RACE REPORTS

2007 RED BULL Last Man Standing Dec.08.2007  - BITTER SWEET!!

RACER X Canada ARTICLE

Well the most epic race of the year is in the books, so I thought I would share some thoughts on my adventure to the 3^rd Edition of Red Bull Last Man Standing.

Approximately 25 Canadians descended on Bulcher, Texas for the 2007 event.  6 Crazy Canucks were entered to compete against the world elite and see if we could conquer the most difficult race in the world.
 

Qualifying was held Friday on a mint 18-minute loop.  Conditions were perfect for laying down our hot laps to see if we could qualify for the Saturday event.  I enjoyed my 2 qualifier runs and ended up 28^th out of the 100 riders allowed to qualify.

D-day was upon us and I was stoked!!   The race consisted of a 65 km loop to be completed once in the daytime and once at night in reverse.  Those competitors within 1 hour of the daytime winner would be allowed to transfer to the night show and have their shot at finishing the prestigious event.

I got a decent start around 26^th place and quickly started to dispose of those riders finding the going a little tough.  I kept plugging away, obstacle after obstacle trying to claw my way near the front.  I soon hooked up with my good friend - Marty Halmazna and we freight trained through the pack.  Well, freight trained may be the wrong choice of words!  We pushed, ghosted, lifted, pulled, and once in a while actually rode parts of the course.  Even though we are both really good technical riders, there were some elements you just could not ride! 

I eventually lost Marty about 3 hours in and was on my own from there.  This is when things really started to come together for me!  The closer I got to the front, the less hammered the obstacles were!  I was clearing difficult sections with minimal effort and was feeling really confident in my abilities.  I was on the 1-hour bubble to qualify into the night program, so I really had to give it my all and push towards the finish…

The ‘BITTER’ part came at the last day check where I was told that I had houred out of the event…  The ‘SWEET’ part came when they told me I was 6^th overall for the day portion!  Even better, was when I realized I was the Top Canadian of the event!  Even better was seeing top US KTM factory riders Russell Bobbitt and Justin Williamson ride in several minutes after me!  Cool!!

So a ‘BITTER SWEET’ ending, however I had a blast!  It was a great adventure, we met a ton of great people, and I believe we really did Canada proud.  2 Canadians finished in the top 10, with 3 more in the top 20!  That is a fantastic statistic…

Thanks again to all my sponsors and supporters.  Without your help, I could not fulfill my dreams.  A great big shout out to Letko Cycles in Kansas City, Kansas for the use of a KTM 250 XCW at the event.  Also to my good friend Richard Cox for his wrenching and wisdom services!

Day Results:	1st – Taddy Blazusiak (Qualified)            2nd – David Knight (Qualified)                  3rd – Geoff Aaron (Qualified)             4th – Nathan Kanney 5th – Kyle Redmond 6th – Shane Cuthbertson (CAN) 7th – Cole Kirpatrick 8th – Russell Bobbitt 9th – Justin Williamson 10th – Cory Graffunder (CAN)	Night (Overall) Results:	1st – Taddy Blazusiak 2nd – Geoff Aaron
Sponsors: A&E Racing / KTM Canada, Importations Thibault, Mitchell Rock Systems Inc., Rockstar Energy Drink, Pro-Grip, Kenda, Repsol, AFAM, EK, Leo Vince, Polisport, Ferodo, Fulmer, FASST Co., Lachapelle Racing Products, Sosa Racing, PG Canada, Quest Inspection
Check out some photos at: davevv.smugmug.com careerstdnt.smugmug.com bryanspeed.smugmug.com		Sneak 2007 Videos: Video # 1   Video #2

2007 Race Report No. 08 -    Alberta Offroad Series Round # 9 – Grizzly XC -THE IRONMAN!!\

The Grizzly Cross Country was help September 16, 2007 in Mclean Creek, Alberta.  The race was organized by our local club (www.RMDRA.com) and had been in the works since spring.  November 2006 saw a massive windstorm hit this area, and pretty much destroy 90% of the trails with heavy deadfall from the storm.  An army of volunteers spent countless hours clearing trails, not only to resume recreation in this area, but for this particular race. 

The race consisted of a 40km ‘B’ loop and a 40km ‘A’ loop.  Then the organizers came up with the Iron man concept, which would see those who dared complete the course a 2^nd time.  That idea sealed the deal for me!  I used the race as a learning experience for competing in ‘extreme’ events and evaluate my program in preparation for Last Man Standing (LMS) scheduled for December 07/08^th in Texas. 

Got a 2^nd place start, diced back and forth, and eventually settling into a very conservative pace with Marty Halmazna and Jason Schrage for the first 40km ‘B’ loop.  This left the leader Kevin Pelletier (the ‘Wildman’) in control of the race.  Much to my surprise, he kept it on 2 wheels and had a pretty healthy lead come the 1^st gas stop.

