PNG dominates the SoCal Endurance and Enduro

The 2020 SoCal 6 & 12 hr Endurance XC and Enduro season opener kicked off this weekend at Vail Lake, CA, and the PNG athletes came in ready to do battle. Our PNG Family was on site for the entire weekend of racing with hydration and gels to make ensure the athletes were hydrated and fueled for the weekend racing. Our local junior athletes made it known that age is just a number, and they came to play!

The course was fast, and weather was perfect for a day of racing. The first waive of  elite Men went out hard, leading the pack but as the dust settled the “Ferrandis Pass” team of Robert Zachwieja and Raulito Gutierrez started to separate from the pack, while the team of Blake Wray and young Zach Martinez kept them honest lap after lap. Lap times were 36 minutes plus, and with the high pace the 2 man teams put in 9 laps over 5:50 min. Skyler Conway and Hannah Wray came away with the overall win in the Women's two person team race with 6 laps and an overall time of 5:50.

In the 4 person 12 hour race, the Temecula Valley High School (TVHS) team dominated the competition taking the win with 17 laps and a total time of 11:50. The TVHS Ladies held there teammates accountable by owning the competition with an impressive 13 laps in 11:48.  The newbies on the TVHS team dominated the “true beginner” class, taking the top 9 positions in the 1 lap race.    

Sunday was the first round of the SoCal Enduro season and just like the XC race, we stacked the deck (podium) in multiple classes. PNG ambassador Cade Calonder was our top rider of the day battling for the overall pro class win until he got edged out by :05 seconds in the last stage by Chris Powell. Other notable finishes cam from Zane Fletcher finishing a solid 4^th, Ryan Landis was 8^th and Incycle Team rider Justin Duryee was just outside the top 10.  In the Vet Pro Class Chad Hubbard, co-founder Mike Sleeter and Mike Diorio swept the podium.

After a long two days of racing we couldn’t be more happy with how the weekend went for us. It was great to put a face to the names of those who support us and to see the athletes of all ages and abilities striving to be their best. The attitudes and commitment motivate us to continue making quality products and produce content for all of you to enjoy. We look forward to the rest of the season and hope to meet more riders and families that share the same vision as us. Until next time.