Kyle Penner’s XC Adventures
- Updated: January 29, 2011
By Kyle Penner
Photos by photosbygrumpy.com
Round 1 came and went really quick but was a successful weekend to say the least. I started to get into race mode the Tuesday before the race when I spent the afternoon breaking in my motor that I had Chris Blais from Blais Racing Services rebuild to make sure I was prepared for the season. Everything went well so I knew that I would have a good chance come race time.
After the drive from San Diego and the unpleasantness that is Bessemer Mine road I arrived in the desert around noon on Saturday and did the usual unpacking that comes with traveling to a race. Usually the day before a race I try to sign up and practice the bomb run so I can have a more relaxing morning of the race. After practicing what I believe to be the fastest start I have ever done in a National Hare and Hound a couple of times I felt confident with my line choice and headed back to the pits to get ready for the next day.
On race day my morning was pretty relaxed and I got to the start before the bikes took the course so I could watch them take off. There were some delays but when the banner finally dropped the quad line exploded in a mad dash to get to the banner first. My preparation paid off and I got the holeshot. Since I had the start I wanted to get I just put the hammer down and started to pull away. The Desert MC crew did a good job in creating a challenging course filled with obstacles such as rocks, cactus, up-hills and down-hills. Some of the parts were so rough that the rocks would make the quad shake so intense it was hard to hold on. Thankfully, I was using a pair of Fasst Co. Flexx Bars because I could feel the bars absorbing the abuse that was being thrown at them. Another challenging part of the course would be some of the whoops that were strewn throughout the course. A lot of them were tough to get a rhythm through but my Roll Design/ Elka shock combo worked like a charm and got me through. By the end of the race I finished first overall quad and first pro quad with a five-minute margin over second.
It was a great weekend but I have to say thanks to my sponsors for all they do for me and to my dad for the support. If you want to see pictures from the race check out www.photosbygrumpy.com.
Sponsors:
Fasst Co., RND Motorsports, Roll Design, Ricky Stator, Blais Racing Services, Madjack/Amsoil