2002 Timber Ridge Hare Scramble


Round 3 / IERA / District 22/ Moose Hare Scramble Series
Mapleton, IA June 9th

Tim & Cindy Anderson

 Converse Overall Winner

Over 88 riders converged on the awesome Timber Ridge Ranch in western Iowa for the third round of the Iowa Enduro Riders Hare Scrambles Series. This is a fantastic location for a hare scramble. The ranch is a pay per year private riding area owned by Richard and Ladonna Bowman. Once a year it is the sight of the Hill Blazers hare scramble. With sign-up, all riders received a commemorative tee shirt celebrating 30 years of racing events put on by the Hill Blazers Club.

There was 8.7 miles of singe track trail laid out. Complete with “THE MUD HOLE ” jump. This water trap was approximately 6 to 8 feet across and about 3 feet deep. The tricky part was that it was down hill all the way to a log ramp, which was used to launch over the water. It was also very soft down to the logs and if you made the jump you landed in another smaller mud hole. The top AA riders didn’t have too many problems but it was really interesting for many of the other riders. A great spectator point for the day! The alternate trail around was certainly easier but much longer. So, if you wanted to stay with the pack - you jumped and crossed your fingers. At the riders meeting this was announced and if you took the jump and made it you were a hero but if you took the alternate route you were a zero. 

This club is known for their typically bad starting areas and this year they chose their uphill, off camber start. The riders had a short 100 ft. straight uphill shot before hitting the woods. At the gunshot Scott Porter put his Racing Unlimited KX 250 into the lead around the first corner and into the woods. Some of the other AA and A riders weren’t so fortunate. AA rider Kirk Foster laid his GasGas on the ground creating a pile-up. Foster tried to get out of the way so he wouldn’t get run over but his bike didn’t fare so well. Any of the riders still up and not in the pile-up ran over it. Foster finally was able to pick his bike up after Gary Barber got his KTM untangled and headed into the woods after trying to straighten his tweeked bars. He started dead last in the first wave of riders and his day looked doomed. 

At the end of lap one Phil Converse had passed Porter to put his Moose / Smith / WER / Action Cycle Husquarna 250 in the lead. Making a 28 minute lap. Dave Campbell had his Nishna Valley Cycle CR450 in third. The shocker was Foster had moved his Iowa City Motorsports GasGas200 into forth. Gary Barber was fifth with his Motosports KTM300. 

At the end of lap two Converse still had the lead with Porter in second followed by Campbell in third. Foster still held the forth place position but Jarod Blackburn an A class rider had put his Yamaha into fifth. 

After being scored through the gates the riders again raced toward the previously mentioned mud hole. Campbell saw some boards laying on the water and thought they were a bridge. He tried to ride over them instead of jumping. When the boards parted Campbell quickly saw his mistake and twisted the throttle, getting his front wheel out before coming to a stop. His two “gimp armed friends” (Ron Less with broken collar bone and Tim Anderson with a broken wrist) grabbed hold to pull him out. As all this was taking place Foster passed him to take over third. 

Beginning the forth lap Converse was still leading followed by Foster. Porter had dropped to third and Campbell was in forth. Blackburn was still holding fifth. Foster had to gas and this allowed Porter back around him. At the end of the forth lap we saw Converse still at the point and Foster had moved back into second. Campbell was third, Porter forth, and Blackburn fifth. 

The top riders made five laps. Converse held onto the lead all day taking the overall easily. Foster ended the race in second with Campbell right on his tail. Porter had forth and Lonnie Ross moved up to fifth. 

The Hillblazers put on yet another fantastic event. Hope to see you next year.


Timber Ridge Results:

Overall A: Phil Converse

AA Class: 1.Kirk Foster 2.Dave Campbell 3.Lonnie Ross 4.Christopher Bloyer 5.Gary Barber 
6.Mark Burghardt 7.Scott McBurney

A Class: 1.Scott Porter 2.Jarod Blackburn 3.Adam Wyant 4.Jamie Driskell 5.Dustin Williams
6.Ben Cope 7.Jared Vesersdyk 8. Scott Vesersdyk

Senior A: 1.Chuck Neavin 2.Martin Algya 3.Brad Melick 4.Randy Gregerson 5.Dale Smith
6. Gary Welch 7.Roger Wyant 8.Richard Ronk

Super Senior: 1.Bob Brown 2.Quintin Davis 3.Mike Murphy 4.Jim Spencer

Overall B: Lucas Neavin

Little B: 1.Taylor Friesz 2.David Bordewy 3.Shannon Rieck

Big B: 1.Scott Sleck 2.Mike Adkens 3.Eric Coulter 4.Tony Swedburg 5.Lance Holly
6.Brad Krauth 7.Jason Driveinga 

Senior B: 1.Jeff Manley 2.Dave Coulter 3.Randy Jacobsen 4.Dave Hintermeister 5.Tim Theinn
6.Bruce Meyer 7.Jerry Travis 8.Wyatt Drew

Trail Rider: 1.Tyler Richardson 2.Steve Pohlmeier 3.Thomas Sullivan 4.Tim Sorenson
5.Lowell Underwood 6.Nathan Thompson 7.Lee Camenzind

If you enjoy this and the other articles by Tim and Cindy, Please be sure to thank them when you see them at the races.