For Immediate Release
Contact:
Chris Blais
Blais Racing Services
Blais Racing Services Race Report!
Blais Racing Services / KTM/ Kenda rider Morgan Crawford finished 5th Overall at Round 7 of the AMA/KENDA National Hare & Hound Series aboard his KTM 530. After a rough start to his season, Morgan was able to put in a great ride. It started raining Friday morning and made for perfect race conditions. The 114 mile course took just over 3 hours for the top riders to complete. Thanks to the Sugarloafers MC for a great course.
Morgan Crawford 5th Overall, NHHA/ Sugarloafers MC Round 7. Photo by Mark Kariya.
I finished 2nd Overall and 1st Place in Class 1 UTV at Worcs Racetown Round 4. I had a great race in my Blais Racing Services/ HRT/ Dragonfire Racing, Mastercraft, Fluidyne Powersports, Fox Shox, sponsored Polaris RZR. The only UTV that beat me was my friend Steve that I convinced to come out and race for his first time. I got him hooked and now I have a friend to go to the races with. I had a blast and can't wait to race next weekend at the Anza WORCS race.
Chris Blais/ Justin Imhof, HRT, Dragonfire Racing, Mastercraft, Fluidyne, Fox Shox RZR.
Morgan Crawford finishes 2nd Overall at the AMA District 37 Baja Designs Summer Night Race Series, Round 1. Morgan spent all night riding solo chasing down Justin Imhof, but just couldn't catch him by the end. Justin would win on his KTM 250 XCW, Morgan 2nd on his KTM 530 XCR, and Andy Vandenberg 3rd on a KTM 200. It was a great evening as KTM riders took the podium all on ESR Suspension. Thanks to So Cal MC for putting on a great event at Rasor Rd.
Morgan Crawford 2nd O/A, So Cal MC Night Race. Photo by Matt McGowen.
Patty Blais participated in Rounds 1 and 2 of the District 37 Baja Designs Summer Night Race Series aboard her TRX Honda 450R. Partnering with Las Vegas racer Doug Bergstrom for Round 1, they finished in 2nd Place Overall in the Expert ATV class at the So Cal MC event at Rasor Rd near Baker, CA. The terrain was a bit more sandy than most other events which made it a fun fun race for the quad class.
Round 2 was a bit different with a first time ever ATV Only Event in the afternoon, presented by the 100's MC club; a Desert Hare Scrambles race with a night team race to follow. The race course was a 13-mile loop up and around some steep, rocky hills, and down into some tight, twisty canyons and ending into an Endurocross section which included logs, rocks, tires, and more rocks!
The field of racers for the afternoon event included 19 ATV's. Patty finished a strong 5th Place Expert Class and was the 1st Woman Overall which allowed her a podium visit with champagne and her own winning Pit Board! She raced 5 laps around the 13 mile course equaling 65 miles. Later that evening, she would partner up with another Expert ATV racer out of Yucca Valley, CA - Gilbert Davila. This night race would be a 4 hour plus 1 lap race which would end up being a 10-lap race total for these two racers aboard each of their own race vehicles. Gilbert got off to a great start and led the whole first lap, but he missed the sign to the Endurocross section and had to wait 1 minute for using the bypass. He came into the pits in 2nd Overall, just 10 seconds behind first place's Kyle Penner/Shawn Bigney. Each lap was pretty equal between these two teammates and in the end, they would finish a very strong 2nd Place Overall, just 8 minutes behind the leaders after racing 130 miles into the darkness! Patty would like to thank Ed Teixeira and his awesome Teixeira Racing ATV A-arms along with Baja Designs and their awesome HID light systems.
Patty Blais, 100's MC Summer Night Race Series, Photo by Alex Grabow.
Thanks to all of our awesome team Sponsors that help us go racing: Blais Racing Services, KTM, Kenda, FMF, Bullet Proof Designs, KTM Powerparts, Cycra, Fluidyne Powersports, ESR Suspension, Race Tech, DirtTricks, Alpinestars, IMS, Troy Lee Designs, No Toil, RTT Stabilizers, BRP, Scott, & Asterisk.
Blais Racing Services offers engine rebuilding and online parts for all your Motorcycle, ATV, & UTV needs. Owned and operated by Chris Blais, former Factory KTM Dakar Rally Racer. We specialize in KTM/ Honda, but can work on anything. I do all of the engine work myself. www.blaisracingservices.com
Competing in only his second U.S.D.R. event, KTM’s Morgan Crawford did what no one else has been able to do in almost 18 months, beat Nick Burson. Coming from behind to score his first Pro Class win, Crawford was impressive as he put an end to the series champions’ eight race win streak.
