2 minute read
HART SKIS TO VICTORY
WORDS: US Hard Enduro
PHOTOS: Jenny Keller
Trystan Hart of FMF KTM Factory Racing won the Donner Hard Enduro in California, gaining valuable points over Cody Webb in the Bulletproof Designs US Hard Enduro Series, Presented by IRC Tire. The Donner Hard Enduro was part of a larger offroad event hosted by Brian Garrahan at the Donner Ski Ranch, called the Donner Challenge. The Donner Challenge consisted of AMA District 36 Hare Scrambles, California Motoclimb Series races up the ski hill, and the US Hard Enduro Championship races, which included the final round of the AMA West Hard Enduro Series, Presented by Klim. The diverse terrain and Garrahan’s winding course at the Donner Ski Ranch makes this venue one of the favorites for many racers and spectators alike. In the 11-mile course, racers experienced granite slabs, steep hills, thick forest trails, lava rock, creeks, shale, and sharp rocky climbs on top of the 7,700 ft. tall peak, overlooking the picturesque Donner Lake.
A new Prologue format was added to this year’s race on Saturday, giving the racers a chance to qualify for a better row position for Sunday’s main race. The Prologue was 1.5 miles long, starting from halfway up the hill and traversing down to the finish line at the ski lodge. All 210 racers lined up in rows of five, starting with the Pro class and going all the way to the C and Youth classes. Cody Webb of FactoryONE Sherco was the winner of this sprint race, finishing in 4 minutes and 23 seconds. Some of the Amateur racers took nearly two hours to complete this course, which gave them plenty of extreme riding time and a taste of what was to come the next day.
After the AMA District 36 Youth Hare Scrambles wrapped up on Sunday afternoon, the Donner Hard Enduro main race kicked off, which consisted of a two-lap race around the mountain, with a four-hour time limit. There were six checkpoints, and each checkpoint had a Pro/A and B/C split, which allowed different levels of racers to have a more enjoyable experience. The racers started in rows of 10, leaving one minute apart. The front group started battling as they made their way through the famous Spectator Hill...
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