Knight wins "The Tough One"

From David Knight Results Service

OSWESTRY, NORTH WALES -- Red Bull KTM Off Road Team’s US GNCC champion David Knight claimed his first race win of the ’08 season by dominating the fourth running of the WOR Events The Tough One race.

Already a three-time winner of Britain’s premier extreme hare scramble race Knight made it four wins from four starts with another impressive victory at the Nantmawr Quarry circuit. Joining Knight on the podium were Taddy Blazusiak and Wayne Braybrook in second and third places, respectively.

“It’s great to start the year with a win, and to continue my unbeaten run at The Tough One," Knight said. "I’ve been working hard since Christmas, and have probably ridden more than I did all of last year, so I knew I was ready for the race. A lot of people have been quick to shoot me down because of a few disappointing results at the end of last year. I wanted to win to show them that I’m ready for ’08."

Despite the much hyped and highly anticipated battle between KTM’s two extreme stars Knight and Blazusiak it was UK trials rider Michael Brown that provided the biggest challenge to Knight’s dominance. Winner of the Speed Trial event Brown earned a place in the main The Tough One race and was able to cross the event’s technical terrain much quicker on a trials bike than all other competitors on their enduro machines. He worked his way past Knight to earn himself £1000 for leading the race at the halfway stage before stopping.

Despite becoming one of a number of riders to fall on one of the tire sections early in the race Knight had things pretty much all his own way in and around the Nantmawr Quarry from the one-hour mark onwards. Second off the start he was soon past Braybrook and quickly started opening up a healthy lead while his eventual closest rival Blazusiak made several small but costly mistakes on the opening laps.

Comfortably ahead as darkness started to fall Knight maintained his lead to come within little more than 25 seconds of lapping Blazusiak.

Results Pro class
1. David Knight (Red Bull KTM Off Road Race Team) 14 laps
2. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 14 laps
3. Wayne Braybrook (Gas Gas) 13 laps
4. Paul Edmondson (Suzuki) 13 laps
5. Tom Sagar (KTM) 12 laps
6. Paul Bolton (Honda) 12 laps
7. Cyril Despres (KTM) 12 laps
8. Gordon Crockard (Gas Gas) 12 laps
9. Greg Evans (KTM) 11 laps
10. Juan Knight (Gas Gas) 11 laps