Morgan Crawford
A desert race scheduled in the end of May can be a tricky situation, as temperatures in southern California can reach triple digits at that time of year. Fortune was smiling on the U.S.D.R. series this year however, as 80 degree weather greeted the racers for Round 3 of the 2009 series, so while it may not have been hot, it certainly was dusty. Racing with limited visibility on a very fast course can be treacherous, conditions like these place a premium on focus, consistency and patience.
Burson, of course, has all of these skills, as he has proved by winning every race since December of 2007! Heading out on the first of five laps around the twelve mile course, it looked like it might be business as usual for the Zip-Ty Racing sponsored Husqvarna racer, as Burson would pull out an early lead followed by arch rival Ryan Kudla and the rest of the field.
Believing that this might be his day, Kudla was pushing hard looking for an opportunity to make his move on the champ. “I’ve been feeling great lately” said the T.O. Kawasaki/AP Brakes sponsored rider, “I can bring the fight to Burson now.” The fight would not be an easy one however, as a small mistake leading to a crash on the second lap would set the stage for some very exciting racing.
When the competition is close and the conditions are dusty, track position means everything and the crash by Kudla would cost him almost everything. Not only would he loose the opportunity to challenge Burson, but he would also loose second place. Taking advantage of the situation, Crawford now found himself in some clean air and able to set his sights on chasing down the Leading Husky.
Coming through to complete the second lap, it was Burson leading as usual, but to the surprise of everyone, by just 10 seconds over the flying KTM 530 of Crawford. Not too far behind, Kudla would have to make a pit stop but still hold on to third. Running in fourth, first time U.S.D.R. racer Justin Imhof was turning some heads as he came through in front of Lites Class points leader Colton Sanders and fellow Open Expert competitor Travis Livingston.
Nick Burson
Heading out on the third lap, Crawford made his move and passed Burson for the lead. It may not sound like much, but in the U.S.D.R. series, it has been over a year and eight races since anyone has made a straight up pass on the series champ. “I didn’t do anything different today,” said Burson, “My Husky was working good and I felt great, Crawford was just faster today.” While it must have been a big surprise for Husqvarna rider to get passed for the lead, it was a shock for the crowd as Crawford crossed the start/finish line and headed out for the fourth lap as the new leader of the race.
Running in second, Burson would have another problem to deal with, a fast approaching Kawasaki. Sensing blood in the water, Kudla was pushing it to the limit, past the limit actually, as another crash with only a few miles to go would end his hopes of being the second rider to pass Burson.
With the checkered flag out and the crowd on their feet, Crawford brought his Blais Racing/Wilson’s Motorcycles/Oneal sponsored KTM across the finish line to score his first U.S.D.R. victory. “This is a big win for me,” said Crawford “I loved the course and had a great time.” Burson would hang on to second and maintain his Pro Class points lead. Kudla, although a little battered, would show some great speed on the day and claim third followed by the very impressive Malcolm Smith sponsored KTM of Imhof, with fifth place going to the Lites class winning KTM 250 of Sanders. Rounding out the top ten in Race #2 were Travis Livingston, Sean Bradley, Steve Williams, Erek Kudla and Don Campbell.
Ryan Kudla
In Race #1 (featuring beginners and Senior 2 racers) Bernard Unhassobiscay made his return to U.S.D.R. racing and stole the show by scoring the overall win. Unhassobiscay made a second lap pass on the S-2 class point leader Steve Williams and never looked back. Third place would go to the Honda of John Sides, followed by Open Beginner Dillion Carlson and 14 year old Evan Kelly in fifth who was also making the best out of his U.S.D.R. debut by claiming the Beginner Lites victory.
Saturdays kids race wins would go to T.J Olson in the Kids-2 class, Ryan Lazar in Kids-1, Craig Jacobson in Pee-Wee and Robert Renfro in Pee-Wee Quad.
Next race: Round 3 September 26th – 27th
Monday, May 25th 2009
PRESS RELEASE:
Blais Racing Services/KTM rider Morgan Crawford scores his first win in the United States Desert Racing Series – USDR – in Ridgecrest, CA on his KTM530!
Sunday May 24th was Round 3 of this year’s growing series. The race consisted of 5 laps for the Pros and Experts with each lap being 14 miles long of high-speed desert terrain. The pits were full of family members and spectators.
The start was a start-by-class, live engine format with all the racers charging fast up a long valley as the green flag dropped. Morgan and the other racers would battle early on for position. After Lap 1, Zip Ty Racing/Husky rider Nick Burson, the 2008 series champ, would be in the lead, followed by Thousand Oaks Kawi rider Ryan Kudla. Morgan would battle with Dylan Murdock for the third position.
