SoCal Endurance closed out the year with the biggest 12 Hours of Temecula ever. With over 200 Teams competing for the overall titles, this race was off the hook! The competition was amazing with close battles lasting the full course of the 12-hour race. Racers were digging deep while pit crews kept busy fixing flats and filling hungry bellies. The vibe at the race was a good mix of grassroots relaxation and a healthy dose of racing intensity. There wasn’t a moment on the Vail Lake course where a passing rider wouldn’t smile or encourage another racer. When a racer got a flat or mechanical everyone who passed offered assistance. I love to see this type of camaraderie.
The beginning of the fun--12 hours to go. SoCal photo
Few of us mountain bike for a living. It is something we do to test ourselves and to keep us alive and kicking. The friendly competition we saw at Vail Lake is truly what mountain bike racing and making memories is all about. This event will last forever in our memories! We also saw the greatest variety of racers to date. We even had a handful of junior riders racing solo. I couldn’t even imagine riding my bike for 12 hours when I was 12-to-16-years-old.
The eventual Junior winner of the day was Team Big Bear Bike’s Casey Williams. Casey turned 8 laps with time to spare! At 15-years-young Casey is a phenomenal talent and will soon be a force to be reckoned with in the elite class. Also a special congrats to Willie McClure from Team Mata who took the overall solo Junior title for 2008. These junior competitors are the future of mountain biking. My hat goes off to all of then and their entire families for the great efforts.
One of the best races of the day happened in the Men’s Pro Solo Division. Endurance racing newbie and Superbike superstar Ben Bostrom (Sho-Air) took the day’s win with a 15 minute lead over local hero Lucas Wiens representing Wiens Family Winery. Brian Bennet and James Koch took 3rd and 4th while being only a half hour behind! These guys battled all day long for 11 laps. Most of the laps were sub hour and super fast.
For the Women’s Pro Solo , the excitement of the day was provided by two local favorites, Allison Mann and Shalyn Gates, who had fought it out the whole race. In the end, after a grueling 10 laps, Allison took the win with Shalyn in second separated by 25 minutes. In third place was Mandy Rocher with 9 laps and Terri Whalberg taking 4th with 7 laps. It is great to see so many fast ladies out competing and representing the growing women’s field. Great job ladies!
Other notable 1st place finishes included:
13 laps--Team Holley 2 Person Coed,
13 laps--Don’s Bikes 2 Person Open,
13 laps--Don’s Bikes 3 Person Open,
13 laps--Team Intense 4 Person Open,
12 laps--Life Cycling 5 Person Open,
11 laps--Slater Fletcher Expert Men,
10 laps--Scott McClave Sport Solo Men,
10 laps--Sierra Club MTB 2 Person Single Speed,
9 laps--Tom Ament Solo Single Speed,
9 laps--Patrick Gunnarson Solo 40,
9 laps--Armando De Armas Solo 50,
8 laps--Chad Davies Beginner Men Solo,
8 laps--Southwest Bikes Junior Team,
8 laps--Stan Ford Solo 60,
8 laps--Tony Underwood Solo Clydesdale,
7 laps--Danielle Brown Beginner Women Solo,
5 laps--Shelly Pepper Nani Sport Solo Women.
For full results, CLICK HERE