 I decided to nix this conservative riding and see what I could do to salvage the race.  Away I went in 2^nd for the 40km ‘A’ loop. I felt really good for about 5 minutes until my rear brakes started to fade…  They eventually faded to nothing and I had a very interesting ride for the next 40km!  Man, do I suck without a rear brake!  I couldn’t even ride uphill without loosing my balance?  After some very cautious riding, 2 major downhill bulldog sessions, and a very sore front brake finger, I made it into the pits.

15 minutes later I was all fixed up and headed out in 5^th place for the next 80km Iron man portion.  Finally, I could ride and dropped the hammer to test my fitness and salvage some time.  I worked my way into 3^rd place and crested, or should I say pushed my way over the “Grizzly” hill climb with a total time of 6hr – 54min.

 Not the result I hoped for, but that’s racing!  I did learn that I am in better shape than I thought, that I am capable of riding a tough track for 7 hours, and that I am mentally strong enough to overcome adversity.

 So, now starts the real training, and that’s what I will be doing for the next 2 months in preparation for Red Bull Last Man Standing.

 Results:  1^st – Kevin Pelletier (Yam), 2^nd – Jason Schrage (KTM), 3^rd – Shane Cuthbertson (KTM), 4^th – Marty Halmazna (KTM).

2007 Race Report No. 06
August 13, 2007
By: Shane Cuthbertson   

v      Canadian National Hare Scramble Round #2 – Ormstown, Quebec

v      World Enduro Championship Round #6 – Parry Sound, Ontario

 Canadian National Hare-Scramble Champion – 2007!! 

 Canadian National Hare Scramble Round #2 – Ormstown, Quebec

 The final round of the Canadian National Hare Scramble Championship was held August 12^th in Ormstown, Quebec.  With the help of KTM, I was able to keep my bike out east and fly to this highly coveted event.  Approximately 25-30 pro racers were on the line with such names as Guy Giroux (#1 Quebec), Cory Graffunder (Top Canadian –WEC/ISDE), Michel Metcalf (#2 Quebec), Patrick Beaule (#3 Quebec), Allan Lachapelle (Top Quebec Pro), Scott Bowes (Top Ontario Pro), and 2 European racers flown in from France.

 I would definitely have my work cut out for me with the depth of talent in this field!!  With the points lead in hand and the championship in my sights – I set my goal to finish on the podium, although a win would be huge!

 I got a great start and settled into 2^nd place for most of the 1^st lap.  The pace was slow, however I had not been on a bike for 2 weeks and the conditions were pretty sketchy, with lots of slippery rocks and roots to contend with.  Near the end of the lap, I made my move into 1^st, followed by Cory Graffunder and Guy Giroux.  It appeared that the cream of the crop had rose to the occasion, and the battle was on!!  I focused on riding smooth and consistent to conserve energy, as the heat and humidity was brutal!  I wanted to put on a charge and establish a healthy lead, but my body just was not cooperating?  

Anyway, we help our positions until the 5^th lap when Cory and I pitted for gas and then it happened…  We were passed by Suzuki / OTSFF rider Guy Giroux and the rest is history.  Guy was a little quicker during his service stop and then the top Quebecer took advantage of the gap to take the overall win.  Cory beat me out of the pits and rode well to take 2^nd.  I finally started to feel better during the last 3 laps and charged to the best of my abilities, but a little too late.  I would end up 3^rd in this race and combined with 1^st Overall at Round #1, became the 

2007 Canadian National Hare-Scramble Champion!!    

For 2008, the series is rumored to expand with 4-5 events in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec.  I pursued the championship this year in hopes that I could help build momentum for a true ‘Canadian National’ series that the industry, fans, and competitors can support in the years to come.  So hears hoping and you can bet that I will be there to defend the title!!!

World Enduro Championship Round #6 – Parry Sound, Ontario 

Round #6 of the World Enduro Championship was held July 28/29th in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada.  The event hosted the top European, American, and Canadian off-road racers for the 2^nd consecutive year.  This year KTM Canada stepped up huge and provided transport and service from their Factory Big-Rig; which was just awesome! 

The race was similar to last year – maybe a bit easier, but still very fun to race!  Once again the Europeans dominated the event and took the overall in every category.  This is to be expected however, as they are all paid Factory riders who specialize in racing this format. 

I raced the E2 class on a KTM 250 SX and placed 13^th overall each day and top Canadian in the category.  So far, I have received excellent exposure over the internet and expect additional articles to be published in Racer X Canada (8pages of coverage), MXP, and IMX.  I will of course send these along as I run across them.

