For the US Junior Trophy Team an ISDE victory were the spoils of their hard work and effort over the last six days. During that time they were tested over and over again competing for top honors in one of the most prestigious off-road motorcycle event in the world, the FIM Maxxis International Six Days Enduro.
Over the past six days they had to survive what the New Zealand ISDE had to throw at them. Hundreds and Hundreds of kilometers of trail, made up of mostly of narrow single and two track, that wound their way threw the Kinleith Forest, located just north of Taupo, New Zealand. They also had to survive ever changing weather that subjected them to cold, rain, wind and the occasional sun beam that shown through the clouds.
But when the flag dropped at the end of the final moto on Day-six it was mission accomplished. The US Junior Trophy Teams were World Champions! Officially the four-rider US Junior Trophy Team, made up of riders 23 and younger, finished 8:19.78 ahead of France. Australia finished third with a score of 11:54.2.
US Trophy Team rider Kurt Caselli, who finished second in his final moto test to Belgium’s Joel Smets, said, “This feels so good. We came here thinking we had chance of winning. Deep in my heart I new we could do it. It was a lot of hard work. We, Ricky (Dietrich), David (Pearson) and Russell (Bobbitt), all earned it. It was fun. It was hard work. It was another good Six Days.”
Caselli, and his teammates, spoke from the center of a crowd of friends, spectators and journalists who gathered at the finish line after the final ISDE motocross special test to meet the new ISDE Junior Trophy Team World Champions.
Dietrich, who finished second in the final E1 motocross special test behind Finland’s Juha Salminen, said, “ Everything went great here. I felt strong all six days. I had a couple of bad tests here and there. But in the final moto I felt strong. When I got here two weeks ago nobody knew who I was. Now they know who I am. ” Dietrich, who was also crowned the WORCS champion two weeks ago, lead his final moto for the first four laps before being passed by Salminen.
David Pearson also had a podium finish where he finished third in the final E3 motocross. “Oh yeah this feels good! When I went out for my final moto Kurt told me that we had already won so there was no pressure on me. I used to struggle with my final motocross tests and for the last couple of months Kurt and I have been working on my moto skills. We’ve mostly been concentrating on riding in ruts and it paid off.”
Russell Bobbitt, who was recently crowned the AMA National Enduro Series Champion said, “What a way to end the year. In my wildest dreams if you would have told me a year ago that I was going to be on the winning ISDE Junior Team and win a National (Enduro) Championship I would said no way. This feels awesome!”
In the World Trophy Team division Finland were the overall champions beating France by a score of time of 15:09.3. Spain finished third with a time of 29:56.83. Team USA ‘s World Trophy Team, made up of riders, Jimmy Jarrett, Paul Neff, Ron Schmelzle, Fred Hoess, Aaron Kopp and Eric Bailey finished 10th.
Over the past six days they had to survive what the New Zealand ISDE had to throw at them. Hundreds and Hundreds of kilometers of trail, made up of mostly of narrow single and two track, that wound their way threw the Kinleith Forest, located just north of Taupo, New Zealand. They also had to survive ever changing weather that subjected them to cold, rain, wind and the occasional sun beam that shown through the clouds.
But when the flag dropped at the end of the final moto on Day-six it was mission accomplished. The US Junior Trophy Teams were World Champions! Officially the four-rider US Junior Trophy Team, made up of riders 23 and younger, finished 8:19.78 ahead of France. Australia finished third with a score of 11:54.2.
US Trophy Team rider Kurt Caselli, who finished second in his final moto test to Belgium’s Joel Smets, said, “This feels so good. We came here thinking we had chance of winning. Deep in my heart I new we could do it. It was a lot of hard work. We, Ricky (Dietrich), David (Pearson) and Russell (Bobbitt), all earned it. It was fun. It was hard work. It was another good Six Days.”
Caselli, and his teammates, spoke from the center of a crowd of friends, spectators and journalists who gathered at the finish line after the final ISDE motocross special test to meet the new ISDE Junior Trophy Team World Champions.
Dietrich, who finished second in the final E1 motocross special test behind Finland’s Juha Salminen, said, “ Everything went great here. I felt strong all six days. I had a couple of bad tests here and there. But in the final moto I felt strong. When I got here two weeks ago nobody knew who I was. Now they know who I am. ” Dietrich, who was also crowned the WORCS champion two weeks ago, lead his final moto for the first four laps before being passed by Salminen.
David Pearson also had a podium finish where he finished third in the final E3 motocross. “Oh yeah this feels good! When I went out for my final moto Kurt told me that we had already won so there was no pressure on me. I used to struggle with my final motocross tests and for the last couple of months Kurt and I have been working on my moto skills. We’ve mostly been concentrating on riding in ruts and it paid off.”
Russell Bobbitt, who was recently crowned the AMA National Enduro Series Champion said, “What a way to end the year. In my wildest dreams if you would have told me a year ago that I was going to be on the winning ISDE Junior Team and win a National (Enduro) Championship I would said no way. This feels awesome!”
In the World Trophy Team division Finland were the overall champions beating France by a score of time of 15:09.3. Spain finished third with a time of 29:56.83. Team USA ‘s World Trophy Team, made up of riders, Jimmy Jarrett, Paul Neff, Ron Schmelzle, Fred Hoess, Aaron Kopp and Eric Bailey finished 10th.
