The full PDF reports can be viewed at ACES-races.com.
The race report will also be featured on the Off Road Champions website, Today’s Cycle Coverage and the AMA website.
Stay up to date with new information about reports being published / motorcycle info by “liking” my facebook business page.
Grassman Enduro
Ohio Woods Riders
ACES Round 3
Norwich, Ohio
May 5, 2013
By Heather Wilson
The Grassman Enduro photos are available here. The photobucket page is maxed out on memory and will take some time to resolve this issue. If there are photos from later in the race that you wish to obtain a copy of, please contact me via email through the contact me page on my site.
Race Report
Josh Gaitten jumps a creek shortly before the final check.
It was an inaugural event for the Ohio Woods Riders. The club hosted a new race in the ACES series that had many riders unsure of what to expect.
“I didn’t really know what to expect of the enduro since it was a new event,” said Josh Gaitten (KTM). “I was told it was going to be tougher than either of the first two events, but most people’s ‘tough’ and my ‘tough’ are usually two different things.”
He said that he entered the race with the same attitude as always. “I just try to race the trail in front of me,” said Gaitten. “Not knowing what to expect for this new event, I just wanted to stay positive and focus on picking good lines and being smart.”
The enduro was 135 miles of riding through fresh trail, a mix of tight woods riding and open grass track.
A week of good weather made for a great race day. “You couldn’t have asked for better weather or trail conditions,” said Brandon Ivanac (KTM). “As long as you had a good tire on, you were good to go.”
Many riders struggled through the first section, which was a little over four miles, due to the muddy trail conditions. The AA riders dropped anywhere from 4-6 points in the first section.
Wheelsports’ riders once again competed against each other for the win. Josh Gaitten (KTM) captured the Overall win, dropping 26 points. Trevor Kline (KTM) grabbed the second place spot, dropping 28 points.
Rodney Judson (BET), a veteran AA rider, earned himself the third place spot, dropping 29 points.
Michael Jolly (HSB) took the Overall A for the third-straight race this season, dropping 29 points.
Broc Hepler (YAM), a past Factory Yamaha and Factory Suzuki motocross competitor, was right on Jolly’s tail, dropping 30 points.
Joe Uhrig (KTM) rounded out the third spot in Overall A, dropping 33 points.
Brandon Ivanac (KTM) was a first-time enduro competitor who managed to snag the Overall B, dropping 36 points and beating Jake Walters (KTM) by seven points.
Aaron Cooney (KTM), Overall B winner of the first two races of the season finished in third place in the Overall B category.
The next race, the Little Raccoon Enduro, will count as rounds four and five of the ACES Series, in addition to being one of the two ISDE Qualifers to be held this year. The event will take place on May 25 and 26 in Wellston, Ohio. It is hosted by Appalachian Dirt Riders.
The Appalachian Championship Enduro Series (ACES) is a traditional time-keeping enduro series.
We would like to thank the following sponsors for contributing to the growth of our series and supporting our riders: CATON’S CYCLE CENTER, CLINTON COUNTY MOTORSPORTS, CYCRA, ENDURO ENGINEERING, FLY RACING, HUSQVARNA, JM CYCLE, KENDA, KRW CYCLES, KTM, LEATT, MOOSE RACING, OHIO MOTORCYCLE, OSBURN ASSOCIATES, POINT VIEW CYCLES, REMHERT’S KTM / KAWASAKI, SMITH’S POWER SPORTS, SPORT CYCLES, WESTERN POWER SPORTS and WHEELSPORTS.
Bench Racing
Overall: Josh Gaitten
Josh Gaitten (KTM) snatched the Overall win. He’s raced the ACES series since its first season in 2008. “I was racing the District 11 Enduro Series, which turned into ACES, before that,” said Gaitten.
“I love enduros, because you get to race on better trail than a hare scramble/GNCC,” commented Gaitten. “It’s usually single track and not beat up, trashed trail.”
Training and endurance go hand-in-hand when it comes to offroad racing. However, Gaitten said his training isn’t anything like it used to be. “If I’m lucky, I may get to swing a leg over the bike for an hour or two during the week or do some pedaling if I get home from work in time,” said Gaitten. “It’s definitely not what I’d like to put into it, but it’s, unfortunately, all I’m able to do.”
Most riders would agree that it takes some time to figure out a newly purchased bike. Gaitten had no qualms about buying a new bike the Friday before the event. Then, he spent most of the next day mounting stuff on it. “I got it together in just enough time before dark to take a ride up the road, only to discover the jetting was not to my liking,” said Gaitten. “I contacted Wally at Wheelsports to see what his jetting suggestions were. He brought me a needle to the event on Sunday; we threw it in the bike, and it ran perfectly all day. It was pretty amazing to get a win on a bike I’d only ridden for five minutes the day before the race!”
Gaitten was satisfied with his win. “It’s definitely a step in the right direction,” he said. “I’ve been struggling to find my form after fracturing my hip towards the end of the season last year, which, ultimately, took me out of championship contention.”
“It feels good to get a win under my belt, but I just want to keep the ball rolling and take it one race at a time,” commented Gaitten. “I feel like I’m still capable of winning races and championships. I just want to do my thing, focus on my riding and make good decisions on race day, so I can be in a good position at the end of the year.”
He would like to thank Wheelsports. “It’s awesome to have a shop behind you that’s as enthusiastic about your results and your riding as you are,” he said. He would also like to thank his parents. “They have always been my biggest sponsor and supporters of me and my racing and without them I wouldn’t be where I am today!”
Overall A: Michael Jolly
The Grassman Enduro marks Michael Joll’s (HSB) third-straight Overall A win.
You could say that racing enduros is in his blood. He said his dad used to race enduros, and his parents took him to races growing up. “I was basically born into it,” commented Jolly.
Since the Grassman Enduro was a new race in the series, trail conditions and the difficulty levels were unknown factors, because there was no history for riders to base off of. “I expected the race to be more technical than the previous two enduros, which it was,” said Jolly. “This race had longer sections then what we have seen all year. With these longer sections, fitness played a part.”
Jolly said he really enjoyed the first section. “Normally, I get a slow start at races, but I had a really good first section that gave me confidence for the rest of the day,” he stated. “There’s always things you can do better or differently, but overall it was just a good day.”
He would like to thank Moose Racing, Smith’s Powersports, FastAM Productions, FMF, EVS, TwinAir and ODI. He would also like to thank his wife, Lauren.
Overall B: Brandon Ivanac
Brandon Ivanac (KTM), a first-time enduro competitor, secured the Overall B position.
His racing career began in 2009. Now, he races whenever he can find the time. Although he’s ridden for a few years, he is a newcomer to the enduro world. “I discovered ACES when a few of my buddies told me how good the series is.”
“The virgin trails are by far the best part of enduros,” commented Ivanac. “It’s so much better than riding the same, clapped out track lap after lap in hare scrambles.” He said he also likes the small breaks between tests. “It gives me time for a breather and to shake the arm pump,” he said.
He said the enduro was “a little harder than expected,” because he is not used to being on a bike for that long. “Six hours is quite a bit different than a two hour hare scramble,” said Ivanac.
“Following the arrows was pretty difficult for me at first,” commented Ivanac. “I was on row seven, so there wasn’t much of a trail to be looking for in most spots. I passed up all kinds of turns in the first test, which cost me some time. After that, I realized I had to slow down a little and pay more attention.”
Ivanac said he is “Definitely hoping to make it to a few more ACES races this year and contend for the overall B again.”
He would like to thank Jason Smith and Mike Wist for keeping me on time and showing him the ropes. “If it weren’t for them, I would have been totally lost,” commented Ivanac.