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| 27.08.2008 |
| KTM ATV team a fantastic second in Pont de Vaux 12-hour endurance race |
| KTM ATVs and their GNCC Pro factory team of Tim Farr, Adam McGill and Taylor Kiser made the opposition, the media and the public sit up and take notice when they crossed the checkered flag in second place in their first ever shot at Ponte de Veux. |
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The race, which began in 1987, is Europe’s biggest and toughest ATV event. It covered 12 hours of gruelling competition including three Le Mans-type starts and was spread over 48 hours- the occasion was a perfect opportunity to showcase the KTM sports ATVs in the hands of some of the world’s best riders. KTM was in the forefront of the action right from Saturday’s two hours of timed practice, recording the fastest lap, more than two seconds faster than their nearest rivals and clocking an average speed of 48 kmh.
The first session may have been reduced to 1.5 hours due to transponder scoring issues but at the end of the session, the KTM trio were in the lead lap and in second place. They charged into another five hours of night time racing that started at 8:00 p.m. and snatched the holeshot, going on to win the second session with three minutes to spare.
Regrettably technical difficulties sent the KTM FRE ATV back to the pits at the beginning of the final four hour session on Sunday afternoon. The trio returned to the track several laps down but with a Herculean effort, went on to complete 191 laps for second place just one lap shy of the eventual winners, the JU 115 Cantal + Team.
The weekend was a huge accomplishment for the KTM Team, especially for newcomers Adam McGill and Taylor Kiser. Tim Farr, KTM factory rider and 13-times ATV Pro Champion was competing for the first time since he won the event 10 years ago. Farr, a real legend in the world of ATV racing also raised eyebrows when he rode the KTM ATV to second place in the Erzberg Iron Road Prologue, finishing some 60 places better than any other ATV had achieved in earlier editions of that event.
KTM’s ATV Product Manager Georg Winkler praised the team and said he was confident that with the experience gathered this year KTM’s goal next year definitely has to be to finish on the first position.
The race today represents probably the most challenging competition of its kind and is a must for enthusiasts of ATV racing. In 2008 the Pont du Vaux hosted 112 teams from 16 countries. |
