High Point Motocross, Erzberg Rodeo 2012, Sacramento EnduroCross And More – The Weekly Dirt // June 13, 2012

Welcome to the Weekly Dirt, the place to go each week to get your off-road fix. This week, we have news from Erzberg, High Point, and beyond.

Britain’s Jonny Walker won this year’s Erzberg Rodeo

Ex-trials World Champ Dougie Lampkin landed second

Thick fog and rain dominated this year’s Erzberg race.

Homer Diaz attacks the iron giant.

Paul Bolton was fourth.

This weekend’s Red Bull Hare Scramble, held as part of the 18th Erzberg Rodeo in Austria, saw four Brits dominate the world’s biggest and toughest enduro event as Jonny Walker took the top spot ahead of Dougie Lampkin, Ben Hemingway and Paul Bolton. Only seven of the 1800 starters reached the finish line.

The Red Bull Hare Scramble is the very definition of what you might call a knockout race. Of the 1800 athletes who started the world’s toughest enduro event, only the best 500 qualified for Sunday’s final. There, just seven riders made it across the line, meaning that 99.7% of the athletes entered didn’t get to see the checkered flag!

On a day dominated by poor weather conditions, thick fog and persistent rain transformed the ‘Iron Mountain’ into a mud-bath ahead of this year’s event, with slippery slopes, soggy steps, deep puddles and slick forest sections resulting in more than a few overheated engines, spinning wheels, bouncing bikes and exhausted riders. Hundreds of athletes found themselves on the ground as they tried to negotiate the 30km course.

Indeed, such were the difficulties caused by fog and poor visibility that the race had to be ended 30 minutes before the official four-hour limit.

Victory went to Britain‘s Jonny Walker, with three fellow countrymen – Dougie Lampkin, Ben Hemingway and Paul Bolton – making it a clean sweep for the UK. “This mountain is merciless. They sent us through hell again,” laughed a mud-caked Walker in the finish area. “I had a good run into the finish – it feels great to have won.”

Lady luck certainly wasn’t smiling on two of the favorites, as Graham Jarvis (UK) and Andreas Lettenbichler (GER) were both disqualified after taking a wrong turn and missing a section of the course.

Results: 1. Jonny Walker (UK)
2. Dougie Lampkin (UK) 3. Ben Hemingway (UK) 4. Paul Bolton (UK)
5. Taichi Tanaka (JAP) 6. Lars Enöckl (AUT)
 7. Dan Hemingway (UK).

For detailed results visit www.erzbergrodeo.at

Ryan Dungey continues to stamp his name on the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Series, after taking his second-straight 1-1 sweep of the series at High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, Dungey’s chief rival in this year’s title chase, James Stewart, was uncertain about his participation in the race heading into the High Point weekend, after injuring his hand in a freak crash at Lakewood the weekend before. The Yoshimura Suzuki rider tweeted before the race that he was excited to be racing at High Point and that his hand was fine and should be a non-factor in the race. Stewart’s results in qualifying backed up that notion, as the former AMA Motocross champ turned the fastest lap of the session. However, when it got down to the first moto, Stewart got squeezed out in the first turn and was in 10th at the end of the first lap. Stewart was able to make his way up to fifth before stalling out in that position. When the second moto came around, Stewart remained in his motor home, while his team announced that he would not race the second moto because his hand was still bothering him. Yosh Suzuki team manager Mike Webb told me that Stewart’s hand started tingling at the three-lap mark and after eight laps he couldn’t feel his hand, which is a dangerous situation.

Webb had no answers as to when Stewart would be back in action, but for the meantime, the sport takes yet another hit as another top rider sits on the sidelines. If Stewart is able to return soon, at least he will be able to challenge for race wins, which will help, but as far as the series championship, as it looks now, it’s down to Dungey, with Mike Alessi the dark horse.

