city trials

Expert Feature Season Results. Trials guys in bold. Pos. # Name Points 1. 15 Ricky Dietrich 136 2. 2 Damon Huffman 131 3. 111 Taddy Blazusiak 99 4. 4 Geoff Aaron 96 5. 8 Colton Haaker 86 6. 3 Nick Brozovich 76 7. 12 Bobby Prochnau 65 8. 99 Jamie Lanza 64 9. 17 Ty Davis 59 10. 551 Phil Smage 41 11. 311 Mike Brown 40 12. 809 Kyle Calderini 38 13. 52 Kyle Redmond 27 14. 56 Patrick Smage 27 15. 42 Eric Rhoten 26 Trailcross EXGC Finish 1. Patrick Smage, Elkhorn, WI 2. Cody Webb, Watsonville, CA 3. Phil Smage, Elkhorn, WI 4. Keith Wineland, Fountian, CO 5. Rory Sullivan, Estacada, OR 6. Carl Miller, Show Low, AZ 7. Ronald Commo, Toccoa, GA 8. Harrison Oswald, Citrus Heights, CA 9. Noel Smage, Elkhorn, WI 10. Nick Saia, Morro Bay, CA 11. Marvin Edgington, Wichita, KS 12. Cory Pincock, Pleasantview, UT

I got beat, plain and simple. Tossed my cookies right there on the track by lap three and I was done. A shot of Jack with Ringo after the race and I was really done. I'll readily admit, I'm way over my head on those tracks. Got my body bloodied up pretty good this year. I left something on every track. As for Ringo, I've known him a few years and he is one of the treasures in America. Outspoken, but loves the sport of trials and off-roading. And, a good family man. Hat's off to Ringo. He gave me a kicking, Hawaiian shirt and all. Now, let's get on with the important stuff. Any of you guys want one of my full reports on the real trials riders like Noel, Marvin, Vern, Paul, Nick, Cody, Keith, Ronnie, Harry, Phillip and Patrick?

I couldn't even do that. Ringo took it to me on and off the track. I bow to the greatness of the legend that is Ringo.

The Expert class.

Noel and Pat just took off with all the bikes for the 30 hour drive. Phil and I are flying out Friday. Pat will be riding the Scorpa T-Ride this weekend. Should be a great weekend.

EnduroCross press release: Trials guys in bold. The AMA/Maxxis EnduroCross Championship Series presented by Lucas Oil, will wrap-up it's six-race national series on Saturday night in Las Vegas and crown the 2008 AMA/Maxxis EnduroCross Champion; but crowning the pro-level champion is not the only order of business at this incredibly exciting event. The Orleans Arena fans will see dozens of amateur competitors from around the nation battle for their chance at a national title in the inaugural AMA EnduroCross Grand Championships (EXGC). In the expert class, Monster Energy Kawasaki 's Ricky Dietrich is leading the championship by 10 points over his veteran supercross teammate, Damon Huffman (111 to 101). Lucas Oil KTM's Colton Haaker sits in third with 86 points, while international standout, Taddy Blasuziak, of Red Bull KTM has fought his way back into fourth place with 81 points after missing two races due to injury earlier in the season. Zip-Ty Suzuki's Nick Brozovich and Christini/KTM/BTOSports.com's Geoff Aaron sit in fifth and sixth respectively (76/75 pts). Wrapping up the top 10 are Team Green Kawasaki's Jamie Lanza, Zip-Ty Suzuki legend Ty Davis, Canada's Bobby Prochnauf and trials convert, Phil Smage. The battle for the championship between Monster Energy Kawasaki 's Ricky Dietrich and Damon Huffman, along with a virtual who's who of world renowned off-road racers in the field, has set a very interesting stage for "The Vegas Finale." As Monster Energy Kawasaki would likely be assured of the championship if either of their two guys makes the main event, Team Red Bull KTM is attempting to make that feat very tough by stacking the field full of their KTM factory backed riders. Joining Blasuziak at this Saturday's event will be recent EnduroCross convert Mike Brown, ISDE captain Kurt Caselli, GNCC star Nate Kanney, WORCS standout Justin Soule, as well as KTM factory test rider and retired supercross star, Sebastian Tortelli! Also joining them in the battle will be previous Vegas Finale podium finishers, FMF Suzuki's WORCS racer, Nathan Woods and current World Enduro Champion Mika Ahola of Finland , who will be riding for Carey Hart's Rockstar Hart & Huntington team! Add Monster Energy Kawasaki 's 4-time AMA/FMF Racing National Hare & Hound Champion, Destry Abbott and Am-Pro Yamaha's AMA National Hare Scrambles East champ, Jason Raines... and you have a stacked field of riders making it impossible to predict the results! Can any UK readers tell me about Geoff Walker? He's been given an invited spot too.

