D23 Coverage Presented by Brothers Motorsports
Nate Ferderer Rides Borrowed Craigslist YZ 125 To Overall Win
Photos: Paul Otto
The Norsemen motorcycle club broke new ground for District 23 racers on Sunday, hosting Minnesota’s first Sprint Enduro on the traditional opening weekend of the off-road season. Conditions could not have been more ideal with sunny skies, temps in the low 70’s and a great turnout for this unique event.
This was also the first round of the Big 6 Series series in which riders competing in six select hare scramble and enduro events in the district will be eligible for over $6,000 in prizes.
Minnesota’s resident national pro rider Nate Ferderer was scheduled to race the X-Factor GNCC in Indiana but when that event was postponed due to heavy rain, he showed up in Cambridge to take the overall. ” I was happy to win,” said Ferderer. I was even happier to listen to that noise all day. I haven’t raced a 125 in a decade.”
With the new format, the Cambridge course was split into three section consisting of: 1. All woods, 2. Open field and grass track and 3. Moto track and some woods. Each class had to negotiate each section a specific number of times with all of their runs counting towards their overall finish. The segments ranged between seven and 10 minutes and racers left the start check one at a time every 15 seconds.
The only snag to the format happened in the A/B race when most of the riders elected the same strategy of starting on the all woods loop which was held in a remote location that required a short transfer to the start. The thinking was that the woods trail might break down quicker and create more opportunity for separation of times as the day wore on.
The long line meant many riders were delayed in completing all of their runs within the allotted time limit, but the club did extend the cutoff to allow everyone to finish without penalty. Ironically, the woods loop was in nearly perfect condition and didn’t seem to deteriorate all that much throughout the day.
Everyone we talked to really enjoyed the format which provided a good mix of ride and reset time. There was plenty of pressure to be on the gas as soon as you started each run, but without the anxiety of land rush starts and bottlenecks that can occur in a hare scramble. By having three unique stages, results varied from rider to rider showing each’s preference or ability to accel in different conditions, including a couple of motocross experts who dropped in to try their hand at off-road, with good results.
Next up for D23 is the Millville hare scramble at Spring Creek Motocross Park on May 14.
About the Big 6 Series
June 3rd & 4th Huntersville Enduro
June 25th Kensington Hare Scramble
July 16th Trollhaugen Hare Scramble
July 29th & 30th Akeley Enduro
September 24th Staples Hare Scramble
October 1st Kensington Trail Ride
Pay out for ALL A classes (Hare Scrambles only):
(Trophies optional)
AA 100% pay back
A class structure:
1st $50
2nd $35
3rd $25
4th $15
5th $10
MUST enter all six event to be eligible for prizes. Must be present to receive prizes. No points, just random drawing.
*Miss ONE race & do the Kensington trail ride and your still eligible for prizes.
Series Sponsors: Larson’s Cycle, Andes Tower Hills, Star Motorsports, WP/Powerband, Hyde Racing, Motorex, Acerbis, EVS, Hot Cams, Vortex Pivot Works, Cylinder Works, Hot Rods
