Desert Rallying with Team FrontRow GB...
When you're the UK's biggest Desert Motorcycle Racing Team, you want results. Every second counts. That’s why you need the fastest riders, perfect bikes, the ultimate support vehicles and the best clothing.
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FrontRowGB kit includes
02/02/2009 - An quick interview with Stan on his victorious return home.
We were lucky enough to catch up with Stan last week and this was the result.
17/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 14 The Final Day
Stans race ended as it began with him pushing as hard as he could and finishing the day in 18th place on the stage. Another great ride!
Sadly, and rather confusingly, Stans revoked penatly of 4 hours has today been 'un-revoked' and his final position which was 20th overall has now dropped to 38th place...
Clearly Stan is delighted to have finished The Dakar at his first attempt, but there are confused undertones tonight as the team try to find out exactly what happened regarding the time penalty. Only time will answer that question, we hope to have more information for you tomorrow possibly re-instating Stans top twenty placing...
16/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 13 La Rioja - Cordoba
Another massive day transporting the riders over 800km towards Cordoba was again cut short due to excessive rain fall leaving the riders around with a 364km liason stage to get to the original CP4 where the racing stage of 220km began.
Mainly marked pistes and paths today the open dunes and trackless terrain of the past few days have now gone leaving a sense of relief to those still in the race. On stages nine and ten alone the rally lost over 20 riders and there seems a clear agreement between competitors that years years event has been particularly brutal even with its plethora of shortened stages.
The great news today for Stan was that the four hour time penalty announced after stage 10 has now been revoked. His starting position today was 23rd place and he is now the UKs top placed rider after Mick Extance WAS allocated a 4 hour penatly?1?
There is no doubt that Stan will now be pushing hard for a top 20 placing in his first Dakar, an amazing achievment given the the severity of this years course and his relative lack of experience. Lets just hope there is no one else who needs helping over the final day so that Stan get the opportunity to take back the 10 mins he needs from the riders ahead to take that top 20 position!!!
Keep watching here to find out.
15/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 12 Fiambala - La Rioja
A special stage of 254 km through 'significant' sand dunes greeted the riders today followed by a 261km liason section to reach the bivouac.
Towards the end of the racing this afternoon Stan received a 4 hour time penatly for missing a hidden checkpoint. At this time we believe this is an error created by a broken Iritrack system after a crash earlier in the day but are waiting to hear full details of a decision from the ASO. Fingers crossed...
Stans other major news for the day was spending an hour helping anther KTM690 rider (an Argentinian) dig his bike out of the, 'only swamp in the country'!
Stan will be unlikely to get his time back for this act of generosity and it could potentially cost him a top twenty position if the four hour time penalty is revoked tomorrow. Although Stan is very much a racer he also a great believer in the ethos of the Dakar and felt it would be wrong to ride past a fellow competitor in trouble regardelss of the cost to himself. This is the second time he has acted this way in the 2009 Dakar and his selfless acts make us very proud of him.
Go Stan!!!!!!!
14/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 11 Copoapo - Fiambala
A crucial Marathon stage of the event taking the competitors over a 12000ft pass into Argentina was 'neutralised' today because of a poor weather forecast leading to a lack of medical support helecopters.
No competition will take place today, normal racing services will resume tomorrow...
13/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 10 Copoapo - Copiapo
Today was the longest stage of the Rally and a great opportunity to make up time over weaker or slower riders. Most teams were looking at it as the crux of the rally (barring mechanical issues).
Stan shot off the line after a 2 hour delayed start due to fog and soon showed he was in racing form racing form by an unbelieveably metioric rise through the field as the day wore on.
- Start 40th
- Km 87.0 29th
- Km 178.0 27th
- Km 222.0 24th
- Km 463.0 19th
- Km 530.0 17th
- Km 607.0 16th
- Finish 26th
Infuriatingly he suffered some issues in the last 70km dune section when he forward rolled his bike smashing large parts of his navigational equipment. This clearly led to some time off the bike recovering (again!) and then a slower run into the finish as Stan had to take far more care over his navigation with so much damage to his kit. Sadly the last 70km cost Stan a hard won 30 min buffer between him and Mick Extance.
