The Yukon Cross Country Motorcycle Association closed out last season with its first endurocross race.
It was clearly a hit with bikers. So much so, the association kicked off its fifth season with another on Sunday.
Thirty-eight riders took part in the Mosquito Enduro-X, hosted by the YCCMA, at the Schirmer Family Ranch off the South Klondike Highway.
“People really like the format of the short heat races,” said YCCMA president Mike Beaman. “You get to race all day, the kids get to race more. And, of course, endurocross is a growing sport. It’s in the X Games now.
“It’s challenging racing because you have more obstacles, so it allows people to use skill on the motorcycle versus just the speed of the motocycle. So you have to have skills on the motorcycle to win.
“It levels the playing field. It doesn’t matter how big of a motor you have or how fast your bike is.”
Before last season, the YCCMA had only hosted hare scramble races with long cross-country courses through the woods in which racers attempt to complete the most laps in an hour or two.
In Sunday’s endurocross, riders competed in three 15-minute heats on shorter courses of single track and open trail. Points accumulated in finishes over the three heats determine the winners.
“Even if you have one bad race, you can catch up on the points in another race,” said Beaman.
The endurocross race was the first of three events planned for this season by the YCCMA. The next two - scheduled for Aug. 9 and Sept. 20 at the Schirmer ranch off Mosquito Road - will both be hare scrambles.
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com
Results:
Peewee
1st Sam Adams (Yamaha)
Mini
1st Brent McNeil (Honda)
Junior under-15
1st Sawyer Adams (Yamaha)
2nd Austin Larkin (Yamaha)
3rd Kyle Bierlmeier (Yamaha)
Junior over-15
1st Broden Cull (Yamaha)
2nd Shane Orban (KTM)
3rd Cole Beaman (KTM)
Intermediate “B”
1st Derek Kindervater (Yamaha)
2nd Chris Lane (KTM)
3rd Richie Law (Yamaha)
Intermediate “A”
1st Neil Ryckman (Yamaha)
2nd Mike Beaman (Yamaha)
3rd Frank Smith (KTM)
Expert “A”
1st Shawn McFarland (KTM)
2nd Joey Chretien (Yamaha)
3rd Sam Schirmer (KTM)