Canadian Enduro series gears up

From World Enduro Canada

This year marks a new chapter in Canadian off road history with a true National Enduro Series that will put the top Western riders against the best in the East.

The World Enduro Canada (WEC) sanctioned Canadian Enduro Championship (CEC) will utilize the European enduro format used in the ISDE and World Championship series with separately scored two-day events running on a closed course with electronically timed special tests determining the winner.

Currently the rider considered to be one of the fastest in Canada is Jake Stapleton, an Australian who competed successfully in the World Championship for a few years before moving to Canada. Stapleton immediately raised the level of competition in Canada with his speed and it will be interesting to see him go head to head against the top western Canadian riders like Cory Grafunder and Shane Cuthbertson.

Stapleton’s Yamaha teammate Brian Wojnorowski, who has been a successful Six Days rider and last year’s Canadian Enduro Champion will be pushing for the podium at every event. Other top contenders will be the boys from Quebec -- Guy Giroux, Alan Lachapelle and Patrick Beaule -- and the Americans who enjoy coming north to try and take home trophies.

The Canadian motorcycle industry has fully embraced the new series. Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, KTM and BMW have all gotten on board. Brian Kurtz Trucking and West Jet are the official transportation sponsors.

In order to reduce travel time and expense the rounds will be run on back to back weekends so riders traveling across the country can do the two “away” rounds in a bit over a week. To reduce riders' costs even further World Enduro Canada has sweetened the pot by waiving the entry fees for the riders who cross the Manitoba/Ontario border to get to their respective “away” rounds.

The locations and dates are: Pincher Creek, AB July 4-5; Okanogan Valley, BC July 11-12; Labelle, QC Sept. 12-13; Parry Sound, ON Sept. 19-20.

World Enduro Canada in partnership with sponsor Brian Kurtz Trucking has made it easy and cost effective to get motorcycles and equipment to the “away” events. For $700 bike and gear (rate includes space for a gear bag, gas can and spare tires) gets a round trip voyage to either the two western rounds in July or for the western riders, the two eastern rounds in September.

Riders will deliver their bike and gear to one of the specified drop locations where Kurtz Trucking will load it up and deliver directly to the paddock of both events. This will be a dedicated truck that will stay at the events and depart for the second event only when all the riders have had a chance to get their bikes ready for the next race. It will then arrive at the second event a day or two in advance.

For the Eastern riders they will be able to drop/pick up their motorcycles at either KTM head office in Montreal or at Brian Kurtz Trucking in Guelph, ON. The drop off window in Quebec will be June 15–23 and for Ontario riders June 22–26. The bikes will then be available to pick up after July 20.

The pick up and drop locations for the Western rounds are at Southwest Motorrad in Kelowna, BC and Outback Motoextreme in Taber, AB. The drop off window will be Aug. 17-21. The pick up dates will be after Oct 1.

There is limited space available on the truck so it is important to make a reservation as early as possible. A $200 deposit is required to secure the reservation. For more information or to book a reservation please contact Trevor Wideman at Brian Kurtz Trucking tjw@kurtztrucking.com or 519-836-5821.

For further information on the series go to the World Enduro Canada website www.worldendurocanada.com.