Last Dog Standing Race 2013

As hard enduro racing continues to take root in the United States, races like Last Dog Standing are growing in both popularity and participation. This past weekend, the third running of the annual event—made possible by the Prairie Dogs MC—made a successful showing at San Bernardino's Glen Helen Raceway, with nearly 150 racers signing up for the fun. The event follows a four round qualification/ elimination format that first has all racers complete a 25-minute timed GP that determines starting order for LDS 1. Set up around a fairly difficult course, LDS 1 featured a mix of natural and manmade obstacles, with a sketchy balance beam across a deep water section claiming enough riders that the Prairie Dogs eventually cut it from the course completely. Racers within one hour of adjusted time from the leader's pace qualified for LDS two, which eventually saw only 22 racers complete the increasingly-difficult course. High temperatures and a nasty waterfall section of repeated 15' drops contributed to the high attrition rate, and only eight racers finished within 25 minutes of the leader to qualify for LDS 3.

When the dust finally settled on the 90-minute long final, Monster Energy Kawasaki's Taylor Robert emerged the victor, beating out early favorite Cory Graffunder by nearly nine minutes. Trials talent Ryan Sandoval finished third and commented that he had never been so happy to see the finish line of a race. Only two other riders—Max Gerston and Justin Morgan—would reach the finish line, with Justin Jones, Colton Haaker, and David Broderick pulling off before the checkers. Dirt Rider test rider Michael Allen rode a YZ250 two-stroke test bike to a strong 10th overall behind Ty Tremaine, with DR Editor Chris Denison trailing Brad Goolsby and JCR's Johnny Campbell for 14th overall. In the end, the event was a tough one yet the racers on hand certainly enjoyed the challenging course and arduous format of the race. Stay tuned to www.prairiedogsmc.com for more info on this event, and check out the video below for a look at the course through the lens of Denison's GoPro Hero3 camera.