Sponsors:

A&E Racing / KTM Canada, Importations Thibault, Mitchell Rock Systems Inc., Rockstar Energy Drink, Pro-Grip, Kenda, Repsol, AFAM, EK, Leo Vince, Polisport, Ferodo, Fulmer, ProMoto Billet/Fastway, FASST Co., RXR, Lachapelle Racing Products, Sosa Racing,
PG Canada, Evolved Nutrition, Quest Inspection

FINALLY A WIN!!

2007 Race Report No. 04

- Raymond, Alberta  - Western Canadian Amateur National
- Racehorse Creek – National Harescramble – Round #1

FINALLY A WIN!!
July 17, 2007
By: Shane Cuthbertson 

 Raymond – Western Canadian Amateur National, June 28-30, 2007

 After knocking myself out at the Raymond, Alberta track earlier in the year, I decided redemption was in order, so I entered the pinnacle event of motocross in Western Canada!  This would be my 2^nd motocross event ever and my goal was to have a safe and fun weekend of racing.

 Over 700 riders attended the event, which made for some great racing action during the 3-day competition.  When all was said and done, I placed 8th - GP Intermediate, 9^th - 250 Intermediate, and 6^th - Vet Master.  Not too bad considering the depth of talent at this year’s event!  I was hoping to do a little better, however I was able to stay safe and got a better feeling for motocross competition.

 Racehorse Creek – National Harescramble – Round #1, July 15, 2007

 This race was Round #1 of the CMRC National Harescramble series.  This is the inaugural year of the series; so only 2 races are planned with Round #2 scheduled in Ormstown, Quebec.

 The race was typical rugged Rocky Mountain terrain, and was even more challenging due to dry, dusty, and above 30°C temperatures.  14 pros lined up on the starting line and awaited the signal for the dead engine start.  I managed a 3^rd place start and decided to settle into a relaxed pace early, as the conditions were just too sketchy to ride aggressively!

 On lap 5 of 6, I was delighted to see the 2^nd place Pro and quickly disposed of him!  After eating lapper dust for 2 hours, I was pumped and mounted a charge in hope of catching the leader.  5 minutes later, I passed into 1^st place and the rest in history!  My 1^st win of the season and a great confidence booster heading into the Canadian World Enduro in Parry Sound, Ontario. 

 Bike and body worked flawlessly, so thanks to all of you who continue to support my racing efforts!  I also conducted an interview for Inside Motorcycles at the event, so great timing for a win!  Stay tuned for that article to be published.

Results:  1^st – Shane Cuthbertson, 2^nd – Nick Schrage,
3^rd – Jason Schrage, 4^th – Marty Halmazna.

Next event is the Canadian GP – World Enduro Championship in Parry Sound, Ontario, July 28/29th. 

 Sponsors:

 A&E Racing / KTM Canada, Importations Thibault,
Mitchell Rock Systems Inc., Rockstar, Pro-Grip, Kenda, Repsol, AFAM, EK, Leo Vince, Polisport, Ferodo, Fulmer, ProMoto Billet/Fastway, FASST Co., RXR, Lachapelle Racing Products, Sosa Racing, PG Canada, Evolved Nutrition, Quest Inspection

2007 Race Report No. 03

CORNERGRASS – CMA Alberta Harescramble

 June 25, 2007

By: Shane Cuthbertson                                                 

Round #1 of the CMA Alberta Harescramble series was held last weekend at ‘Cornergrass’ located in Compeer, Alberta.  This is one of the most unique and innovative events ever held in Alberta or Canada for that matter, and one that I was eager to compete in. 

The event was based on a 2-moto format with MX scoring to determine the class results.  Each moto was 1 hour plus a lap around a man made 10 km grass track and endurocross course.

 16 Pros were in attendance including Marty Halmazna (18^th Overall – ’07 Erzberg), Jason Schrage (Alberta CMA & CMRC Off-Road 2006 Champion), Robin Dohlman (Pro / Vet MX), Aaron Christensen (Pro SnoX / MX), Jamie Skinner (ODR #4), Jared Thomas (Multi-Time Off-Road Champion) and many more.

 Local fast guy, Aaron Christensen flew under the radar to snatch victory from all the heavy hitters in Moto #1.  I had a few spills and a bad case of the stalls during the 1^st part of the race relegating me to a very distant last place.  Once I got my act sorted out, I eventually worked my way to 5^th place at the checkers.

 Moto #2 was won by Robin Dohlman who dropped the hammer early to build a 15 second lead which he maintained to victory.  I tried my best to catch Robin, however just could not bridge the gap and finished 2^nd, followed by Aaron Christensen. 

Overall results were: 
1) Robin Dohlman,
2) Aaron Christensen,
3) Shane Cuthbertson,
4) Jason Schrage,
5) Marty Halmazna. 

This was definitely an awesome race!  It was the Inaugural Cornergrass event and proved to be a huge success!  A great track, super friendly hosts, unique race format, electronic scoring, Rockstar girls, prizes, $2000 pro purse, this race had it all and is one event that I hope will return for another year!