Knowing that Ringo is going to do anything in his power to try to take me out, I hired Mich Lin to design me some anti-Ringo protective gear. Anytime Ringo enters the no-Ringo zone, a special gamma ray will zap his Montesa ignition, disabling Ringo's forward progress. If that fails, a anti-Ringo force field will shield Ringo from penetrating the no-Ringo Zone. Also, Mich has mounted a Black-box to record everything for evidence in a court of law shall the first two systems fail. Wish me luck.

New driving rule in Chicago. If you see a motorcade with police cars, black SUVs and guys with sunglasses talking into their cuffs, don't try to cut it off. One couple tried to drive their tan sedan around Barack Obama's motorcade this morning and found themselves looking at the barrels of Secret Service guns. The Secret Service SUV cut the car off immediately, and the security team aimed their weapons at the car.

African-American man Barack Obama, 47, was given the least-desirable job in the entire country Tuesday when he was elected president of the United States of America. In his new high-stress, low-reward position, Obama will be charged with such tasks as completely overhauling the nation's broken-down economy, repairing the crumbling infrastructure, and generally having to please more than 300 million Americans and cater to their every whim on a daily basis. As part of his duties, the black man will have to spend four to eight years cleaning up the messes other people left behind. The job comes with such intense scrutiny and so certain a guarantee of failure that only one other person even bothered applying for it. Said scholar and activist Mark L. Denton, "It just goes to show you that, in this country, a black man still can't catch a break. From the Onion.

Stay away from Andy.....

You were lit like a Christmas tree all weekend!

Have you even entered yet, Ringo? I've been holding out awhile on this thread because I feel you cheated me. You knew darn well the bet was for ALL SIX ROUNDS! I took the deal, signed up and raced this entire series feeling cheated by your sorry rump. Now, after five rounds, I've found out I'm way out of my league on these tracks. And you want to chide me again with a one race deal. Forget it. You totally backed out of the original agreement last November. You weasel. From all your internet talk bravado, you're surely faster than me (everyone is)... but you're not a man of your word. You could've took my $1000 dollars with ease. I'll take these five rounds as a life learning experience. Along with all the bumps and bruises I've accumulated. But I'm not taking a dollar and six pack of anything to your room. Speaking of rumps. Here's Ryan Young staring at mine.

Wasn't ME.......

Good one, Cota Kid. But you gotta get up pretty early to top what the Red Bull guys are smoking in their racing board room. Check out the latest gimmick. Metallicross

The guys who've been subject to the caption contest haven't been as uptight as I might have imagined when I started this. In fact, they get a kick out of it. So, with that, let the fun begin.

Quick update: Trials riders in the main event. 1) Taddy 2) Geoff 5) Colton 8) Patrick 11) Phillip TrialsCross main event. 1) Patrick 2) Phillip 3) Ronnie 4) Noel 5) Ryan

Sam: Cool, you entered. Yes, 4 laps for the afternoon qualifier (gate pick) and 4 for the evening main. The speed Ryan, Ronnie, Pat, Keith, Pat and Phil are going, we'll see three.

Well, I'll let the cat out of the bag. Anyone who attends Ohio this weekend will be in for a treat. Patrick is giving EnduroCross a shot. In fact, they'll be so many Smages on the line, Ryan Young won't know which is which. Get your tickets now! It should be on heck of a show.

There's only 5 or 6 riders I feel can actually compete in the sections that are currently being designed by the organizers. The other 6 or 7 riders are holding on for dear life. I'm guessing we'll see about the same. 10 to 15 riders per event.

What a wild night. Denver was a sell-out crowd. 14 trials riders showed up in the trials class. I'll get more details as my mind clears. Here's what I can remember as of now. Pro main event. Geoff Aaron was top trials-man, finishing second behind Damon Huffman. Taddy was third. Colton, I believe was 5th. And my rider, Phillip, finished 10th. Colton and Geoff got in through the heats. Phil won the Dash-for-Cash to get in. Man, what a race. My heart can't take too much more of this last race in the main crap. 4 riders got hauled off to the hospital, including Dustin Headwall. Possible broken foot. (Get well, kiddo.) The track was insane difficult. In the trials class Phil took top honors, with a Chad Peterson second and Harrry Oswell third. (I didn't finish last this time) Let's do another caption contest. The lead-in. Pre-race clowning around. Colton, Phil and I. Next week, it's Ohio. Come out and watch Ryan Young try to take down my guy in the TrialsCross class. I hear Ryan's been training hard. Or you can come out and watch me crash.

