Tribune/Dan McGee - On his way to a run-away victory in Sunday's MRANN race, Robert Underwood rips down the hill leading to the alternate gas stop. When the checkered waved, Underwood had a several-minute lead over his nearest rival.
Tribune/Dan McGee - In Sunday's Hare and Hound race, the first amateur to reach the finish, after doing two loops, was Tanner Tremaine. Here he's heading down the hill toward his first pit stop of the race.
Tribune/Dan McGee - One tradition to the annual Halloween weekend MRANN race is costumes, worn both by the kids and adults. And this year Cliff Townsend kept one tradition going by wearing his "racing chicken" costume during Sunday's race.
Tribune/Dan McGee - Dust is usually a given when a MRANN race starts. Sunday's lack of dust, due to Saturday's rain, didn't seem to help about 20 novice riders that tangled soon after their event began. Fortunately everyone was able to continue.
This time Mother Nature added another treat, rain on Saturday and the very rare lack of dust during Sunday's big bike racing.
For one Coleville, Calif. rider, the day was a huge treat while others got tricks handed to them.
"Off the start I was pacing myself just to see what everyone had," Robert Underwood said during the victory interview. "I let a couple of guys run up on me as I was pretty much trying to play mind tricks with them. So when they'd get close, I'd check and disappear and once I got to alternate gas, I just put my head down for the rest of the race."
This time the race was made of a 52-mile loop, which the experts rode twice. Alternate gas was very close to the pits so it was easy to keep track of who was in the lead.
And, for the first time in a couple of year everyone had to negotiate the "Widow Maker" a steep, long downhill section.
Asked how you negotiate this fearsome looking downhill section Tanner Tremaine said, "It's sandy and fast. You can use your brakes but you'll go just as fast so you have to get it sideways."
When the experts started their race Underwood and Seth Johnson were neck-and-neck as they headed toward the first turn. By the 30-mile mark Underwood was over a minute ahead of Ross Neeley, who had taken second.
With no dust to mark his position, Underwood just extended his lead out of sight of his nearest rival.
By the race's end, Underwood probably was over five minutes ahead of the second place finisher Cory Vannoy. Unfortunately both Neeley, who appeared to be second, and Dan Capparelli received penalties that dropped them back several positions.
"The course was awesome and the best of the year," Underwood said. "And I want to thank Gilbert Grieve as he's done everything this year and I appreciate it as well as my dad Eric, Speed Technologies, WSRA and Rib Benders for putting on such a good event."
Coming home second overall was Cory Vannoy, who said, "For the course being as long as it was, the whoops were even worse and I hate whoops. And I need to thank Michaels Cycle Works, Concours Auto Body and Precision Concepts."
Seth Johnson, who ended up third, made it plain the rain, and lack of dust is what brought him to the race.
"I wasn't going to race the rest of the season because it's been so dusty but two days ago I made up my mind," he said. "I thought the course was prefect and would like to thank the Rim Benders for putting such an awesome race as it was the greatest course I've ever ridden. And I need to thank Mach 2 Motor Sports, Speed Technologies and my mom and dad."
One rider that should have gotten the "Iron Man" award, if there was such a thing, was Brad Kohler from Truckee. During the race he broke his lower leg but still finished the two loops.
Since his boot was acting like a splint, Kohler decided not to take it off so he could drive home and then have the leg attended to.
First amateur to finish two loops was Tremaine, who had a long battle with Kyle Townsend.
"I got really, really tired that last lap," Tremaine said. "I was trying to stay consistent as I could and it ended up good but it was hard as I bounced off every single rock those last couple of laps."
Then he thanked his parents, Dirt Tricks and 661 for their support.
After not racing for two years, Vermont transplant Ryan Murphy decided to give desert racing a try. The day was a big treat for him as he raced to victory in the novice class.
"No dust, boy that's a miracle and couldn't ask for anything better," he said. "The course was awesome and I just loved it."
Asked about his sponsor, Murphy gave a heartfelt thanks to his fiancé Jessica for her support of his racing.
