Factory Beta Report - Powerline Park GNCC
Thursday, October 17, 2013 | 10:30 AM
Factory Beta racer Cody Webb won his first ever Endurocross this past Saturday night in Denver, Colorado. The Californian put himself in a good position by getting a good start on his Beta 300 RR and clicking of steady laps.
Webb hounded leader Colton Haaker right from the start, lap after lap the two pulled a slight advantage over the rest of the field. Haaker made a mistake on a technical rock turn allowing Webb to make the pass for the lead. While there were many changes in the race order behind him, Webb clicked off steady laps to take his first win in Endurocross.
"It was amazing to get my first Endurocross win in Denver. This was the same arena that got me started when I made my first main event back in '09. I had great feelings with the bike all day and knew I was going to have a good night. Stillwell Performance and I made some changes to my Beta 300RR and got the bike dialed perfectly. I was comfortable all night and the bike was perfect even at elevation. The cards finally fell in place for me, and it was awesome to get my first win! I cannot thank American Beta enough for taking their chances on me a few years ago and being able to grow with them, where we are at today." Webb explains.
Fellow Beta factory racer Max Gerston had a night he would rather forget. The likeable Arizona racer just missed the main event by two positions and is looking forward to redeeming himself at the next round in Everett, Washington on October 26th.
Webb's teammate Justin Sode traveled to Italy for the one-hundredth running of the ISDE Six Days. The young racer from Zanesville, Ohio raced his Beta 250 RR to earn a Gold Medal in the very competitive Club Team class. With very little rain in the area, conditions were dry and dusty for most of the event creating demanding conditions for the racers and their equipment. Sode's Beta soldiered on throughout the event with no issues.
Sode describes the event, "It was an honor to represent team USA at the ISDE in Italy this year, it was definitely a learning experience. Opening Ceremonies was awesome, walking through the towns with people cheering us on. I was a little nervous going into day one not knowing what to expect. There were three other racers on my row so I watched them to get a feel of the procedures. A majority of the test sections were all flat grass track, but there were a few test sections that were more along the line of a GNCC track. All and all I am very happy with how I did at six days and I hope I have the chance to do it again."
Sode and his new overseas teammate Robert Kvarnstrom prepped their bikes to race Round 12 of the Grand National Cross Country series held in Ohio last Sunday.
The event was Kvarnstrom's first GNCC experience. The Swedish racer aboard his 350 RR completed the first lap in fourth place pacing himself off of the leaders. A crash later in the event pushed the young racer back a few positions where he eventually finished in 11th position in the premier XC1 class.
Justin Sode raced his 250 RR in the XC2 class. Conditions were everything from mud holes to dust. While trying to make up ground after a slow start, he begin to pick riders off until a brake issue slowed him to an eventual 8th place finish.