Patrick's competition schedule this year has been like a ride on Wall Street. The high's being the AMA Championship. The lows being the FIM World Series. Patrick is recovering from surgery he had a week after the NATC/AMA National. The doctor told him he would be up to speed the day before the Spanish round. Thus Noel and Pat took a chance at competing - even though he hadn't practiced in weeks. I warned him not to push it and if he felt anything not right while tuning up, to pull the plug. I'm glad he listened. As with any top athlete, recovery and proper healing are very important. Pat wants to be 100% when he returns. He wasn't even close last weekend. Through it all, Pat is crushed 'more so' from the fact he's going to miss the TdN. He feels he let the team and the manager, Kip Webb down. He shouldn't.

Not going to happen. They're heading home tomorrow.

Let's not forget our lone American. Looks like Louise jumped up many spots from Luxembourg in the beginning of the year. She wasn't even in the top 10. Well done, Louise. 5th is very admirable.

Expert Points Standings after 3 rounds. (Trials riders in bold) 1. Ricky Dietrich 72 2. Damon Huffman 71 3. Colton Haaker 54 4. Nick Brozovich 50 5. Ty Davis 44 6. Jamie Lanza 41 7. Bobby Prochnau 36 8. Taddy Blazusiak 30 9. Geoff Aaron 25 10. Phil Smage 21 11. Wallace Palmer 21 12. Kyle Redmond 16 13. Eric Rhoten 15 14.Stephen Edmondson 13 15. Mike Brown 12 16. Kyle Calderini 12 17. Kendall Norman 12 18. Ronald Commo 10 19. Destry Abbott 9 Trialcross Standings after 3 rounds 1. 551 Phil Smage 90 2. 610 Nick Saia 48 3. 102 Craig Gernhardt 39 4. 5 Keith Wineland 38 5. 73 Vern Gamble 37 6. 88 Marvin Edgington 34 7. 108 Ronald Commo 25 8. 145 Michael Wenger 25 9. 183 Shannon Kenworthy 21 10. 482 Paddy Holloway 21 11. 98 Rory Sullivan 21 12. 144 Harrison Oswald 18 13. 111 Reid Davis 16 14. 646 Chad Kimbrell 15 15. 18 Jacob Argubright 15 16. 224 Jonathan Weisman 13 17. 110 Monte Perlin 12 18. 272 Aron Trzyna 9 19. 6 Roger Flud 8

All praise goes out to Beta's Ronnie Commo III. Ronnie made the main event this weekend in South Carolina. Riding two classes, Ronnie logged some 20 laps on the track. His speeds were nearly identical on both bikes. Phil and Ronnie had an epic battle in both the Trialscross main event and $Dash-for-Cash$. Phil took the win in the Trailscross. Ronnie slipped by Phil after a silly crash to edge him in the money race. Ronnie finished 2nd, Phil 3rd. The winner opted out of the main event (why, we still don't know) - opening up a spot for Ronnie. Little Commo III, all 140 pounds (soaking wet) took the big Beta Enduro bike and played with the PROS. He earned himself some valuable AMA championship points. Commo also finished second in the Open 4 Stroke class. The promoter botched this race. It was to be a 4 lapper, but somehow the guys were told they'd do 6! Footnotes: The Commo's were using the bluetooth head-sets to communicate with each other about traffic on the track until the organizers put a stop to it. Marvin Edgerton took out Chad Kimbrell in the first rock-pile - and Chad was super ticked after the race was over. Keith Wineland Vern Gamble and Geoff Aaron were no-shows. Geoff was overseas on a Red Bull commitment, Keith is getting ready for the TdN, and Vern was working. It was hotter than, well you know what. South Carolina felt hotter than fourth of July in Vegas when the temps reached 120 degrees. I just can't hack that type of weather. I guess that' why I live in the north. You should've seen Ronnie's face when he scored his first PRO pay-checks. That's right, checks with an 'S'. One for the DFC and one for making the main event. It was a priceless moment. The young man and his proud father were so happy. Congratulations, Ronnie, YOU EARNED IT! Speaking of silly crashes, you had to be there to witness my 20 foot tumble over the finish line, double jump. What I was thinking even to attempt that sucker is crazy. Phil was passing me and laughing the entire time. Oh, and I finished dead last, again. (Chuckle it up from your soft couch, Ringo.)