KTM rider Charlie Mullins took on the elements and the competition and came away with a big-time win at the 2013 AMA KENDA Big Sky Off-Road National Championship presented by KLIM at the Big Sky Ski Resort in Big Sky, Montana.
Set along several of the ski runs that run up and down the Big Sky Ski Resort, the race featured plenty of the pitfalls normally associated with mountainous terrain: high altitude, loose rocks and narrow trail on the side of steep cliffs. However, Mullins seemed oblivious to the dangers and wicked up his FMF/KTM-back 450 XC-F, turning a small lead on lap one into a two-minute margin at the finish, nearly three hours later.
“The only problem I had all race was I came into the “rock garden” section and there were lappers in my usual line so I tried to go straight up the rocks and I got hung up about halfway,” said Mullins. “I lost about five seconds there but I was able to get going again without killing my engine or falling over.”
Bakken came from back in the pack to claim second, passing Am Pro Yamaha’s Jordan Ashburn on the final lap to do so. Meanwhile, Ashburn held second for the last half of the race, but suffered a flat on the final lap before succumbing to Bakken’s charge.
Fourth went to West coast off-roader Ricky Russell, who held down second for most of the first half of the race, however, the Am Pro Yamaha-backed rider said he “hit a wall” with two laps to go and gave way to Bakken and Ashburn.
GNCC racer Rory Sullivan came on strong in the end to nip former WORCS champ Taylor Robert for fifth. Robert said after the race that it felt like he was riding a hard tail, and that he came into the race with an incorrect suspension setting.
In its first year with national championship status, the Big Sky Cross-country is a unique event held in a beautiful location. And like most extreme races, it is challenging and exciting, with the racecourse winding its way from the 8000-foot pit area next to the lodge, to over 10,000 feet at the highest point, running up and down the many ski runs on the property.
Another interesting aspect of the event is that, much like the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Motocross Championship does with amateur motocross racing, the Big Sky XC crowns amateur national off-road racing champions from around the country racing in a wide range of classes.
Big Sky Off-Road National Championship
Big Sky, Montana
Results: August 25, 2013
Overall
1. Charlie Mullins-KTM
2. Brad Bakken-Yam
3. Jordan Ashburn-Yam
4. Ricky Russell-Yam
5. Rory Sullivan-Kaw
6. Taylor Robert-Kaw
7. Grant Baylor-KTM
8. Ryan Turner
9. Ryan Belue-Yam
10. Michael Rosengren
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