KTM Baja Bike - Dirt Rider Magazine

Watts Hangs It Up
Maybe. The 2000 GNCC champ might have to call it quits from racing if he wants to avoid having a total knee replacement within the next five years. I chatted with Shane Watts to find out how serious his injuries are and what he has brewing for the future. According to Watts, the latest problem stems from an anterior cruciate ligament injury he's been living with since the Hancock, New York, ISDE Qualifier in 2003. He said he's kicking himself now for never giving his body enough time to heal, adding that Ricky Carmichael did it correctly-"Carmichael said it's a four-month injury, then I'm taking four months off."Although he has sold his house and is staying with his girlfriend prior to heading home to Australia to take care of some business there, he plans to be back in the States about the time you read this. In the meantime, he said he has some serious thinking to do. He really wants to race but doing so could mean undergoing a knee-replacement operation, and he's less keen on becoming a cripple more quickly. So the plan might be to milk another 15 to 25 years out of his stock joint, even if it means giving up something he loves. Watts pointed out that he still has a lot left on his to-do list in life, such as hiking on a volcano and other active-lifestyle items, that would not be possible with a bum knee. As for what he would do for a j-o-b, the Aussie admitted he has a few things in the works but can't comment on them until they're more concrete. So he's in low-key mode until then.-Bryan NylanderKTM Baja Bike
KTM is going to Baja with a full works bike. None other than Malcolm Smith christened the test mule pictured here on its first Stateside ride. A fitting rider, having won the first Mexican 1000, (the precursor to the Baja 1000), Smith teamed with another desert legend, J.N. Roberts. The bike is based on the factory rally racer, running an LC4 engine, slimmed up and made ready for the frequent pit stops of the peninsula instead of all-day unassisted African racing. And interestingly enough, this one displaces about 500cc, whereas the rally bike is a lot closer to the 700cc mark. The riders will be the U.S. Dakar squad of Scot Harden, Kellon Walch, Chris Blais and Andy Grider.Langtown Backyard SupercrossThe 20th annual, and most likely the last, Langtown Backyard Supercross was again held at its undercover Southern California residential-neighborhood location. And it isn't really that underground when you almost need an AMA pro license to sign up for the once-grassroots minibike event. For the first time the event included modified 50s, which had to compete in the same class as stock 100s. The track received one of its biggest makeovers in a long time. The traditional "hippy" bus jump painted with four small busses heading to Unadilla, Carlsbad, Saddleback and Hangtown, was torn down and replaced with a wooden jump structure painted to resemble a "Langtown Unified School District" yellow school bus. After all, it is more of a wholesome family event these days.The racing was tight, and in the pro class Timmy Weigand outraced, outslammed and out-thought Chris Gosselaar for his second Langtown victory in as many years. Both were mounted on BBR-built bikes. DR tester Matt Armstrong took a Two Brothers Racing CRF to the final podium spot. A seven-time champ, I couldn't even make the main event, hitting the ground while leading my semi-night over! As usual, the event played to a (literally) packed house of invited guests. -Jimmy LewisRace News
Hare Scrambles Wrap-up: Blackwell Takes Indiana Win, Raines Grabs TitleWith one event remaining in the season, defending series champ Am-Pro Yamaha's Jason Raines, thanks to a runner-up finish to Team Suzuki's Doug Blackwell, earned his second-straight series title at round nine of the AMA National Hare Scrambles Series in Lynnville, Indiana. Throttlehead.com/Kawasaki's Josh McLevy was third overall, while Kawasaki Team Green's Chuck Woodford finished fourth at the tough and dusty Lynnville course.Blackwell grabbed the holeshot at the start of the 3-hour race and never looked back to bring home his first National Hare Scrambles win of the year. Raines, McLevy and Woodford could do no better than watch and wait on the 12.8-mile rugged single-track course in the coal pits of Lynnville Park."My race went pretty much like everybody else's," Woodford said after five laps of follow-the-leader in the dust. "You just waited and kind of hoped the guy in front of you made a mistake. You had to be careful in the dust; there were a lot of rocks and stuff sticking up that you couldn't see. Unfortunately for me, the front three guys didn't make any mistakes."Woodford went into the event with a mathematical chance at the championship, but he needed to finish ahead of Raines to keep his chances alive. His fourth place compared with Raines' second overall sealed the title for the defending champ."I was really nervous coming in here," Raines said. "My main focus was to win the championship and get that out of the way so I could focus on the last two GNCCs. So my hat's off to Doug, Chuck and everybody who finished this race; it was tough today." -Shan Moore/Trials Competition Newspaper Results1.Doug Blackwell (Suz) 2. Jason Raines (Yam)3. Josh McLevy (Kaw)4. Chuck Woodford (Kaw)5. Cole Caulkins (Kaw)6. Andy Shea (Kaw)7. Jeff Cregg (Kaw)8. P.A. Allen (Kaw)9. John Robbins (KTM)10. Justin Williamson (Yam)Euronews
2004 National Observed Trials Series: Aaron Goes 8-1 to Take His 8th MA/NATC National Observed Trials Champion Geoff Aaron seems to be getting better with age. In 2004, the 32-year-old had his most-dominating year to date, winning eight of the nine rounds en route to an unprecedented eighth national title. With more than 16 years of experience in the NATC's pro class, Aaron is by far the elder statesman in a series dominated by veterans; and he is winning events as much with experience and savvy as he is with technique."I worked really hard to win this year, and as a general rule, because of my experience, I think I made better decisions in the sections than some of the rookies coming up," Aaron replied when asked about winning his eighth title. "I'm just glad to be still at the top of my game and having fun doing what I like to do."In years past, Aaron had gained the reputation of being a slow starter, winning many of the events by coming from behind on the final lap. But in 2004, he avoided the suspense by jumping out to the early lead and then finishing strong for an easy win. Only in Vermont did Aaron show any vulnerability by giving up the win to a very determined Chris Florin on Saturday, then coming from behind to top AMA/NATC veteran Ryon Bell of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, for the win on Sunday.Bell, riding a U.S.-sponsored Gas Gas, ended the season in the runner-up position. In 11 years on the circuit, he has four runner-up finishes, all behind Aaron. He announced his retirement at the final round of the year. "I had some injuries over the winter and just wasn't able to train, but I rode this year and tried to do the best that I could," Bell said. "This is my 11th year doing the full AMA series, and I just don't have the motivation or drive anymore to do what it takes to stay at the top."One of the flashiest riders on the tour but at times inconsistent, Florin put it all together in 2004 to claim the third step of the podium in the final series standings. Florin handed Aaron his lone defeat of the year while capturing his first-ever National win in Vermont at the eighth round of the series.The fourth- and fifth-place positions went to South African brothers Brent and Bruce le Riche, who were making their U.S. debut after dominating their home country's championship series over the past half decade. The le Riche boys spent the first few rounds adapting to the terrain in the United States but came on strong in the end. Sixteen-year-old Cody Webb added a touch of youth to the series and proved that you don't have to be a veteran to compete at the top level by leading the final round in Vermont until the last lap and finishing sixth overall in the final standings, just ahead of Spaniard David Chaves. -Shan Moore/Trials Competition NewspaperResults
1.Geoff Aaron (Gas Gas)
2. Ryon Bell (Gas Gas)
3. Chris Florin (Montesa)
4. Brent le Riche (Montesa)
5. Bruce le Riche (Montesa)
6. Cody Webb (Gas Gas)
7. David Chaves (Sherco)
8. Andy Johnson (Beta)
9. Travis Fox (Sherco)
10. Wilson Craig (Gas Gas)