Jordan Ashburn takes 1st place at Full Gas Sprint Enduro!
The races in Uhrichsville, Ohio last weekend started off with almost perfect weather conditions. Competition was fierce and the pace of each race amplified by each day. The gap between 1st place rider Jordan Ashburn and 2nd place rider Steward Baylor narrowed as the weather conditions worsened.

Rider Jordan Ashburn stated; "My goal for the weekend was to put my head down and minimize mistakes. I couldn't have done it without all the support from my team."

Nick Davis Takes 1st place in the 4th Round of the East Hare Scramble Championship Series, while Kyle McDonal took 2nd!
Nick Davis pulls off a win after returning from a recent leg injury. His conditioning and practice seems to be paying off, while he prepares to return back to the GNCC series.
Kyle McDonal ends the race in second place, but is leading the AMA East Hare Scramble Championship Series in points.

Justin Wallis Takes 8th place in the WORCS Race event at Glen Helen Raceway.
The scorching heat wave was expected to be too much for the riders last weekend at Glen Helen. The races had to be rescheduled for an earlier time than originally anticipated, while shortening the race time to an hour and a half.
Wallis is currently sitting in 9th place overall for the WORCS Pro MC series.

Beta USA's Rodney Smith has been promoted to head up the Beta USA race department. The AMA Hall of Famer and five-time GNCC champion has been working for Beta for the last 12 months as a rider coach and now will take over as the race team manager.

Beta USA's President Tim Pilg comments, "It has been a huge benefit to our team ever since Rodney came aboard full time last season. His approach to racing matches our goals for the team so it made perfect sense to have him take over the team manager position."

Smith is looking forward to developing the team and more, "I'm very excited to have this opportunity to run the Beta USA race team! I've been working & coaching the riders this year and now Beta has asked me to manage the team. I'm very excited to bring my experience I've learned over the years as a racer and champion as well as being inducted in the AMA hall of fame! I've had the chance to see & learn from my past managers, including Mike Webb, and now I'm looking forward to being able run my own team & to further give our racers the knowledge & experience to win some more championships for my riders, Beta, & myself."

Beta's GNCC pilot Jordan Ashburn had this to say, "Being able to work with Rodney Smith is a true privilege. He is a former GNCC champion with lots of knowledge. I'm really excited for him to take charge of the Beta race team and help us achieve our goals."

Smith will also work with EnduroX rider's Max Gerston, Ty Cullins, and Morgan Tanke as the EnduroX season begins in Las Vegas on August 19th along with the other team members.

Photo by Shan Moore

Beta USA had two of their racers competing in different events yet both were a mudfest! WORCS racer Justin Wallis aboard his Beta 430 RR at Round 3 of the WORCS Series held in Taft, California finished ninth while his teammate Max Gerston placed 6th aboard his Beta 300 RR 2 stroke at the AMA National West Hare Scrambles.

Heavy rains in Taft the night before the race turned a perfect course into a sloppy mess. While the racing was still action packed, it proved to be a tough event as the mud challenged many of the riders. Wallis used his Kenda Southwick tires to his advantage however a slow start from the beginning eliminated his chances for a podium finish.

Round 3 of the AMA West Hare Scrambles which was held at the Clear Creek riding area in Coalinga, California where Max Gerston did pretty well despite the muddy conditions along with some goggle issues finishing the race in 6th place.

"The race was super sloppy and nasty. It was freezing cold and raining for the 3 hour race making it a brutal one. I pulled a holeshot and learned the course the entire race. I dropped back to 5th after many goggle issues and a few tip overs. I had enough sand in my eyes to build a motocross track at this point. My 300 RR suited the terrain well and was solid throughout the race." Gerston explains.

Team Manager Tim Pilg comments, "Both our racers struggled with the muddy conditions. There were two separate events however with the amount of rain we have been getting here in California, they were both very muddy. It was a tough weekend for sure however I am confident in my team and what they are capable of."

Next on the Factory Team's schedule is round two of the Full Gas Sprint Enduro held in Monticello, Georgia where team members Jordan Ashburn, Nick Davis, and Drew Higgins will do battle.

Photo by Harlen Foley