Ninjette Newsbot
September 8th, 2015, 05:40 AM
Story and photos by Steve Berkner
The U.S. World Trophy Team took home the top honors from Day 1 of the International Six Days Enduro, besting the Australian and French teams by 1 minute, 14 seconds and 2 minutes, 29 seconds. This year’s ISDE is being held in Kosice, Slovakia.
The U.S. World Trophy Team, made up of riders Kailub Russell, Ryan Sipes, Taylor Robert, Thad Duvall, Mike Brown and Gary Sutherlin, also accomplished another first. In the 51 years since the United States started competing at Six Days in 1964, Russell and Sipes captured the first two spots, placing first and second overall.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Wells-and-Chamberlin.sflb.ashx
After finishing a tire change at the end of Day 1, U.S. Women’s Trophy Team rider Jamie Wells replaces the rear wheel axle. Pit worker Dave Chamberlin looks on.
“My hat has to go off to these guys as they’ve been working very hard since we got here a week ago," U.S. Team Manager Antti Kallonen said. "They have been walking the tests over and over and over trying to gain an edge. The week is a long way from being over, but they have proven that they are as serious as any team out there.”
The US World Trophy Team has finished second in the last two Six Days and has never won the overall.
“I couldn’t be happier with my (second) overall finish, especially with the team in the lead," Sipes, who is riding in only his second ISDE and in his first on the premier Trophy Team, said. "I’m so excited and honored to be on this year’s team. I sat out last year as my wife and I had a baby boy right at the time Six Days was going on, and I wasn’t too sure I’d ever get a chance to ride another Six Days, but I got a call earlier this year to be on this year’s trophy team and I just had to do it.”
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Fredette-and-Garrahan.sflb.ashx
Jeff Fredette oversees some last-minute adjustments that U.S club team rider Brian Garrahan performs to his motorcycle.
Russell, who finished top American in last year’s Argentinian ISDE, added: “It feels good to get the first day out of the way. I was the first rider out and all of the tests were fresh and at least for the first loop that was a big disadvantage for me as none of the lines had developed.
“All I had to go on was that we walked all of the tests over and over, and that was the only thing that I had going for me at least on the first lap. It got better (for me) on the second lap as the lines developed. On the first loop, it was real slippery and hard to read, so I took it easy and just rode smart.”
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Grant-Baylor.sflb.ashx
U.S. Junior Team rider Grant Baylor works on his bike at the end of Day 1.
Russell’s special tests times revealed exactly that as he finished 19th, third and second during his first three tests of the day ,where he finished first, first and fifth in his last three tests. For the day, Sipes and Australia’s David Milner each won two tests.
While the U.S. World Trophy Team took home the top spot for the day, the U.S. four-rider Junior Trophy Team fared far worse in its division, where injuries and a late penalty point put last year’s top finishing World Junior Trophy Team in fourth place, 4 minutes, 40 seconds behind class leading Australia. Sweden and France are in second and third place ahead of the U.S. team, which is made up of brothers Stewart and Grant Baylor and Nick Davis and Layne Michael.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Hoess.sflb.ashx
US club rider Fred Hoess competes on Day 1.
“The day didn’t start good for our Junior Team as Layne got hurt on the first test of the day," Kallonen said. "Unfortunately, he hit a log that ended up laying on the course and he washed out and landed on his hand and either broke his wrist our dislocated it. We’re still waiting for the results to come back, but he’s officially done.
“With just three riders left, we still had good enough scores to be near the top but then Nick got a penalty point for being a minute late for a check (at the half-way point) when he took longer than expected to change out his forks, and that put us as a team back a little bit.
“Then at the end of the day, during the last test, Stewart hit a braking bump and it kicked him over a berm and unto his shoulder where all he could do was finish out the test, which put him off the pace of the leaders by a minute and a half.
“Tonight we’ll have to see if we can fix him up enough to start the day tomorrow, and hopefully he can hold his own and contribute to the team’s overall score," Kallonen added. "We’ll just have to see how it goes with the doctor.”
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Robert-and-Duvall.sflb.ashx
U.S. Trophy Team riders Taylor Robert (left) and Thad Duvall push their motorcycles out of impound at the beginning of Day 1.
In Six Days competition, each competing country’s lowest score on the World, Junior and Women's teams is thrown out each day.
The U.S. Women’s World Trophy Team, made up of Mandi Mastin, Rachel Gutish and Jamie Wells finished the day in fifth place. Each of the rider’s had penalty points for being late at the designated checkpoints.
The U.S. three-rider club team of GoFasters.com, made up of Brian Garrahan, Reid Brown and Nate Federer, finished the day in eighth in the club division.
Of the 32 American riders to start Day 1, Michaels was the only rider not to finish.
Day 2 of the Slovakian ISDE will follow the identical course to Day 1.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Buecher-and-Hall.sflb.ashx
Parc Ferme pit worker Paul Bucher (Left) and Jay Hall organize the morning work area on Day 1.
