ODESSA, WA

Caldwell, Idaho's David Kamo (3, left) took home all the marbles from the 40th annual running of the Desert 100. Kamo, a member of the FMF/KTM Factory Off-Road Team, rode almost flawlessly to finish comfortably ahead of the runner-up, Kawasaki jockey Phil Stevens of Snohomish, Washington. Third, fourth and fifth overall, respectively, went to Suzuki rider Ryan Durkee of Salmon Arm, British Columbia, Canada, KTM pilot Billy Binckley of Arlington, Washington, and Honda-mounted Kelly Hill of Cle Elum, Washington.

Kamo, aboard his Dunlop/Renthal/KTM 450 XCF, overcame a monumental chain-reaction false start, reportedly overtaking 40 to 50 riders on the bomb run and reaching the end of the bomb in the top 20.

He continued picking off riders until about 17 miles into the first lap, when he grabbed the lead, which he would never relinquish. He reached the halfway point with a 40-second margin over second place.

When Asked beforehand, Kamo said he didn't know too much about the competition except that "there are a lot of fast Washington riders."

Following the race, Kamo commented: "I was happy to win the Desert 100... the biggest desert race in the Northwest! I was very bummed about the false start. I got to the bomb in 15th... [but] that 15th position felt like 80th!"

"You know, everything went pretty good except for the start," observed Stevens, the Desert 100 winner in 2003. "Got goin' and put together some solid lap times... just got out there and rode hard and rode my own race. It was a good course and a great race!"

"I started from way back and then was eating dust for about 10 or 15 miles," Binckley reported. "I passed a couple guys and got out of their dust, then... rode kind of by myself the whole time and finished fourth. I have to win one, because my uncle's won it, like, eight times!"

"Uncle Rich" Binckley of Woodinville, Washington, is indeed the winningest racer in the 40-year history of the Desert 100 (with seven victories, actually). He finished the 2010 edition 12th overall and first in the Old-Timers (40-49) class.

Once again, more than a thousand riders turned out for the Pacific Northwest's premier desert race, which, for Expert riders, featured two laps over a 49-mile loop.

Kamo scored a podium finish at round five of the AMA/Kenda National Hare & Hounds Series near Jericho, Utah. Immediately following that race, with assistance from a couple of friends and his mom, he traveled throughout the night from the southern Utah location to Odessa, about 70 miles west of Spokane, for the Desert 100. This was Kamo's second Desert 100 appearance. In 2007, he finished second, behind three-time event winner Kevin Parks of Cle Elum, Washington. Parks died while participating in an off-road race late in 2009. His memory was alive and well at Odessa, with lots of recollections and a weekend fundraiser for his family featuring a raffle for a 2009 KTM 450 XCF. The KTM was donated by Mike Hurlbert, owner of the RPM Racing/KTM factory support team based in Lynden, Washington.

Results

Two Laps

O/A: 1. David Kamo (KTM); 2. Phil Stevens (Kawasaki); 3. Ryan Durkee (Suzuki); 4. Billy Binckley (KTM); 5. Kelly Hill (Honda).

OPEN: 1. David Kamo (KTM); 2. Phil Stevens (Kawasaki); 3. Billy Binckley (KTM); 4. Matthew Clarke (Yamaha); 5. Joey Meranto (Honda).

0-200: 1. John Stevens (KTM).

250: 1. Ryan Durkee (Suzuki); 2. Kody Baker (KTM); 3. Dillon Bucknell (Yamaha); 4. Brent Larsen (Yamaha); 5. Corbett Crowell (Yamaha).

OVER THE HILL (30-39): 1. Kelly Hill (Honda); 2. Rob Flagler (KTM); 3. Rick Welch (Honda); 4. Titan McKibben (Yamaha); 5. Erik Hasselbroek (Kawasaki).

O/T (40-49): 1. Rich Binckley (Kawasaki); 2. Rod Virden (KTM); 3. Rick Mianecki (KTM); 4. Todd Sullivan (Honda); 5. Jeff Kerb (KTM).

TEAM: 1. Jesse Barstow/Erek Arnold (Yamaha); 2. Bill Baldwin/Billy Baldwin (KTM); 3. Doug Orkney/Mel Orkney (Yamaha); 4. Papa Sqerler/Scott Sqerler (Yamaha); 5. Zane Buchanan/Clinton Knight (KTM).

One Lap

S/SR (50-59): 1. Richard Welch (KTM); 2. Greg Burns (KTM); 3. Kevin Bise (KTM); 4. Tim Perry (KTM); 5. Dave Henden (Yamaha).

60+: 1. Dave Russell (KTM); 2. Kirk Gilbertson (KTM); 3. J.M. Dochstader (KTM.); 4. Ross Bailey (KTM); 5. Morris Williams (Yamaha).

70+: 1. Al Perrett; 2. Gordon White (KTM); 3. Jerry Gullickson (Yamaha); 4. Morris Edwards Sr. (KTM); 5. Norm Burns (KTM).

0-15: 1. Niko Gabaldo (Honda); 2. Tyler Peterson (KTM); 3. Trevor Mianecki (KTM); 4. Justin Grable (KTM); 5. Joshua Henden (Yamaha).

VINT: 1. Ricky Seylor (Yamaha); 2. Eric Pemble (Yamaha); 3. Todd Bohnet (Hus); 4. Steven Wilson (Honda); 5. Cory Root (Yamaha).

WMN: 1. Brandy Hollis (Yamaha); 2. Victoria Hett (KTM); 3. Shayla Fulfer (Yamaha); 4. Amanda Binckley (KTM); 5. Jessica Brown (KTM).