Late News: As Stan came into the final checkpoint of the day the ASO are saying that he missed a hidden checkpoint on the summit of a dune. A penalty of 4 HOURS! was applied for this mistake and Stans position has been corrected accordingly...
News from Stan suggests that he did visit the checkpoint and was seen there by other riders but his damaged navigational equipment failed to register the event. He will be protesting his penatly and I'm sure we'll see him back fighting for the top 20 once the matter has been cleared up.
12/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 9 La Serena - Copiapo
88km of non-competitive section today led to 449km of tough riding through 500m dunes, rocks, feche feche, winding tracks and some dodgy road books to add to the confusion!
Stan fought a steady battle gaining and losing as the long day went on, as high as 28th at one point his final placing of 41st left him at 23rd overall and in a commanding position for the hardest day of the event tomorrow.
Sadly the day saw Stan lose more time to Mick Extance who is now 36 mins ahead and only time will tell if Stan has the pace to pull the time back and become the fastest UK rider...
Late breaking news told us that Stan had a rock break his gear lever and then in a seperate incident broke his brake lever in a minor fall. These two minor issues cost him 30 mins and his lead. Stan seemed keen to get to grips with tomorrows stage and make up the time...
11/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 8 Valparaiso - La Serena
You can almost feel the building tension today as the riders head north along the coast from an early 04.25 start. A 245km liasion stage led into a 294km special through winding gravel tracks and then onwards 113km to La Serena, the start of the Atacama desert stages.
In every Dakar there are a series of consecutive days designed to physically and mentally batter riders into submission. During this part of the race as many as 30% of the field often retire. Over the next two days 1000km of racing with almost no liason stages will enter the riders into that phase.
For Stan Watt yesterdays rest day was spent having over 1 pint of blood removed from a damaged knee so his steady pace today holding his 25th position is a wise tactical move as he nurses his injury and shores up his strength reserves for the ordeal ahead.
Tomorrow the racing that will seperate the mere men from the racers begins...
10/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 7 Mendoza - Valparaiso
A break this evening allowed time for a call to Stan to find out what's been happening over the last few days. News regarding Jon Stampers crash suggests that his injuries include a broken collarbone and a dislocated shoulder. Our best wishes go out to him, get well soon Jon.
Stan explained his slightly slower pace yesterday was indeed due to a change of strategy allowing him to rest a little and take it easy before pushing hard after the rest day tomorrow.
Sadly the best laid plans dont always work out as you hope! 147km from the end of todays stage Stans banjo bolt pulled off his clutch hose after contact with some bushes and left him without a clutch as he battled through km after km of soft sand. His final placing today of 25th sees him behind Mick Extance for the first time but Stan sounds more than ready for the challenge of the longer days ahead...
09/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 6 San Rafael - Mendoza
The day started today with some odd news. Because of the devastation caused by stage 5 the start was postponed twice, finally starting three hours late. In addition to this Stage 5 was 'annulled' letting riders who had failed to reach the time cut off the previous day rejoin the rally...As if that wasnt enough flash floods further up the track made the days route impossible as a river became impassible and the planned 624km of the day became a much shorter 178km!
Stan had a steady days riding today arriving in 39th place, perhaps calming down a little from his early surges after Jons untimely exit yesterday. He wasnt the only rider slowing a little, fellow USA Klim sponsored rider Jonah Street also rode a less than speedy stage down from 1st place on stage yesterday to 11th today. We've yet to hear reasons for Stans steady performance but its certainly a double edged sword. It leaves him down in 22nd place only 6 mins ahead of his UK rival Mick Extance(23rd)today but after a mere 178km he'll be super fresh and ready for a race in the morning!!!
more news to come on todays racing as soon as we hear anything...
08/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 5 Neuguen - San Rafael
Stage 5, the hardest day in a Dakar Rally for years...as some called it.
171 bikes started the 505km of timed stage today. A mixture of tracks, no tracks, and big sand dunes made for a truly testing day that left the field decimated with only 129 finishers out of 158 starters.