Click here for full story... (http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/NewsView/15-09-08/U_S_Trophy_Team_takes_top_honors_on_Day_1_at_ISDE.aspx)
The U.S. World Trophy Team took home the top honors from Day 1 of the International Six Days Enduro, besting the Australian and French teams by 1 minute, 14 seconds and 2 minutes, 29 seconds. This year’s ISDE is being held in Kosice, Slovakia.
The U.S. World Trophy Team, made up of riders Kailub Russell, Ryan Sipes, Taylor Robert, Thad Duvall, Mike Brown and Gary Sutherlin, also accomplished another first. In the 51 years since the United States started competing at Six Days in 1964, Russell and Sipes captured the first two spots, placing first and second overall.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Wells-and-Chamberlin.sflb.ashx
After finishing a tire change at the end of Day 1, U.S. Women’s Trophy Team rider Jamie Wells replaces the rear wheel axle. Pit worker Dave Chamberlin looks on.
“My hat has to go off to these guys as they’ve been working very hard since we got here a week ago," U.S. Team Manager Antti Kallonen said. "They have been walking the tests over and over and over trying to gain an edge. The week is a long way from being over, but they have proven that they are as serious as any team out there.”
The US World Trophy Team has finished second in the last two Six Days and has never won the overall.
“I couldn’t be happier with my (second) overall finish, especially with the team in the lead," Sipes, who is riding in only his second ISDE and in his first on the premier Trophy Team, said. "I’m so excited and honored to be on this year’s team. I sat out last year as my wife and I had a baby boy right at the time Six Days was going on, and I wasn’t too sure I’d ever get a chance to ride another Six Days, but I got a call earlier this year to be on this year’s trophy team and I just had to do it.”
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Fredette-and-Garrahan.sflb.ashx
Jeff Fredette oversees some last-minute adjustments that U.S club team rider Brian Garrahan performs to his motorcycle.
Russell, who finished top American in last year’s Argentinian ISDE, added: “It feels good to get the first day out of the way. I was the first rider out and all of the tests were fresh and at least for the first loop that was a big disadvantage for me as none of the lines had developed.
“All I had to go on was that we walked all of the tests over and over, and that was the only thing that I had going for me at least on the first lap. It got better (for me) on the second lap as the lines developed. On the first loop, it was real slippery and hard to read, so I took it easy and just rode smart.”
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Grant-Baylor.sflb.ashx
U.S. Junior Team rider Grant Baylor works on his bike at the end of Day 1.
Russell’s special tests times revealed exactly that as he finished 19th, third and second during his first three tests of the day ,where he finished first, first and fifth in his last three tests. For the day, Sipes and Australia’s David Milner each won two tests.
While the U.S. World Trophy Team took home the top spot for the day, the U.S. four-rider Junior Trophy Team fared far worse in its division, where injuries and a late penalty point put last year’s top finishing World Junior Trophy Team in fourth place, 4 minutes, 40 seconds behind class leading Australia. Sweden and France are in second and third place ahead of the U.S. team, which is made up of brothers Stewart and Grant Baylor and Nick Davis and Layne Michael.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Hoess.sflb.ashx
US club rider Fred Hoess competes on Day 1.
“The day didn’t start good for our Junior Team as Layne got hurt on the first test of the day," Kallonen said. "Unfortunately, he hit a log that ended up laying on the course and he washed out and landed on his hand and either broke his wrist our dislocated it. We’re still waiting for the results to come back, but he’s officially done.
“With just three riders left, we still had good enough scores to be near the top but then Nick got a penalty point for being a minute late for a check (at the half-way point) when he took longer than expected to change out his forks, and that put us as a team back a little bit.
“Then at the end of the day, during the last test, Stewart hit a braking bump and it kicked him over a berm and unto his shoulder where all he could do was finish out the test, which put him off the pace of the leaders by a minute and a half.
“Tonight we’ll have to see if we can fix him up enough to start the day tomorrow, and hopefully he can hold his own and contribute to the team’s overall score," Kallonen added. "We’ll just have to see how it goes with the doctor.”
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Robert-and-Duvall.sflb.ashx
U.S. Trophy Team riders Taylor Robert (left) and Thad Duvall push their motorcycles out of impound at the beginning of Day 1.
In Six Days competition, each competing country’s lowest score on the World, Junior and Women's teams is thrown out each day.
The U.S. Women’s World Trophy Team, made up of Mandi Mastin, Rachel Gutish and Jamie Wells finished the day in fifth place. Each of the rider’s had penalty points for being late at the designated checkpoints.
The U.S. three-rider club team of GoFasters.com, made up of Brian Garrahan, Reid Brown and Nate Federer, finished the day in eighth in the club division.
Of the 32 American riders to start Day 1, Michaels was the only rider not to finish.
Day 2 of the Slovakian ISDE will follow the identical course to Day 1.
http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Libraries/Racing_Images/Buecher-and-Hall.sflb.ashx
Parc Ferme pit worker Paul Bucher (Left) and Jay Hall organize the morning work area on Day 1.
Click here for full story... (http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/NewsView/15-09-08/U_S_Trophy_Team_takes_top_honors_on_Day_1_at_ISDE.aspx)