Photos by: Monique & Brittany Spaulding
Report by: Quinton Spaulding
Our team has been racing at Fontana for several years now! I was however taken back last week whilst looking at the event flyer… realizing that this was the 17th Annual Challenge -17 years!! That is a long time to keep any program together, and it is still gaining strength today. It is a testament to the dedication and commitment that the “Jackson Family” and S.R.C. has for Mountain Bike Racing!!
As always, we got a GREAT spot in the “race pits”, and we try to always arrive early to ensure that. KHS is a “Platinum Sponsor” of the Southridge Winter Series.
Getting setup for the races is always exciting, not so much for the manual labor that is involved, but the anticipation of riding, practicing and the racing!
Here is a shot looking out at the registration tents from our pit area early Saturday morning.
The weather could not have been better, simply – “So Cal” at it’s best!
The DH practice shuttle lines were very long this weekend, but the racer numbers were also very large… there were times it felt like we were at the Nationals.
Southridge has its own Resident Medic – “DR EVIL” he is always there to take care of any possible injuries, and then he puts fires out in L.A. when he is not doing that! Props to Doctor Evil.
Fontana residents came out from their homes to stand on the mountain side, and get a close look at the DH madness that was buzzing by the back of their homes down the “infamous wall”.
I had a fairly decent run in the DH finals on Sunday, and was really happy with my result. I almost blacked out in the sprint down the wall, as well as many others I am sure. It doesn’t matter how hard you train for it – the wall will get you every time!! If you want to be competitive at Fontana, you have to push yourself beyond your limits with everything you have down the wall, because there is simply so much time to be made up there.
Logan Binggeli was a little off his game Sunday, but he likes the bigger, steeper tracks that are rough enough to test “real downhill skills”, and not so much sprinting down the wall.
The Pro DH class was stacked deep on Sunday, and to get on the podium was extremely tough. Just look at the names in the results!
Pro Men DH Top 20
From – Left to Right: Kevin Aiello (Factory GT), Eric Carter (Factory Mongoose), David K (ODI), Aaron Gwin (Factory YETI), Cody Warren (Decline USA)
“David K” took the win for the Pro Men. As you can see KlaasenVanOorschot brought his own life size cut out, just in case he could not stay for the podium. That way he would still represent whilst not even present…genius!!
Semi-Pro Men DH Top 10
KHS “B Team” rider Scott Johnson had a good weekend, clinching the second step on the podium only 00.00.32 hundreds of a second off of first place! The Semi Pro class is a very competitive group and they are the “up and coming” pro’s. Their times are also very competitive.
The product raffle before the awards ceremony went down well. Just about everybody won something. KHS contributed some goods for these giveaway’s and so did HAYES, SUN RIMS, MANITOU, AZONIC and KENDA!!
Next on the agenda for us is the Annual Southridge Banquet in Riverside, CA on December 14th. KHS will be giving away a Lucky 7 Free Ride bike at the Banquet – but you MUST be present to win! Hope to see you there!!
KHS is grateful to all of it’s co sponsors, and everything they do to make our Factory Team the successful race program that it is.
Please stay tuned for more updates and photos as they become available.
All the best,
Q.
