2022 Tecate Enduro Results

| December 8, 2022

Anson Maloney claims overall win, while Ivan Ramirez makes amazing comeback.

Anson Maloney at 2022 Tecate Enduro — **Anson Maloney turned up the heat late in the race and came away with the overall win.**

Words and Photography by Mary Rinell

This year marked the 61st year of the Los Ancianos Motorcycle Club’s annual Tecate Enduro. This iconic race remains elite, limited to 300 racers with entries selling out in a matter of hours, and those who were lucky enough to nab an entry were treated to 95.7 miles of mostly fresh-cut single-track featuring three loops, all winding steadily through the relentless cactus, brush and boulder-strewn terrain of Northern Baja.

Dust was relentless throughout the technical course, and riders were limited to low gears as they clawed their way through to the finish line at Hacienda Santa Veronica in El Hongo. The first to claim the checkered flag in just over four hours was Mojo Motorsport Race Team’s Anson Maloney (KTM). Known for his many ISDE appearances as well as his self-run training facility (Maloney Training Facility), Maloney led his team to a 1-2 finish with Anthony Ferrante claiming second on the day. A victory by Pro National Hare & Hound racer Ashlee Gage in the women’s class made it a great day all around for the Mojo Motorsport Race Team, serving as a clear testament to the caliber of the Maloney Training Facility.

Anthony Ferrante at 2022 Tecate Enduro — **Anthony Ferrante was a close second overall.**

In grand tradition of the Los Ancianos (Spanish for “the Ancient Ones”), the club named a grand marshal for the event; this year being Destry Abbott, a former Tecate Enduro winner and multi-time desert racing champion. In typical Abbott fashion, they made it a family affair, with Destry’s daughter Kelsey lining up for the Women’s class and father, Boyd, along for support. Destry flagged off all the racers and then jumped his bike and rode sweep.

“First loop was pretty good,” Anson said of his winning ride. “I got a dead-last start and had to battle through the pack, so I was lucky to finish right behind Justin [Morgan], and I ended up winning [the first loop]. Then second loop I got a second-place start, and I liked that loop a lot, but it was a little faster than what I prefer.

“I ended up catching Justin about halfway through the loop and just got stuck following him in the dust. The final loop I was super fortunate to finally have gotten the holeshot and that loop was my jam! It was all rocky and nasty and kind of tight, slow and technical. I caught up to the front row and was able to get around and took the lead, so I knew I had it in the bank if I just finished the race, so that’s what I did!”

Ferrante came into the finish in just over seven minutes behind Maloney, offering a similar recount.

“The first loop I just tried to do my thing and let the race come to me,” Ferrante said. “Justin [Morgan] got the holeshot on me, so I was sitting second and just tried my best to keep it off the ground and get loosened up to avoid arm pump. I finished less than a minute behind him, then I finished second behind him again on the second loop, still less than a minute [behind]. I just sat in his dust both loops so finally the last loop I got a really good start and was able to get out in front of him and put it down!”

Although the Mojo Motosport teammates took the top two podium positions, the most inspired finish of the day was turned in by third-place finisher, Red Bull Factory KTM’s Ivan Ramirez. The former AMA National Hare & Hound Champion has been on the recovery list for six long years due to a fierce battle with Lyme disease, and the last-minute decision to come to Tecate was his debut return to racing after the illness kept him, at times, close to death’s door for so many years.

Ivan Ramirez at 2022 Tecate Enduro — **Local hero Ivan Ramirez, who has been sidelined with health issue for the past six years, hopped back on the bike and got an impressive third overall.**

“I’ve been out for six years battling Lyme disease,” he said. “So this is my first race back since 2016.”

When asked how it felt to be back on a podium he replied, “Amazing. At the beginning of my diagnosis, I thought I wouldn’t ever be able to ride a bike again, so just to be out here and be able to ride again—it’s a big, big win for me. Being able to actually race at a professional level, is unbelievable, I am so grateful. I haven’t trained in six years; I haven’t been healthy enough. I decided two weeks ago as I feel kind of good. I did treatment on Monday, and planned the week so I could feel okay by Friday.

“This experience—this is just—a big win for me.”

Ramirez first raced the Los Ancianos annual event when he was just 11 years old on an 85cc, and is one of the most beloved racers to ever grace the Tecate Enduro grounds.

“I have a new appreciation for life now, so I’d say I’m a little tougher than before,” said Ramirez. “I literally dealt with death a lot when I was really ill. There were times I didn’t know if I would make it out of this disease, so just to be out here is a huge accomplishment. I had some mental barriers during the race that I had to like, just motivate myself and stay calm and be patient and told myself ‘you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine.’ And I know Kurt [Caselli] was watching over me the whole race. I thought I wasn’t even going to finish after loop two because I was pretty much done, the longest that I’ve ridden at home is like an hour and a half, and so other than Kurt, I don’t even really know what made it possible today.

“I really have to thank all my friends, family and sponsors for sticking with me through these tough years: Red Bull Factory KTM, Troy Lee Designs, Oakley, Alpinestars, CTI Knee Braces and Ramirez Logistics.”

Anson Maloney and Anthony Ferrante at 2022 Tecate Enduro — **Maloney and Ferrante celebrate their 1-2.**

Clayton Roberts and Justin Morgan rounded out the top-five in the Pro class, and Open-class racer Kyle Boardman rounded out the top-10 overall for a remarkable win. The Vet crown went to William Zak in 12th overall, and the Senior-class win went to Clint Bornholdt in 22nd overall. Other notable class winners were Jeremy Shoning (Super Senior) in a remarkable 29th overall, and Tecate legend Larry Roeseler capped the Masters class, finishing just behind Women’s class winner Ashlee Gage.CN