For more on the High Point race, go to Motocross.com and check out Shan Moore’s What Really Happened: High Point Motocross report. – Shan Moore

Marty Tripes open letter to all

To My Friend’s and Fan’s,
My favorite National outdoor number is 14. This year Biggest Loser is in their 14th season, I would like nothing better to get a chance at showing our sport as Moto Crosser’s how committed and dedicated we can be when the need is called on oneself. I have gained a lot of weight since 1991, now is the time in my life to be healthy again, as I want to race again with all my old friends and new friends that are still racing today. I need this challenge to get my head back into becoming healthy.

You my Friend’s and Fan’s from around the world would make me fully committed as I seem to care about others more than myself. That’s from my Mother’s side, everyone Loved Mama Tripes. So I am asking if you would help me by, if you like what might happen here in the short future by recommending me to Biggest Loser, tell the casting directors what you feel about me, some of you have wrote me in the past and said that I changed their life’s, a couple have said that I have saved their life’s. Write them why I should be on the show as a contestant. Please tell your friends, get on face book and all media, tell the Motocross World and get the word out. Thanks for your consideration on this. Send your e-mails to BL14nominations@gmail.com. – Marty Tripes

Round two of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship, presented by Lucas Oil saw Taddy Blazusiak back to his winning ways. Taylor Robert and Kevin Rookstool finished up second and third while Cory Graffunder made a last second pass on Mike Brown to take forth, kicking Brown back to fifth.

The win wasn’t handed to Taddy who had a terrible start and had to work his way from last to first. He had to battle past Destry Abbott and Kevin Rookstool to make it to the front. Cody Webb slowly worked his way into the battle that included Rookstool, Abbott and Mike Brown. Taylor Robert started the race in last with Taddy but worked his way into second. Colton Haaker, the series point’s leader coming into Sacramento had a tough night after an early crash and then a stall put him a lap down and in tenth position. Geoff Aaron’s night was even worse after a stall took him over a lap to refire. With the main event win Blazusiak now has the points lead ahead of Haaker, Robert, Rookstool and Graffunder.

During hot laps Taddy shocked everybody by jumping the entire five log “Matrix” just in front of the finish line to set the fastest lap time. Justin Soule then tried the jump but came up short, dislocating his shoulder. He didn’t return to racing and hopefully it won’t hurt his chances at racing X Games in a couple weeks.

Louise Forsely and Maria Forsberg have been switching up wins and while Forsberg got the holeshot and lead the women’s main, Forsely ultimately grabbed the win, giving here serious momentum into the X Games.

Dirt Rider magazine Associate Editor Chris Green, won the TrialsCross class ahead of Dustin McCarthy Ty Tremaine aboard our long haul fuel injected OSSA bike.

GEICO AMA EnduroCross, presented by Lucas Oil Sacramento Expert Results:
1. Taddy Blazusiak KTM
2. Taylor Robert Kawasaki
3. Kevin Rookstool Honda
4. Cory Graffunder Husqvarna
5. Mike Brown KTM
6. Bobby Garrison Kawasaki
7. Cody Webb Beta
8. Gary Sutherlin Kawasaki
9. Destry Abbott Kawasaki
10. Colton Haaker Kawasaki
11. Geoff Aaron Honda

The X Games will host the next round of the GEICO AMA EnduroCross Championship on Sunday, July 1st inside the Staples Center, in Los Angeles.

The X Games event will air live on ESPN networks and the remaining GEICO AMA EnduroCross events will be aired on the Lucas Motorsports Hour on the NBC Sports Network. Check your local listings or www.motorsportshour.com. The Sacramento round is scheduled to air on Saturday, July 8 at 5:00 pm EST.

Results and live timing and scoring are available at: http://endurocross.tracksideresults.com/class.asp?s=&c=&e=37. For more information, go to www.EnduroCross.com. – Adam Booth

2012 GEICO AMA EnduroCross Schedule

That’s all for this week, tune in next time for more off-road news!