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Schmelzle Schools 'em at Kachina
Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit
Rounds 13 & 15: Kachina Enduro
By George Pennington
Espanola, NM. | October 23, 2005
Bright sunshine and crisp temperatures greeted competitors from Texas, Colorado and all points in-between as they gathered in Espanola New Mexico for the penultimate round of both the TSCEC and the RMEC series championships. The New Mexico Trail Riders, the promoting club, did an awesome job with course layout, check placement and overall organization, progressively increasing the difficulty of the course and the time schedule as the event wore on. While the course at first at first glance seemed typical for these dry, desert conditions, lurking just under the surface was enough moisture to keep conditions dust free throughout the day, complementing finely the balanced selection of trails. Made up of a combination of hard-packed ridge trails, soft, shifting sands in the canyons and washes and plenty of virgin, rock-strewn hillsides, the course offered a blend of challenges that didn't favor riders from the north or the south, or bikes, large or small but offered a neutral testing ground for all.
The most adaptable rider on the day was overall winner Ron Schmelzle. Schmelzle traded his usual YZ250 for a YZ125 today, explaining that "the 125 is a lot more fun to ride, I just worry about blowing it up". With the RMEC championship in hand, Schmelzle opted for fun over security as the Six-Days and RMEC veteran rider led a Yamaha sweep of the top three positions by dropping a total of seven points to the 11 point score of Bernie Frederick. Frederick kept it close, though a burned check early kept him hoping for some luck throughout. You don't get many gifts from Schmelzle though and today's was the usual lump of coal. Dave Wolfe rounded out the AA podium with a 12 point score, a mid-race burned check also taking him out of contention early. Cole Kirkpatrick broke the Yamaha stranglehold, placing his KTM into the fourth overall slot with 14 points dropped. Kirkpatrick's score was not an accurate representation of his speed today though. Kirkpatrick was within seconds of Schmelzle up until check 11 where problems forced him to take a seven to Schmelzle's one. Kirkpatrick gave another point at the final check, but he was certainly at speed and in contention until late in the race.
The overall A win was gathered by Vet 30+ rider Wayne Intermill. The Yamaha mounted Intermill, who hasn't competed or ridden at all for over a year rode like he's never missed an event to post a 19 point score. Rusty Davis finished second Vet A, the Kawasaki rider consistent but always a point behind Intermill at the scoring checks to finish out with 24 points dropped. Rounding out the podium, Kevin Thomas piloted his KTM to a 26 point score.
The B class was once again dominated by young phenom Ian Blythe. The KX100 mounted rider laid waste to the competition finishing with a 19 point score, fully six points ahead of second overall B rider, Dave Bower and good enough to have won the A class overall as well.
RMEC chairman Jeff Markewicz took the measure of the 50+ B class, dropping a total of 39 to the 43 point score of runner-up Jary Penney with Greg Gibson coming in at 57 to finish third.
Competing in the 16 and under class, Ryan Mainka took the overall C win with a solid 10 point score, topping 4-stroke C winner Kirk Jones by 4 points and third overall Cody Schafer by another.
Brody Kunz, who just recently stepped off of mini's, took his KX125 to the 200 C win over Michael Trumble and his KTM200.
Return to Off-Road
Results:
AA: 1. Ron Schmelzle (Yam); 2. Bernie Frederick (Yam); 3. Dave Wolfe (Yam); 4. Cole Kirkpatrick (KTM); 5. Jeff Hernandez (Hon)
200 A: 1. Bryce Bingham (KTM); 2. David Sparkman (Yam); 3. Bobby Pennell (KTM)
250 A: 1. Nicole Bradford (G-G)
Open A: 1. Ned Suesse (KTM); 2. Bobby Southard (KTM); 3. Kenneth Helgeson (KTM); 4. Rex McKinney (Hon); 5. Michael Mechler (KTM)
4-Stroke A: 1. Phil Johnson (Hus); 2. Eric Moberg
Vet A: 1. Wayne Intermill(Yam); 2. Rusty Davis (Kaw); 3. Kevin Thomas
(KTM); 4. Keith Ray (Yam); 5. Kris Brunson (KTM)
Sen. A: 1. George Pennington (KTM); 2. Stephan Hill (KTM); 3. Gary Miller (Suz); 4. Donald Miller (KTM); 5. Aaron Turner (Yam)
Sup. Sen. A: Jon Thacker (Yam); 2. Bill Kamin (Hon)
200 B: 1. Ian Blythe (Kaw); 2. Adam Gilles
250 B: 1. T. Morgan Spradling (Yam); Aaron Hall (Yam); 3. Cliff Polston (G-G)
Open B: 1. David Schadle (KTM); 2. Brian Jones (Hon); 3. Sybrand Van der Dussen (Hon)
Sen. B: 1. Alan Beyer (KTM); 2. Mark Laser (Bul); 3. Gene Torrisi (Hon); 4. Mike Shay (KTM); 5. Ronnie Jones (Hon)
4-Stroke B: 1. Dennis Hamann (Hon); 2. Brent Errickson (KTM); 3. Jeff Patch (KTM); 4. John Farmer (Hon)
Vet B: 1. Dave Bower (Kaw); 2. Tim Holden (Hon); 3. Todd Harrison (Yam)
Sup. Sen. B: 1. Jeff Markewicz (KTM) 2. Jary Penney (KTM); 3. Floyd Stretch (Mon) 4. Jim Burte (KTM)
200 C: 1. Brody Kunz (Kaw); 2. Michael Trumble (KTM); 3. Ryan Buckman (KTM); 4. Alan Reeves (DKW); 5. Gary Smith (KTM)
250 C: 1. Cody Schafer (Mai); 2. Curtis Miller (Yam); 3. Jarod Wilhite (Hon); 4.Greg Storie (KTM); 5. Kevin Merritt (Hon)
Open C: 1. Kevin Brunson (KTM); 2. Ben O'Neill (Hon); 3. Billy Wilson (KTM); 4. Terry McCormack (Yam); 5. Bill Flynn (KTM)
4-Stroke C: 1. Kirk Jones (KTM); 2. Kelly Alexander (Hon); 3. Lance Starbuck (Hon) 4. Jeremy Colbert (Yam) 5. Christopher Welch (Yam)
Women: 1. Angela McTee (Hon) 2. Shawn Stretch (KTM)
16 & Under LW: 1. Ryan Mainka (Oss) 2. Andrew Cherry (Yam) 3. Nathan Reeves (KTM); 4. Henry Lanman (Hon); 5. Brian Cox (Yam)
16 & Under SW: 1. Joshua Dailey (Kaw); 2. Loren Christensen (KTM); 3. Hayden Christensen (Kaw)
Vet. C: 1. Delbert Bostock (Hon); 2. Matt Webb (Zun); 3. Sam Wisecup (Yam)
Sen. C: 1. Ken Carpenter (KTM); 2. John Dourlet (KTM); 3. Scott Campbell (KTM); 4. Keith Brown (KTM); 5. Marvin Richardson (Kaw)
Sup. Sen. C: 1. Bob McDowell (Yam); 2. Richard Bonine (Yam); 3. Gene Lottman (KTM)
Vet C: 1. Harold Wilson (Yam)
Sup. Vet C: 1. Jim Rohn (KTM); 2. Ed Kistler (KTM); 3. Marv Donaldson (Hon)
Sup. Short: 1. Travis Dickerson (Yam); 2. Amy Hled (Hon); 3. Tyler Pennington (Yam); 4. Maggie Kunz (Hon); 5. Lena Wright (BSA); 6. Brooke Intermill (Kaw)
*As seen in Cycle News