2012 ECEA A-200 Enduro Champion

Photo by Kevin Novello

A Season in Review: ECEA A-200 Enduro Champion

Rider: Zack Huberty

Class Finish: 1^st A-200

The 2012 season has been one of the biggest learning experiences.  I started the year off with a lack luster finish at the opening round of the enduro series.  After getting beat, I was determined to turn the season around in order to go for the A-200 Championship.  Early on in the season, my confidence for being able to win was pretty low but things started to turn around when I raced the DER Enduro.  At the DER enduro, I finished one minute behind my biggest competitor in my class who I’ve struggled to challenge for the past year.  Then, at the RORR enduro, I was able to take my first A-200 win on a Vee Rubber Trials Tire at a muddy, technical event.  This started to build my confidence as I knew that I could win.  After buying a Specialized Hardrock mountain bike from Lee Rogers at Bicycle Therapy, another fire was lit within as Lee stressed the importance of fueling your body correctly.  With the help of my dad, I got set-up with a nutritionist at CCH, and I also started using Hammer Nutrition products with the help of Lee Rogers.  I started to dedicate my time to eating right, fueling my body correctly on race day, and fine-tuning bike set-up.  Before I knew it, I had five straight wins in the A200 class and started reeling in the possibility of the A200 championship.

            By the end of the season, I was able to win (7) races along with having (8) top 20 finishes with a 9^th overall finish at the GMER Enduro.  Going into the season, I had never won a race in the A-200 class so this year I have made big steps towards the possibility of AA.  Although my last two races of the season don’t show the same fire as in the summer, the speed is still there.  The last two races were unfortunate as I had two bike problems but you have to learn from your mistakes in order to build for next year.  Now that the season is over, I am happy to announce that I am the 2012 ECEA A-200 Enduro Champion.  It has been a long time coming and has required dedication in order to juggle college and school. 

            This year went fairly well, but I am already looking forward to seeing what I can do in 2013.  I will continue to follow the program I started in the summer along with some other additions in order to hopefully qualify for AA next year.  It is also my goal to win another championship.  As with every champion, there are a lot of people behind them.  I’d first like to thank my dad for all of his help this year as he pitted for me at most of the enduros (which isn’t the most exciting thing, but minimizes my stress on race day).  My dad was also the reason I got set-up with a nutritionist and when all others doubt me, he encourages me to keep going.  Additionally, I would like to thank Johnny Limp at Torc1Racing, Drew Smith at WER suspension for help with set-up and advice, Tech Tube, PowerSeal USA, Unabiker, FMF, Jerod Stoner at JS Designs for Jersey Lettering, Lee Rogers at Bicycle Therapy, EKS Brand Goggles, P3, MotoFIT, All Balls Racing, Sixsixone, Mika Metals, N-Style, Vertex Pistons, Fly Racing and Dale Spangler, Michelle at CCH, DT-1 Filters, Motorex, Hinson Clutch Components, Acerbis,  Clockwork KTM, Matto Cycle for frequent encouragement, The Kulp Family, my competitors, and all of my friends that have provided encouragement along the way.

For more information:
Check WER Suspension out on Facebook “Works Enduro Rider (WER)”

Check Zack Huberty out on Facebook “Zack Huberty”
Check Zack Huberty’s Blog http://zackhuberty323racing.blogspot.com/