TEAM KTM/HMC LANDS TWO PODIUMS
XTRM/AMA Supermoto Series: Round 1, Monroe, Washington
By Scott Hoffman, Editor
SuperMoto Racer Magazine
It was a long off-season and Team KTM/HMC was armed and ready to take on the 2008 XTRM/AMA Supermoto Series heading into round one. After three years away from the team, Chris Fillmore is back on a KTM alongside HMC’s Troy Herfoss and Kurt Nicoll. Together, this trio oozes talent. The team is armed with a stable of KTM machinery to get the job done. Herfoss and Fillmore are gunning for the title in the 450/Supermoto class aboard KTM 450 SXs and Nicoll is riding the mighty KTM 505 in the Unlimited class.
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More Pictures in the Gallery
Checkout the latest pictures of Round 1.
The 2008 series opener drew the team to Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington. Posting the fastest qualifying times in the 450 class, it was evident Team KTM/HMC had done their homework over the winter. Fillmore scored a 1:14.106 while his teammate Herfoss logged in a 1:14.548. This was good enough to best the 2007 champion Mark Burkhart’s time of 1:14.976.
Fillmore ran into a snag at the start of his heat race when a second rider clipped him going into the first turn. The two riders went down into hay bales causing officials to red flag the race. After remounting, Fillmore inadvertently left the track to get his bike worked on before the restart. This move is not allowed according to the rulebook and he was unable to line up for the restart. Because of this, Fillmore was forced to begin the main event from the back row.
For the main event Herfoss earned a spot on the outside of the front row next to David Pingree, Cassidy Anderson and Mark Burkhart. At the start, Anderson nabbed the early lead followed by Burkhart, Herfoss and Pingree. Before the end of the first completed lap, Fillmore had already worked his way from last to sixth place and was still charging. In fact, Fillmore posted the fastest lap time in the main with a 1:14.036. Fillmore would eventually make his way past Aprilia’s Benny Carlson, Troy Lee Designs’ Pingree and swap positions with teammate Herfoss before the end. Up front, Burkhart motored past Anderson through the whoops to take the lead.
With the charge still in full force just past the halfway point of the race, Mother Nature opened up spraying the entire track with droplets of water. The moisture saturated the thin layer of dust on the tarmac turning the track into snotty mess. With bikes starting to slip and slide as if they were riding across an ice rink, AMA officials called the race due to safety concerns. There wasn’t ample daylight remaining to allow the track to dry out enough for a restart, or time for racers to switch to rain tires.
When the race was called, the running order was Burkhart in front, followed by Anderson, Herfoss and Fillmore rounding out the top four. The race was considered a full event and the points were awarded according to positions when the race was called off.
In the Unlimited class, Nicoll held the KTM/HMC flag for the team. Winning his heat race fairly uncontested, Nicoll went into the main event with confidence. At the start of the race, KTM-mounted Travis Marks scooted out to an early lead followed by Nicoll and KTM rider Steve Drew.
Entering the stadium whoops section, Drew unleashed his skills and blitzed the section going from third to second in one fell swoop. Nicoll moved ahead of Marks as well during that same lap. With Drew leading the field, Nicoll was hot on his tail for most of the race and looked as if he was ready to make a move on the lead. But on this day, Drew was on his game and bested the veteran taking his very first Unlimited main event victory.
Back in the pack, full privateer KTM rider Josh Chisum rode his heart out taking the final podium spot. It was a hard day for Marks as his tire slowly went flat causing him to fall back in the field.
When the weekend was done, KTM/HMC riders scored two podium finishes and KTM riders filled five of the nine podium positions in the three classes of the weekend.
Look for KTM/HMC riders to take on the X Games at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California on August 3. From there the team heads to Connecticut for the Doug Henry New England Supermoto Grand Prix at Stafford Motor Speedway on August 9 in Stafford, Connecticut.
For information on Team KTM/HMC, go to www.hmcracing.com. To learn more about KTM motorcycles, check out www.ktmusa.com. Also take a look at www.XTRM.com/supermoto for a complete schedule of events for the 2008 XTRM/AMA Supermoto Series.
XTRM / AMA Supermoto Race Results 1. Mark Burkhart, Pataskala, Ohio, Yam 2. Cassidy Anderson, Provo, Utah., Hon 3. Troy Herfoss, Australia, KTM 4. Chris Fillmore, Oxford, Mich., KTM 5. David Pingree, Temecula, Calif., Hon 6. Ben Carlson, West Bend, Aprilia 7. Dalton Dimick, Fort Collins, Colo., Hon 8. Jason Conlon, Mount Airy, Md., Hon 9. Derek Costella, Las Vegas, Nev. Husq 10. Robbie Horton, Grovetown, Ga., Hon
XTRM/AMA Supermoto Unlimited Race Results 1. Steve Drew, Buckeye, Ariz., KTM 2. Kurt Nicoll, Murrieta, Calif., KTM 3. Josh Chisum, Bakersfield, Calif., KTM 4. Derek Costella, Las Vegas, Nev., Husqvarna 5. Micky Dymond, Placentia, Calif., Husqvarna 6. Darryl Atkins, San Clemente, Calif., Aprilia 7. Doni Wanat, Woodinville, Wash., KTM 8. Ryan Pugh, Tacoma, Wash., KTM 9. Monte Frank, Sapulpa, Okla., ATK 10. Chris Fischer, Thomaston, Conn., Aprilia
XTRM / AMA Supermoto Lites Race Results 1. Brandon Currie, Anaheim, Calif., Yam 2. Matt Burton, Ottumwa, IA., KTM 3. Dan Casey, Vallejo, Calif., Hon 4. John Lewis, Brandamore, Pa., Yam 5. Jamie Siever, Belle Plaine, Kan., KTM 6. Robert Loire, Salem, Wis., Yam 7. Casey Yarrow, Fairfield, Calif., Hon 8. Jacob Lehmann, Snohomish, Wis., Hon 9. Andrew Hyder, Pataskala, Ohio, Hon 10. Matt Abbott, Conyers, Ga., Hon
