. Kenney Otto (Gas); 2. Marv Donaldson (Hon); 3. Ed Kistler (KTM)