 Check out www.cornergrass.com for complete results & extensive Photo Coverage.
Stay tuned for photography and video coverage including shots from the air taken during the event.

May.14.2007

2007 Race Report No. 02 Another Trying day

Round #2 of the Okanogan Dirt Riders (ODR) Pro Series was held last weekend (May 13^th) in Silver Creek, British Columbia.  This series is highly publicized and also the home series to several top Canadian off-road riders. 

The format of this series is very appealing to me as it is split into 3 spring races and 3 fall races.  If I did not have the 7-8 hour 1-way commute, this would be the perfect series for me.  Round #2 of the series is the only spring race I could manage; however I do have plans to race a few more in the fall. 

Dry and dusty conditions greeted us upon arrival at the remote race site.  After 1 sighting lap, it was apparent that the start would make or break this race.  Apparently the rest of the Pro’s agreed, as I am pretty sure they all skipped the rider’s meeting to obtain the choice starting positions.  So, from way outside I managed a 4^th place start for about 250 meters until I hit the dust wall, and then the ground…  Once the dust cleared, I was in last place, and in a panic to make some headway fast!!  My attempts at passing and making up time failed miserably one by one. 

I finally made my way into 6^th place were I would stay most of the day.  Kelly Graffunder, Geoff Nelson, and myself pretty much raced each other all day long.  The dusty open sections combined with tight tree sections did not allow many passing opportunities.  I tried everything from t-boning Geoff, to an alternate gas pit strategy, to taking crazy bonsai passing lines, but nothing really worked?!  I made my way around Geoff late in the race for 5^th and then tried a last ditch pass on Kelly for 4^th.  This failed miserably and resulted in an over the bars trip into a huge mud pit!  I was not happy, however I think the spectators liked it…….

 So, a very frustrating day!  Bad luck, poor decisions, and tough competition made for a disappointing result.  I will go back however in the fall for redemption!!

 Check out www.okdirtriders.com to view the next day web cast and results.

May.1.2007

2007 Race Report No. 01 Season Opener – Mixed Results…..

April 30, 2007 - ‘Sharples Hare Scramble
By: Shane Cuthbertson                                           
 

The first round of the Alberta CMRC Off-Road series kicked off April 29, 2007.  The ‘Sharples Hare scramble’ is generally well attended and this year saw 20 Pro’s battling it out on the very fast and rough circuit. 

 Several of Alberta’s proven top off-road riders including Shane Cuthbertson, Jason Schrage, Nick Schrage, Dan Watt, Marty Halmazna, and Jared Thomas were in attendance.  In addition, Pro Motocrossers Julian Cerny and Robin Dohlman were present and certainly made things interesting on the MX oriented course. 

After a fairly innovative start and some sketchy moments, I headed into the woods in 2^nd place behind Julian Cerny.  Knowing that this course would suit his MX roots well, I decided to settle in and tag along for laps 1 and 2.   We rode a decent pace and I was feeling really comfortable and satisfied that I could hang with Alberta’s top Pro motocrosser.

 The end of lap 2 saw Julian pit for gas due to his small MX tank, and opened the door for me to distance myself from the field.  I had 2 laps before my scheduled pit, so I put the hammer down in an attempt to gap the field.  My KTM 250 SX worked flawlessly!!  The motor is way stronger than I imagined and the modified suspension in conjunction with my Fasst Flexbars just rock.   

At the end of lap 4, I was certain that I had a good lead and ready for gas.   Only problem was one icy 20-foot section - 1 minute before the pits….  Somehow I managed to throw it away on this ice section, which resulted in a fairly exciting crash that ended 10 feet down an embankment, upside down and backwards, stuck in the trees.  Initial assessment was favorable, as body and bike were in tact, now I just needed to figure out how the hell to get out of this mess!  Some heavy lifting, kicking and screaming seemed to do the trick and I was back on my way within 1-2 minutes.  Arrived for gas and was promptly passed by Jason Schrage and Julian Cerny.  My little excursion into never-never land had cost me the lead!! 

Laps 5 and 6 were spent playing catch up and soon I was again behind Julian.  In planning my pass, I mistimed a section, clipped a tree and hit the ground again!  As if that was not enough, I lost my seat and ended up riding the entire pounded 15 km last lap standing in much pain and discomfort. 

So the moral of this race story, is that I have no one to blame except myself…  A couple of untimely crashes and a lack of loctite on my seat bolt cost me a better finish.  However, on a more positive not, I had the speed to win, my bike worked great, my fitness was good, and with some better race management, I will be ready to contest the British Columbia boys come May 13^th for the 2^nd round of the ODR Pro Series.

Race Results: 
1^st – Jason Schrage (KTM),
2^nd – Julian Cerny (KAW),
3^rd – Shane Cuthbertson (KTM)