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!
Bernie Frederick Tops at Pineridge Enduro!
Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit
Round 2: Pine Ridge Enduro
By George Pennington
Chadron, NE | April 30, 2006
Race day dawned overcast and chilly for round two of the RMEC Championship Enduro series, but that didn't bother many racers today. Made up of an enticing combination of tight single track through pine forest, slippery clay bottomed ravines and wide open grassy plains, the Pine Ridge is celebrated for it's technical, dust free conditions and today's event didn't disappoint. In fact, attesting to its premier status on the RMEC schedule, most of today's classes featured entries numbering in the high teens!
One rider who was disappointed though was Ron Schmelzle. The perennial and defending RMEC champion went home from the race with the overall in hand, or so he thought. A secondary score check utilizing the back up sheets found Bernie Frederick to have been charged two points for a burned check that didn't occur. This allowed Frederick to squeak ahead by the narrowest of margins, dropping 6.28 points to Schmelzle's 6.54. To compound Schmelzle's frustration, his score did include a burned check that could have been avoided and had it, would have dropped his score into the fours. Dave Neumeister and his KTM rounded out the AA podium with a solid 8.26 score.
Riding the same minute as Schmelzle, Walker Luedtke followed his speedy minute mate's example and put his Honda into third overall and first four-stroke A with a final score of eight points dropped. Not so close on his heels, but still posting a great score, George Villanyi thumped his way into second four-stroke with a score of 13.
Ian Blythe, who seems to know no place but first, kept the win streak alive placing his YZ125 into first 200A. Coming off a KX100 last year, the young phenom has adapted well to both the A class and full size wheels. Comparatively, second placed 200A rider, Bryce Bingham rolled his KTM in with a 23 point score, nearly twice that of Blythe's 12.
Vet rider Chris Farrar piloted his Yamaha to the overall B class win, narrowly edging the KTM of Dave Anderson, also a vet rider by a single point
.
The Super Senior B class had perhaps the closest finish on the day, with Keith Ratcliff edging Dan Daily and his Yamaha by only .008 or about a hairs length to take the win. Long time RMEC regular Jary Penny held on for third, a couple of points back of Daily.
Over 50 Super Senior rider Gary Schmidt proved that attitude overcomes age as he romped to the C class overall, dropping 26 points along the way. Pat Hazen was next best, winning the Sportsman class, but still, a solid five points arrears of Schmidt for the overall.
The largest class of the day, the Senior C class consisted of a whopping 33 entries, and topping them all was Don James and his Honda.
Return to Off-Road
Results:
Overall A: Bernie Frederick
Overall B: Chris Farrar
Overall
Overall C: Gary Schmidt
AA: 1. Ron Schmelzle (Yam); 2. Dave Neumeister (KTM); 3. Mart Geary (Yam);
4. Mark McDonough (Yam); 5. Mike Harvey (KTM)
200A: 1. Ian Blythe (Yam); 2. Bryce Bingham (KTM); 3. Mark Hynes (KTM); 4. Brian Hasslen (Gas); 5. Nicole Bradford (Yam)
250A: 1. Dennis Larratt (Kaw); 2. Chris Hlucny (KTM); 3. Eric Croy (Kaw); 4. Dan Harmon (Yam); 5. John Little (Gas)
4-Stk A: 1. Walker Leudtke (Hon); 2. George Villanyi (Kaw); 3. Jim Pearson (KTM); 4. Lance Bross (Kaw); 5. Billy Radecky (Kaw)
Open A: 1. Matt Larson (Yam); 2. Matt Beardsley (KTM); 3. Davis Schadle (KTM); 4. Brent Erickson (KTM); 5. Todd Kercher (KTM)
Sen.A: 1. John Blythe (Yam); 2. George Pennington (KTM); 3. Rob Weiher (Yam); 4. Aaron Turner (Kaw); 5. Dave Johnston (KTM)
Vet A: 1. Scott Bright (Gas); 2. Ross Rohde (Yam); 3. Edward Brink (KTM) ; 4. Rusty Davis (Kaw); 5. Kevin Thomas (KTM)
200B: 1. Tim Pfisterer (Kaw); 2. Nicholas Schacht (KTM); 3. Ryan Bellrose (KTM); 4. Dan Buchheit (Kaw); 5. Dirk Wagner (KTM)
250B: 1. Greg Strong (KTM); 2. Monty Hilliker (Yam); 3. Allan Phillips (Yam); 4. Terry Hills (KTM); 5. Mel Paulson (Yam)
4-Stk. B: 1. Brian Brower(Yam); 2. Braden Van Matre (Yam); 3. Justin Warning (KTM); 4. Adam Swanson (Yam); 5. Luke Van Duyn (Honda)
Open B: 1. Forest Smith (KTM) 2. Kelly Alexander (Hon) 3. Ray Barnard (KTM); 4. Brett Anderson (KTM); 5. Kevin Brunson (KTM)
Sen. B: 1. Mark Laser (KTM); 2. Pat Soester (Hon); 3. Shannon Sawyer (KTM); 4. Mike Kunz (Kaw); 5. Luke Stabnow (KTM)
Sen. B: 1. Keith Ratcliff (KTM); 2. Dan Daily (Yam); 3. Jary Penny (KTM); 4. Greg Gibson (KTM); 5. Craig Beardsly (KTM)
Vet B: 1. Dave Anderson (KTM); 2. Tim Holden (Hon); 3. Adam Gilles (KTM); 4. Ron Lesnak (Yam); 5. Lukas Rust (Hon)
200C: 1. Jamie Fortman (KTM); 2. Kimberly Van Duyn (Kaw); 3. Joshua Daily (Yam); 4. Brooks Freehill (Yam); 5. Jim Greenburg (KTM)
250C: 1. Colt Jones (Kaw); 2. Shannon Bruegger ( Hon); 3. Jeremiah Zack (Hon); 4. Billy Innis (Suz); 5. Stuart Siffring (KTM)
4-Stk. C: 1. Clark Lee (Hon); 2. Brandon Hoyt (Yam); 3. Mark Dykema (Hon); 4. Tim Williams (Yam); 5. Bruce Lee (Suz)
Ladies C: 1. Amanda Gerber (Hon); 2. Hilda Bowman (Hon)
Master C: 1. Michael Carson (KTM); 2. Ted Erlewine (KTM); 3. Edward Kistler (KTM);
4. Terry Nice (Yam); 5. Marv Donaldson (Hon)
Open C: 1. Bill Flynn (KTM); 2. Richard Walker (KTM); 3. Jim Colby (Kaw); 4. Michael Hall (KTM); 5. Michael Griffis (Hon)
Senior C: 1. Don James (Hon) 2. Paul Linn (Suz); 3. Albert Barry (Yam); 4. Randy Rothlisberger (Hus); 5. Darrel Sanderson (Yam)
Sportsman C: 1. Pat Hazen (KTM); 2. John Fisher (Yam); 3. Dan Jones (Kaw); 4. Anthony Vadnais (KTM); 5. Ben Bradford (Kaw)
Sup. Sen. C: 1. Jim Ruffer (KTM); 2. Robert King (KTM); 3. David Boening (Hon); 4. Bob McDowell (Yam); 5. Marshall Cook (Kaw)
Vet C: 1. Rodney Lewis (Hon); 2. Delbert Bostock (Hon); 3. Mike Nelson (KTM); 4. Corey Schlegelmilch (Hon); 5. Paul Huffman (Hon)