Stan held his 20th place over the day but fought hard for it against the advice of the team coach. As the UK's leading rider Stan flew the flag well for Britain but is slowly being caught by Mick Extance the second UK rider a mere 13 mins behind. Stan said he ejoyed the riding but was, 'a little tired by the end of the day'!
After a good steady early pace Jons ride ended in disaster after an accident which saw his bikes front end and navigational equipment badly damaged and a potential series of broken bones including collar bone and ribs. We havnt got full details of the situation yet, but know that Jon managed to drag his bike to the side of the track away from harm and sit in the shade for 5 hours awaiting the dreaded sweeper truck. We'll be sad to see Jon go, a year of hard effort should be rewarded with more than 5 days of riding...maybe next year?
07/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 4 Jacobacci - Neuguen
Stage 4 turned out to be 'the day the Dakar got started'!
A wilderness day without tracks and trails in some areas with miles of pampas grass, river crossings, and many treacherous pot holes and boulders. A navigation nightmare with tough riding thrown in for good measure.
Stan charged hard early in the day and made good ground over the 459km of timed stage. By the 300km point he was riding at 18th, his highest placing yet and fast enouge to move him into the top twenty if he continued pushing hard.
Approximately 20km further on a fellow rider fell hard in a dried riverbed and was clearly badly injured. Despite his placing Stan stopped and offered assistance to the other rider for 45 mins until a medical evacuation could take place. Finishing at 76th Stan was obviously upset by his lower placing but soon cheered up as the time was checked on his Iritrack unit and he was given back 40 mins putting him in 20th overall place!
Jon rode a steady paced race today finishing in 105th place overall after an unsettled day.
06/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 3 Puerto Madryn - Jacobacci
Stage 3 was the first day of the event taking place in Patagonia one of the wildest and most remote places on the planet. There was a series of ten lakes to negociate and the riders informed us that the terrain changed noticably from the flat scrubland of the past few days to a far more hilly oulook.
The second longest special of the rally the 550km of racing today was sandwiched between two short liason sections, a good job most of the riding was open flat tracks. Despite the relative ease of the first few days the Dakar had already lost over 30 bikes retired even at this early stage.
Stan continued his charge today by for the first time stayed put on the leader board blaming a small navigational error for his lack of progress up the leader board.
Jon put in an amazing day and pushed as hard as he dared to move up the leader board to 76th place after a totally 'perfect' day of navigation.
A quote from the team, 'The easier days are now over and the true wilderness sections begin tomorrow. Stuart and Gordon have done a great job on the bikes and machinery and all are running as well as can be expected and both Jon and I are loking forward to the days ahead.'
05/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 3 Puerto Madryn - Jacobacci
Stage 3 was the first day of the event taking place in Patagonia one of the wildest and most remote places on the planet. There was a series of ten lakes to negociate and the riders informed us that the terrain changed noticably from the flat scrubland of the past few days to a far more hilly oulook.
The second longest special of the rally the 550km of racing today was sandwiched between two short liason sections, a good job most of the riding was open flat tracks.
Stan continued his charge today by for the first time stayed put on the leader board blaming a small navigational error for his lack of progress up the leader board.
Stans day went steadily but well and he gained another two places leaving him in 27th position ready to start day 3. Jon put in an amazing day and pushed as hard as he dared to move up the leader board to 76th place after a totally 'perfect' day of navigation.
The easier days are now over and the true wilderness section begin tomorrow. The Mechanics tell us that all the bikes and machinery are running as well as can be expected and both riders are ready for the days ahead..
04/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 2 Santa Rosa - Puerto Madryn
Stage 2 was an unusual one with an immediate 235km competitive section followed by a 600km liason designed to move the riders out to the less populated areas in the east and away from the cities.
Another easy navigation day the battle nevertheless started early with difficult tyre and mousse choices making the day more complex then it need have been.
Stans day went steadily but well and he gained another two places leaving him in 27th position ready to start day 3. Jons day went very poorly and he was annoyed with himself for some bad navigation choices earliy in the stage that left him at 157th place.
