Racing

XtraPix: Two-Wheel-Drive vs. Texas

Red Bull Last Man Standing, Take 2

March 5, 2007

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I didn't know what to expect when I signed up to race the Red Bull Last Man Standing using the AWD Christini. I had never ridden the bike so I had no idea how good (or maybe even bad) the bike would be. I knew there were benefits to using a two-wheel-drive motorcycle, but would those benefits be enough to get me across the finish line of what is rapidly becoming the toughest off-road race in the world?

This was my second attempt at the grueling enduro and this time I came more prepared, plus I actually had a strategy to ensure a good result. And it turned out, the Christini AWD was a big help in the technical terrain. Good thing, too, because the race was even harder than the inaugural race the previous year—just two riders completed the course in the required time.

Unfortunately 40 miles of bad trail is hard for photographers to cover so I didn't come back with an abundance of shots with the Christini in action. Bad news for web rats is that we used most of the action shots with the story in the April issue of CW. The good news, there was a ton of extra shots of other riders left over that do a good job of illustrating the demanding course and the difficulty of this race.

Justin Soule lies on the ground from exhaustion.

The Last Men Standing: Knight (left) and Braybrook atop the podium.

Knight at night: The Brit will compete on a regular basis in the U.S. this year.

Second-place man Braybrook in action.

Knight on the last obstacle before he is named Last Man Standing.

XtraPix: Two-Wheel-Drive vs. Texas

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Justin Soule lies on the ground from exhaustion.

The Last Men Standing: Knight (left) and Braybrook atop the podium.

Knight at night: The Brit will compete on a regular basis in the U.S. this year.

Second-place man Braybrook in action.

Knight on the last obstacle before he is named Last Man Standing.

The Christini two-wheel-drive, this one based on a Honda CRF250R, made the hard stuff easier.

Throw-your-bike-and-hope-it-makes-it technique was used throughout the race. Here, Cecil Parker gives up hope.

If you can?t get traction, try using your opponent?s bike. Sometimes, riders teamed up to get over tough sections.

Red Bull promoters put a rodeo-cross at the start of the race to filter the riders. Made good spectating.

No-outside-assistance rule meant most riders had to get their bikes up the hill on their own.

Thick mud bogged down bikes and riders. Here sit two more DNFs.

Elmer Symons shows his sliced finger, an injury he got while helping another rider over some rocks.

Mr. Knight struggling? Two-wheel-drive would have helped him get over this hill.

The U.K.?s Wayne Braybrook (left) and Knight chat before the race. Both are seriously fast.

Former MX?er Guy Cooper was back for action. Had there been a third place this year, Cooper deserved it.

The course ran next to the Red River that separates North Texas from Oklahoma.

The start, and eventual winner David Knight (far left) gets a jump on the field of 128 riders.

Jordan Brandt pulls his bike up the second part of ?Triple Threat.? In some sections, this was a rider?s only option.