The win was great pay
back for Graffunder who made the long trip from his home in British Columbia to compete in his first race of 2012. It was also Ryan’s first race aboard the new Husqvarna TXC 310. After competing in only a handful of endurocross style races previously, Graffunder was keen to continue honing his skills in Oregon and earned additional seat time by competing in the Expert Class and also by jumping into the fray of the Pro Class race.
“It was a great event and I could not have asked for a better weekend” said Ryan. “I felt good in practice and the new 310 was awesome. I got the hole shot in all my Expert races including the final. In the Expert final I was out front off the start, got passed by one rider in the first lap, but I got by him again quickly and then was able to stay out front for the rest of the race. I felt solid and just tried to stay smooth and consistent until I saw the checkered flag.”
In the Pro Class final, Graffunder nailed a top 3 start and then spent the remainder of the race battling with some of the regular endurocross Pros including, Cody Webb, Kevin Rookstool, Gary Sutherlin, Rory Sullivan and a gaggle of other seasoned competitors. Ryan rode strong and finished the Pro race in 6th position.
“I was excited to nail the Expert win” said Graffunder. “I was hoping I might be able to finish top 5 in the Pro Class but I am happy with my finish and know that I can improve. It was a great race and I learned a lot. It was definitely a great start to my season and I am looking forward to my next race”.
Ryan has been steadily honing his skills and experience over the last few years and is off to another great start in 2012. In addition to finishing 2nd Overall in the E3 Class of the 2011 Canadian Enduro Championship, last race season also saw Ryan nail the Top Pro Junior Award (for riders under 21) for the 3rd year in a row. Graffunder had claimed the same prize in 2009 and 2010.
Since 2007, Feeding Performance has supported more than a dozen of Canada’s top racers as they challenged the sport’s best competitors across Canada and in various countries around the globe, including; Austria, Brazil, Chile, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the United States.
In addition to impressive finishes at extreme events such as Erzberg, Hell’s Gate, Red Bull Romaniacs, Last Man Standing and Xtinction, FP supported riders have stormed their way to over 100 Pro Podiums, including multiple Championships and more than 40 Wins, in Regional and National competitions across Canada.
We are very grateful to our many amazing sponsors that provide us with the outstanding support that has allowed us to help raise the bar in Canadian off-road racing. Without them, none of it would be possible.
FP Racing Sponsors
Feeding Performance Inc., International Motorsports, Husqvarna North America, Rekluse, Ogio, Troy Lee Designs, Gaerne, UNI Filter, DID Racing Chain, LeoVince, GPR Stabilizer, EC3D, Impact Canopies, GoPro, Scorpion Racing, Schell Brothers, IMS, West Coast Transportation, Zip Ty Racing, Tuff As Gutz, Super B Batteries, CV Products, Powersport Grafx, AVS Inventions, Leatt Brace, TM Designworks, Matrix Concepts, DID DirtStar, Talon and Dubya Canada.
For more information please visit www.feedingperformance.com