Both riders are keen to move on to the more serious days ahead.
03/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 Stage 1 Buenos Aires - Santa Rosa
Stage 1 today was a typical Dakar opener with a 196km liason stage leading to a 371km competitive and a 166km liason out to the bivouac for the night.
Traditionally a spectators stage with simple navigation to allow the competitors to settle into the race today was no different.
Stan came in today in 29th place 47 mins behind the leader Coma and Jon follwed after in 119th place (out of 235) after an easy day.
I'm not sure what team coach Derrick Edmondson will make of Stans hurried entry to the race but I dont think there will be many people who know Stan personally suprised to see him pushing hard from the start!
01/01/2009 - The Dakar 2009 begins in two days.
After a hard year of training including some significant placings in other international events the FrontRowGB riding team of Jon Stamper and Stan Watt are finally in South America after passing scrutineering and are ready to take on the biggest race of them all, The Dakar 2009.
In addition to the two riders the rest of the team are also in place including Stuart Walker, manager of Walker Ecosse and Gordon Macdonald the team mechanic.
At this time the two new KTM 690 Rallyes are fully prepped set up and ready to roll and only an uneasy quiet broken by the odd top popping off a beer bottle separates the team from the start line...
04/05/2008 - The Optic 2008 is over, FrontRowGB return home with their heads held high as Stan Watt takes a podium place!!!
Finally, lets not forget the people whe made the Optic2008 possible (undoubtably the true unsung heroes of these events).
Our thanks go to Team Manager Stuart Walker of, 'Walker Ecosse', for his time and support with his MAN 6x6 Motorsport Support truck without which the Optic 2008 would have been considerably harder.
Thanks to Gordon MacDonald and his amazing skills as a mechanic for giving up his day job and lots of sleep to ensure the smooth running of the bikes for day after day in the extreme desert conditions.
And finally to Scott Gardener without whom the bikes suspension setups and tuning would not have been capable of achieving such fantastic placings.
THANK YOU!!!
If you have anymore questions about the guys who raced, or made this possible, check out the homepage of the UK's most sucessful desert racing team ever at www.FrontRowGB.com .
03/05/2008 - Stan Watt rides Adventure-Spec gear to Victory!!!
Stan in Adventure-Spec KLIM gear racing in virgin Libyan dunes
A tense final day saw many more competitors drop out of the rally as the strain of 4200km of racing in some of the worlds harshest terrain took its toll.
The most significant of these dropouts was undoubtably Oscar Polli who was unlucky enough to experience TWO broken chains over the stage dropping him from 2nd to 14th place overall.
Stans agressive but consistent stage times throughout the event allowed him to take advantage of Oscars misfortune and move up to 3rd overall as well as leading his 450cc+ production class.
Derricks time today placed him 12th overall and 4th in his class. A excellent ride.
Jon rode in to 24th place overall and 9th in class, a fine effort on an international rally against factory teams!
FrontRowGB rider Stan Watt achieved the following:
- 1st in 450cc+ Production Class
- 3rd Overall Rider
- 1st KTM
- Highest placed UK rider EVER in an FIM International Rally
- Stan is now 3rd in the FIM World Rally Championship Standings
Nice One Stan!!
Stage 9 : The last day of the rally
30/04/2008 - Stage 8 Despite mechanical problems FrontRowGB have an excellent days racing!
The middle of the pack pushing hard in the sand...
Another great start for Stan Watt saw him leading the rally by waypoint 2 only to suffer a mechanical problem as his exhaust manifold bolts dropped out because of the vibrations of the big 690.
His speed reduced to no more that 100km/h Stan pushed on as hard as he could and finished the stage in a very respectable 5th place.
Stan is now running 4th overall and first in the 450+ production class.
Derricks time today placed him 13th on stage 8 moving him up to 13th overall and 5th in class. A fine ride on some difficult navigation and terrain today.
Jon rode in in thirtieth place today and now holds 23rd place overall
Dont for get to check out the Rally Raidio and Optic Tunisia links to the right of this text for Stans live daily reports and all the stage details.