Despite the hard racing in difficult terrain the medics only had to transport one rider that crashed early in the day.
•Saturday is for the younger riders and those women that choose to ride the short course.
The Pee Wee winners were Dallas Serpa, Austin Walton and Asa Howe. In the mini bike race Ty Tremaine was the expert victor while the amateur and novice winners were Samuel Jacobus and Jake Herzig.
Courtney Jackson was the V Women's expert winner with Taylor Kemp taking the amateur victory and Danielle Rosenquist topping the novice class.
•Next weekend the MRANN series heads for Winnemucca and another two-day show called The Battle at Bottle Creek II. Saturday's action kicks off with a Pee Wee race at 9 a.m. while the big bikes have a 10 a.m. start Sunday morning.
Closer to home Sierra MX's, Northern Nevada State Moto-X Championship series heads for a two-day show at the Fernley Motocross track. Saturday, starting at noon, is for the Pee Wees, 65 beginners and quads while all the other classes start their races at 9 a.m. Sunday.
OTHER RACING NEWS
•NASCAR's Nevada Quartet spent the weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway.
A first-lap crash ended T.J. Bell's string of top 10 finishes, he ended up 32nd, while Kyle Busch ended up second and Brendan Gaughan came from 21st to 16th at the end.
Kyle Busch won Saturday's Nationwide race then finished sixth in Sunday's Sprint Cup event where engine problems dropped his brother Kurt to 41st.
RESULTS
MRANN Moose Racing Series - Round 9
Grimbenders Blood Runner Hare Scrambles
Sun. Nov. 2*
Overall - 1. Robert Underwood, 2. Cory Vannoy, 3. Seth Johnson, 4. Irving Powers, 5. Ian Horgan, 6. Josh Steckline, 7. Josh Wilson, 8. Gil Grieve, 9. Pete Neeley, 10. Joey Galban, 11. Jeff STeckline, 12, Ross Neeley, 13. Jordan Grove, 14. Dan Capparelli, 15. Darren Charles, 16. Jason Stelziede, 17. Adam Thissen, 18. Larry Wright, 19. Cliff Townsend, 20. Mark Dowers.
Sat. Nov. 1
6 & Under - 1. Dallas Serpa, 2. Aidan Howe, 3. Mike Lampe, 4. Aleea Howe, 5. Jake Madson
7 & Older - 1. Austin Walton, 2. Austin Serpa, 3. Levi Thompson, 4. Benjamin Niles, 5. Vincent Delbarba
7 & Older, 4-Stroke - 1. Asa Howe, 2. Max Madson, 3. Jordan Franklin, 4. Chesney Minor, 5. Bieanna McAuliffe
65 - (Beg.) 1. Austin Johnson, 2. Garrett Hueftle, 3. Parker Miller, 4. R. Jorden Beck, 5. Kai Englund
- (Ama.) 1. Hunter Pitts, 2. Dalton Laney, 3. Dillon Boyson, 4. Dylan Evans, 5. Kevin Kirk
- (Exp.) 1. Marcus Loki, 2. Austin Walton, 3. Mason Stone, 4. Corey Fletcher, 5. Austin Serpa
100 - (Nov.) 1. Jake Herzig, 2. Zach Hendrickson, 3. Ricky Dahlberg, 4. Ed Kaufer, 5. Sam McCain
- (Ama.) 1. Samuel Jacobus, 3. Eric McCauliffe
- (Exp.) 1. Ty Tremaine, 2. Max Pecoraro, 3. Matthew Watson, 4. Nate Block, 5. Dino Rosa
V Women - (Nov.) 1. Danielle Rosenquist, 2. Shahin Lampe, 3. Jessi Bailey, 4. Kristin Burley, 5. Laurie Clark
- (Ama.) 1. Taylor Kemp, 2. Julianne Zotter
- (Exp.) 1. Courtney Jackson, 2. Annette Castillo, 3. Chrystal Ponsock, 4. Alina Frei, 5. Christy Lemoine
*Partial results, full list to be published later in the week at www.racemrann.com.
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