Rounds 1 and 2 of the Canadian Enduro Championship (CEC) kicked off in Coleman, Alberta, Canada. The event paddock was staged in the heart of the mountains in an area known as the Crowsnest Pass. A rugged 45-kilometre loop—complete with three technical special test sections—was contested three times each day by approximately 150 competitors. Corner Grass Racing Team (CGRT) riders Shane Cuthbertson and Cole Dobovich were on hand to represent Husaberg in the pro and amateur A divisions respectively.
Cuthbertson, aboard his Husaberg FX450 contesting the highly competitive E2 class, had mixed results on Day 1 as several crashes and the resulting damage caused him to lose approximately three minutes in the timed special test sections. This placed him seventh in the E2 class.
“I really want to win this season so I was pushing hard from the beginning,” he said. “I made a few mental errors and had really bad luck with a few small crashes that resulted in some timely repairs. On a positive note, I did win two special test stages today, so I know I have the speed, however I just cannot afford to make the mistakes I did today.”
Cuthbertson’s game plan on Day 2 was to tone it down a bit with an end result of fourth place in the E2 category.
“Again (I was) a bit disappointed with my result as I clearly was not riding at a podium pace,” said Cuthbertson. “I was more focused on keeping the rubber side down today and that showed in my special test times. I am really amped up for next weekend’s round and will be looking for redemption!”
Cole Dobovich contested his first CEC race on the weekend and was a bit shocked by the terrain in this mountainous stage.
“I don’t even have trees within a 200-kilometre radius of my home,” he said. “So competing in this extremely rugged terrain was an eye-opener.”
Sixteen-year-old Dobovich is a quick study and showed steady improvement on the weekend with a 16th place finish on Day 1 followed by a 12th place finish on Day 2.
“I felt a lot more comfortable on Day 2 and am starting to figure out the format of these events,” he said. “I am looking forward to improving on my results next weekend!”
Pro results (Days 1 and 2)
- 1st Jason Schrage / Jason Schrage
- 2nd Ryan Graffunder / Shane Watts
- 3rd Shane Watts / Ryan Graffunder
- 4th/7th Shane Cuthbertson (Husaberg)
Amateur ‘A’ results (Days 1 and 2)
14th/16th Cole Dobovich (Husaberg)
Next up for CGRT are Rounds 3 and 4 of the Canadian Enduro Championship held in Penticton, British Columbia, July 10 to 11, 2010.
CGRT relies heavily on the following partners to help us attain our goals and are proud to be supported by great companies such as Husaberg, A&E Racing, Motovan, Airoh Helmets, Ronwood Enterprises, Xtreme Hot Oil Services, Lee Built, UFA Petroleum, Limenine Graphics, Opti Lubricants, Rekluse, Sosa Original, and Enduro Engineering.
To find out more about the team and riders, please visit www.cornergrass.com.
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