Gaining a lot of time during Lap 2, Morgan would make a pass on the lead racer just out of the pit area and on to Lap 3, to gain the overall spot. After pitting for gas after Lap 3, Morgan would have over a minute lead on the now second place Burson. After two more laps of intense speed racing, with riders doing 15-minute lap times, Morgan would bring home the checkered flag! Second place finisher would be Nick Burson followed up by Ryan Kudla for the third podium spot.
The first place 250 Expert racer would be 16-year old Justin Imhof on his Malcolm Smith Motorsports/Paul Krause Racing KTM 250XC. During the entire race, Justin would have almost the same lap times as the lead bikes. Justin finished in the fourth overall position, winning his class for a first place finish position in the 250 Expert Class. Congrats to all the racers!
Open Pro
1. Morgan Crawford
2. Nick Burson
3. Ryan Kudla
Morgan wishes to thank his sponsors:
Blais Racing Services, KTM, FMF, Bullet Proof Designs, IMS, GPR, ESR Suspension, Cycra, Troy Lee Designs, O’Neal, Scott Goggles, SIDI, Dirt Tricks
Photo by Tony Lamping ~ Off-RoadPhotos.com
On November 13th the Start of the 2007 Score Baja 1000
The KTM team (bike 9x) managed by Chris Blais, won 3rd place podium finish!
Baja 1000 2007 reveals first podium finish for KTM's 690 BajaKTM, with its dynamic team of Cyril Despres, David Pearson, Quinn Cody and Shane Esposito and with the rich experience of team manager Chris Blais, have come away from their first ever entry in the legendary Baja 1000 with a third place podium.The race, in its 40th year and considered to be one of the most challenging in the world of motor sport, took competitors through the Mexican Baja Peninsular in a true "survival of the fittest" dash to the finish.
The Baja 1000 in 2007 was a great race premier for KTM's 690 Baja machine. The 690 Baja first saw action earlier this year in the smaller version, the Baja 500, piloted by Chris Blais, Cyril Despres and David Pearson. David Pearson and Quinn Cody then rode the 690 Baja then in the Desert Classic Vegas to Reno, taking the bike through another vigorous test.
"We want to congratulate our riders and the team on a great third place in this very tough race - 1.296 miles (2086 km) in 24 hours!" said Winfried Kerschhaggl, director of KTM's motor racing activities. "It was a real achievement for the team and for the KTM 690 Baja for the first time we entered this race."
"That was an incredibly tough race," said KTM's rally boss Hans Trunkenpolz after the team's first time in the classic. "From a technical perspective the 690 Baja came through the race with flying colours."
Despres, a veteran of the world's most challenging events and winner of the famous Dakar said: "Now I really understand why this race is such a legend. The huge distances, the atmosphere, the amazing scenery, the night riding, the team spirit - it really is a unique event…"
The team was well on target at the 300 mile mark at just eight minutes behind the leaders. They then lost 25 minutes during David Pearson's second run when a tyre lost its bead. Light was fading when Cyril took over again and he navigated his way to the next pit stop with the aid of a torch. A rear puncture at the 570 mile mark meant Cyril had to complete 60 miles standing on the pegs to put as much weight as possible on the bib mousse-equipped front wheel. Luckily he escaped serous damage to himself or the bike when the rear hit a hole while he was travelling at around 100 kph.
"Shane's (Esposito) run passed off without incident and with Quinn (Cody) on the bike we were just 5 minutes behind the second placed Honda," Cyril said. But coming into the pit, Quinn hit a hole just 400 meters from the pit stop, which ironically had been dug out by revelling spectators. Shaken up by the crash, Quinn had to hand over to Cyril, who stepped in to ride part of the course that he did not know. It was then up to David to make the final dash to the finish line.
The KTM riders and the 690 Baja underlined that KTM is always "Ready to Race in the most extreme conditions. Because of the incidents during the race, David Pearson had to ride 570 miles (917.3 km), while Cyril had to fight his way through thick fog between the 1050 and 1150 milestones (160 km), at times even without goggles, which had broken.
The race, celebrating its 40th anniversary was according to Baja veteran Larry Roessler, one of the most successful participants of all time, "the hardest" he has ever experienced. Reviewing the race, the KTM team are already looking ahead to 2008 and planning modifications and improvements to the 690 Baja machine.
Despres paid tribute to team manager Chris Blais, the Austrian factory mechanics and the 60 other team members who manned the 21 pits spread out along the route, a sentiment that was underlined by Trunkenpolz at the conclusion of the 2007 Baja 1000.
Overall Baja 1000 win - Team Honda1x: Johnny Campbell, Steve Hengeveld, Robby Bell, and Kendall Norman
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