30/04/2008 - Stage 7 shows FrontrowGB pushing the factory teams harder than ever...
Jon pushing through the soft dunes on stage 7...
An amazing start for Stan Watt saw him leading at Check Point 1 only to crash heavily damaging his rear fuel lines and his GPS losing over 15 minutes
Stan worked hard for the remainder of the stage and finished 4th overall only 9mins behind the leader putting him in 6th place overall only 1min 30secs behind his class leader
Derrick also fought hard to day on the 350km soft sandy special. Tough navigation and technical riding made for a hard day but 16th place on the stage only 10mins behind Stan puts Derrick at a highly respectable 15 overall and 7th in class
Jons time placed him 32nd on the stage and 25th overall.
The rally leader dropped out today because of engine failure and the total bike field has now reduced from 69 starters to only 39 bikes. Two days to the finish, can Stan take the class win?
The FrontRowGB complaint regarding time lost on stage 3 was overturned today because not enough motorbike competitors complained. The complaint was upheld for the car class and times were adjusted accordingly...
30/04/2008 - Stan Watt, Jon Stamper, and Derrick Edmondson ride an untimed Stage 6...
Stan Watt and Derrick Edmondson doing what they do best...
It seems that although stage 5 suited the FrontrowGB riders very well many other competitors found the 350km dune stage a little too much.
By the start of Stage 6 this morning some competitors were still awaiting pickup and had spent the night under the stars dreaming of a warm sleeping bag and hot food.
Beacuse of safety concerns and the ability of the orgainsers to support injured or stranded riders over such a large area todays stage was run untimed.
This has left all the FrontrowGB riders in an unfortunate position as they were counting on todays long open stage to make up lost time. It seems we will have to wait until stage 7 to see if Stan, Derrick and Jon can weave enough of their magic on the remaining stages to pull back the time they need.
A good call by the organisers. Lets make sure we keep everyone safe out there...
29/04/2008 - Stan Watt, Jon Stamper, and Derrick Edmondson blasted stage 5 through 300m dunes!
Jon Stamper racing the hilly section on Stage 3
350km through 300m dunes took its toll on a many competitors today but for FrontRowGB the sun shone brightly all day!
Stan Watt performance today was little short of inspirational as he split the Honda and Yamaha factory teams down the middle with a 6th place overall a mere 2 mins behind the stage leader!
This moves Stan upto 7th place overall, a mere 17 minutes behind his class leader Patrice Carillon
Derricks run to checkpoint one today was mindblowingly fast as he beat allcomers, but his flame may have burned a little too brightly early on as he dropped back to 23rd place on the stage but retained 15th place overall
Jon put in his now trademark steady performance finishing the stage unflustered in 27th position and holding the same overall ranking.
It seems the game is afoot! Can Stan use the power of the big KTM to move up to one of the coveted top 3 positions? Can he use his skill and technique to overtake Patrice Carillon? Long days are Stan speciality and tomorrow is the longest of them all....
Stan Watt (G-B/KTM 690) : At last a great result on the Rallye de Tunisie. Two days ago I had such a great start but ended up losing myself. … I love these high speed sections as my bike really finds its rhythm, as was the case today. But I didn’t take too many risks, as in this terrain an accident can quickly happen”.
Our comisserations to Ludivine Puy whose bike lies burning in the dunes...were glad you were not hurt and will race again.
28/04/2008 - Stan Watt, Jon Stamper, and Derrick Edmondson right back on form...A long stage today with the first of the dunes allowed Stan and Derrick the opportunity to claw back some of their lost time
By the end of stage 4 Stan rolled over the finish line in a time of only 6 hours. Not bad for 459km... Derrick and Jon also worked hard and their sweat was repaid with a serious rise in placings.
Stan gained 20 places to 13th overall and Derrick also picked up quite a few places ending his day at 20th. Jons 30th place overall continues his steady unflustered run.
