Jeff@TireBalls
Husqvarna
A Class
Race Report: Kentucky Off Road Hare Scrambles Series (KORHS) - Round 2
Rider: Jeff Stoess - Bike 3rd Place Vet A / 10th Overall
Bike: Husqvarna TXC510
This round of the KORHS series would be the first of 2009 for me as I was not able to attend the Easter Sunday race in Nashville, TN. I have been looking forward to this race since hearing that it was only going to be 20 minutes from my house. Being in the Floyd Knobs area meant that it was going to be a tough race! The area is very hilly and due to this past winter’s ice storm, it would be hard to get around any bottlenecks that might form.
This location was really cool as it is a church youth camp, set in a valley with a crystal clear stream running right down the middle. Pleasant Valley Camp had rental cabins and a bathhouse with real working toilets, a rarity for any racetrack! It was great to see all my friends that I hadn’t seen since last fall.
This year I would be on a new Gateway Cycles Husqvarna TXC510, and I couldn’t wait to get it on a real racecourse for the first time! I lined up on the inside of row 4 in the Vet A class. When the flag flew, I was 4th going into the woods. Last year’s ATV champ, Nick Mills, pointed out a great line that went through a creek and over a log, which ended up putting me into first place. Within the first ½ mile we were already gaining elevation in a hurry. The big 510 made easy work of the steep long hills and gave me a bit of a lead over the 450’s and 250’s. Once at the top of the hill, the track followed a narrow ridge and it was pretty tight and technical. About halfway through the lap, my good friend, Curtis Ryan, made a pass on me but it only lasted for a couple miles before he made a mistake and I was able to slip back by. We were soon joined by last year’s Vet A champ, Dave McWilliams, and the race was on.
We were setting a blistering pace and catching the riders that had started on the two rows in front of us. By the end of lap 2, I was told that we were running in the top 5 overall on adjusted time. About half way through lap 2 I started making a few mistakes. The last time I had raced was last November and it was starting to show. I decided to just pace myself for the remainder of the race and try to hold down a 3rd place position. Once I backed off a bit I started feeling better and had a nice pace going.
Some difficult sections popped up around the creeks, and bottlenecks were starting to form. I tend to have a knack for getting around these and didn’t have too much trouble.
This was one of the best tracks I’ve raced in the KORHS series; it had just about every kind of terrain that you could think of. The dirt was pure loam that an MX racer would die for! The hills were long and steep, the off cambers were tricky, the creeks were deep and the grass track in the pits was a blast! One of my favorite spots was a downhill with several rock ledges that you could jump off of if you wanted.
I finished the race 3rd in class and 10th overall, which I was very pleased with. The new Husky worked flawlessly! I can’t say enough good things about this bike, and I’ve told several people it’s the best machine I’ve ever ridden!
Jeff Stoess #102
Sponsors: GateWay Cycles/KORHS, Tire Balls, Elka, IMS, Decal Works, House of Horsepower Suspension, Fasst Company, Spider Grips and Rick Hollenkamp
Special thanks to Bill Hardesty and Rob Gartman for help in the pits.
Congrats on the great results. Wishing even better results for you in the future 
