Raga Tops Lampkin in World Trials Competition in Tennessee

Shan Moore | May 21, 2006

After finishing runner up at the opening two rounds of the FIM World Trials Championship Series held in Spain and Portugal, Adam Raga (pictured) claimed his first wins of the season by topping both days of competition at the GP of America, held at the Trials Training Center, in Sequatchie, Tennessee. Both days of the event featured sections that were very long and extremely slippery, but that didn’t seem to bother the Gas Gas-mounted defending World Champion as he easily outdistanced a world class field which included seven-time World Champion Dougie Lampkin.

On Saturday, Raga cleaned the opening section of the day, one the drew five-point penalties from many of the others, including Lampkin and his Montesa teammate Takahim Fujinami, and then steadily pulled away to take the win by six points over Lampkin. Beta-mounted Toni Bou finished third, another seven points back.

On Sunday, Raga again led from start to finish, finishing the 15-section, two-lap course with a total of 24 points. Lampkin again finished in the runner up position, after dropping 41 points for the day, while Spanish Gas Gas rider Jeroni Fajardo finished third with 46.

After three rounds, Raga holds a 10 point advantage in the series over Lampkin (74 to 64), with Bou (58), Fujinami (51) and Fajardo (50) occupying third through fifth in the standings.

Rounds five and six of the AMA/NATC US National Trials Series were held in conjunction with the world championship event in Tennessee and on Saturday, Californian Cody Webb claimed his first-ever national win by topping his Sherco USA teammate Bruce LeRiche for the win. Defending US Champ Geoff Aaron had a day to forget about and ended the competition in third.

On Sunday, Aaron jumped out to a strong early lead after the opening lap, but nearly blew it after posting an inflated second lap, however the nine-time champ held on to best Webb by a single point to take the win, his fourth of the year. LeRiche again finished third another 12 points back.

Shan Moore | Contributing Editor

Moore covers all facets of off-road racing for Cycle News – from AMA Supercross and Motocross to GNCC and National Hare Scrambles events.