Double Header Weekend – long weekend, short report:

PC - Tori Desmond

We had another super busy weekend, as we decided to hit the JDay Sprint Enduro at Crow Hill on Saturday, and the NETRA Hare Scramble at the Tuxedo Ridge Ski Resort in New York.

PC - Art Pepin, www.offroadpaparazzi.com

The Sprint Enduro was a new format for me. It really was a lot of fun, but my riding was off the mark. I decided to run the Magical Clapper YZ 125, and struggled with it all day. It’s just not set up for that kind of racing, but we wanted to save the YZ 250 for the next day. With the exception of the sand cross test, I never felt good on the bike and just used the race as a practice day, logging seat time. I pushed, but could not find a rhythm, I fought but couldn’t really get it done.I ended up somewhere around 20th overall…not horrible, but not anywhere near acceptable to me. By the end of the day I was already thinking about Sunday, and how I was going to redeem myself…sooo…

PC- Leanne Dutlinger

Sunday was good. The Tuxedo Ridge Ski resort is a pretty gnarly place to race. Very rocky with lots of elevation changes, and since it was a NETRA event, it was going to be at least 2 hours long. All of this was right up my alley.
Go time. I got a good start, and by the time we hit the woods I was able to jump into the lead. After a little bit of a battle with a couple of guys I was able to check out and build a good gap. The bike felt pretty good, and I knew the longer this race went on, the better it would get for me. When I came in for fuel after 4 laps, dad told me I had a 1.5 minute gap on second, and I was running in 6th overall. This fired me up. I wanted more. Forget the class win, I was in it to fight for the overall. 2 laps later dad showed me the pit board – 3rd overall with 2 laps left. Sweet!!! I decided to crank it up another notch, no reason to hold back. The bike ran unbelievably well, and other than a few blisters, physically I felt like I was getting stronger with every lap. I pushed to the very end, and got rewarded, winning A250 as well as high point A, and I was able to fight all the way up to 2nd place over all behind Jacob Heins.

Things are coming together just in time for my big trip to the Erzberg Rodeo in Austria…my training is starting to pay off, physically I think I am just about ready, I am gaining more and more confidence on the bike, my sprint speed is getting better thanks to the JDay GP series (it forces me to hammer down right from the start), and the NETRA racing tests my stamina and mental readiness, not to mention my rock riding.

PC - Leanne Dutlinger

I’d like to give a huge shout out to John Day for starting a sprint enduro series. It’s big fun, and I will definitely hit another one. Another shout out to the Tri State MC club for hosting the NETRA Hare Scramble. This was our 2nd time there, and being able to race at a ski resort is simply awesome.

Dylan McRitchie (the toughest dude I know), I hope you heal up fast, you need to be out there so I can learn from you!!!

If you are interested in my Red Bull Erzberg Rodeo trip at the end of this month and would like to help, please visit my fund raising page at www.gofundme.com/747toErzberg

As always, a huge thank you and shout out to my awesome sponsors!!! Like them, visit them, share them, buy from them!!!!
Fly Racing, Kenda Tires, Magical Gogo, EKS Brand goggles, Carbon Zero (more on that to follow), SRT Offroad, Panic Rev Ministries, Renthal, offroadpaparazzi, www.fmfracing.com, mom & dad and my sister, my grandparents…

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Thanks for reading. Keep the rubber side down!!!!

Hunter "747" Neuwirth