A dune day tomorrow will allow the team another opportunity to gain places, but its a marathon stage which means no bike servicing tomorrow night. Fingers crossed for no mechanicals in the next 24 hours as Team FrontRowGB try to pull back the 30 mins they need to lead their class
They are still awaiting information regarding their request for a time 'rebate' after stage 3. Check the video below for Stage 3 info
27/04/2008 - Team Front Row GB lead the rally....and then lose 45 mins..At Km150 on Stage 3 Derrick and Stan Watt were showing the other competitors exactly what their KTM690 were capable of as they led the entire rally with minutes in hand
However following an incorrect directional marker on piste they continued their race across an open plane criss crossed with tracks unaware of their mistake.
Other competitors were immediately made aware of the error by being redirected by a convenient helicopter, but for Stan and Derrick the lead was about to become 33rd and 34th places respectively as they lost 45 mins to the new leaders before regaining the correct tracks...
A protest has been lodged and the whole team is itching to get back out tomorrow and reclaim the postions lost today. Check out the days rally round up below.
Listen to the Rally Raidio page to hear Stan explain what happened in his own words
27/04/2008 - Just In - Video Updates of stages 1 and 2 26/04/2008 - Team Front Row GB show they mean business. As the pistes open out, their lead opens up!Derrick Edmondson and Stan Watt pushed hard today taking a commanding 1st and 2nd place in class and moving firmly up the leaderboard to 7th and 8th place overall. Both were pleased with the results and are looking forward to the longer days ahead. Jon Stamper will be a little disappointed with his 12th in class today, but knowing Jon he'll be looking forward to the two marathon 600Km+ stages where his awesome endurance capacity and unbending steady pace serve him very well.
The Team will be happy that their positions place them brilliantly well for a series of attacks on the lead over the next four long desert days.....if the desert lets them!
25/04/2008 - Team Front Row GB hold their positionsWith only 25km of special stages and over 300km of liasons the guys will be happy with holding their places today and are definately looking forward to the longer desert days ahead when they hope to show why their bikes of choice are the relatively heavyweight KTM690 Rallyes
Tomorrow brings the first of the true race stages at 295Km!!!
Stan racing the prologue.
23/04/2008 - Team Front Row GB open the Optic 2008 with 12th, 22nd, and 48th Positions. In the production classes that places them 2nd, 6th and 20th respectively.With only 2.5km to ride, mainly for spectators and the worlds press, no here at Adventure-Spec thinks these positions show much other than the team have arrived...
But, we cant help smiling at the 2nd place. Nice riding Derrick!
Jon Stamper on the start line.
22/04/2008 - Team Front Row GB leave for the Tunisia/Libyan Optic RallyLast Saturday the complete team of six members left for the south of France and the start of the Optic Rally. Tomorrow will see the KTM 690's in full flow as they race the Prologue of the event for spectators and the worlds press.
Getting the MAN 6x6 Support truck onto the ferry wont be easy but as the team head deep into the desert it will provide a level of support unrivalled by any other Optic team. Keep watching this space for more info as the rally unfolds and dont forget the listen to the regular Rally Raidio reports for on the spot news.
15/01/2008 - 2008 Season annoucedKeen not to lose the momentum built up during 2007 The Team have now committed to the 2009 Dakar, The Optic North African Rally, and at least one more FIM International Rally Round yet to be announced. Check their Info Page to see their upcoming events as the preparation begins again for the ultimate test during the Dakar 2009.
05/01/2008 - Dakar 2008 CancelledCheck out our RallyRaidio live satelite phone links from the start of the event to hear exactly what happened and where the team go from here...
2006-2007 The SeasonAfter an amazing first season Jon and Stan expanded rapidly from two semi professional road and track racers to a fully prepared Dakar Team. Complete with a MAN 6x6 Motorsport support truck, two mechanics, a suspension expert, and eight bikes including four KTM690 Rally Replicas their campaign began.
Some awesome riding saw four top ten places during the 2007 desert season complete with a commanding win of the Tuareg Rally in Morocco by one and a half hours, and a straight win of the Guy Hoquet Rally (reduced to a second place only by a technical time penalty). Ready for the Dakar, the team expect great things.