Colton Sanders

Rider Updates

Feb 9 2011

1/5/11- First, I want to thank Cole Townsend at Fasst Co. for helping me out all weekend. I wouldnt have been at the races at all without him. With superbowl and family time landing on this weekend we decided to only go out for the day and just log another race and more seat time. Ive always liked Taft because of the high speeds and the layout of the courses, so I was excited to get going.

Unclassified was early and really cold so it took me a few laps to get going but by the end of it I felt good and was ready to get going. A few hours later we lined up for the HWT expert race. I felt good about the start because we had a banner drop, which is what all desert races are. I got the holeshot with a big lead, but the first corner was more like a swamp so I was the test dummy to see how slick it was. I dropped to about 5th when we hit the offroad for the first lap. I rode consistently and really focused on finding my strengths and weaknesses. I stayed in the top 10 for most of the race but finished 13th overall and 8th in class. I learned a lot about my fitness this week so it was successful no matter what my finish was.

This weekend wasnt about getting the best result or even winning, I just need to put in as many race laps as I can and continue to learn something every time I ride and race. Next weekend is the second round of the NHHA series in Ridgecrest, CA so im looking forward to the week and another good weekend.

I really need to thank Cole at Fasst Co. for all of the help, along with my trainer Troy, FMF, Maxima, Thousand Oaks Powersports, Answer, TBT Suspension,

May 10 2010

"On Saturday Colton got a great start and was right on Kendall Norman's rear tire and finished second at just 1.5min behind. Going into Sunday, Colton was hoping to close that up and put on the pressure. A fourth place start meant he had his work cut out. He passed Nick Burson on the first lap and came in on Jake Argubright's back tire. On the second lap, Colton had Kendall with one minute behind and Colton was followed by Jake and Burson. Thier pace was now closing Kendall on the last lap. Coming to the finish, within sight of the checkers, Colton came flying down the hill and got a huge jump pulling out beside Norman. Thats when it went bad; Colton clipped a rock with the rear at a very high speed and it launched him.

Dislocated left femur, broken femur, broken right arm, two breaks on the right clavical from the Leatt Brace, several broken ribs and a collapsed lung. Lung was a result of pressure built up in the chest to which a tube insert relieved that pressure. Surgery has gone well, they've reinserted the femur with no issues, placed a rod in the broken femur and set the right arm. He'll have surgery on the clavical in two days.

Thanks everyone for the prayers. Coltons spirits are he high as he knows it was just bad luck on a good day. He's already talking recovery and is only disappointed in the setback. Anyone want to buy a slightly used KTM 450? Thanks again."

-Orion Sanders

Surgery went well yesterday. They put a plate on the Humorous which is what we pushed for in order for it to healed properly. It lined up well and should have no issues. Dr. also put a plate on the collar bone, it was broken in 2 places and a piece about 1.5 inches was floating. This about the same width as the Leatte brace at that spot. No doubt the

Mar 9 2010

Colton Sanders has made huge waves in the offroad racing scene over the last two years going from dominating the USDR mini expert class in 2007 to Overalling the PRO race in 2010 at age 16.

Born in Bakersfield, Ca, Colton started at a very young age hopping on his first bike at 2 years old and entering his first race at 3 because he loved to "jump". He just kept pushing racing moto cross untill 2007 when a good family friend, the late Rich Caselli, told him "its hard to make a career in moto, you should try out WORCS". Colton entered his first WORCS race in 07 and loved it deciding to race it full time.

Getting brief tastes of Offroad in 2001 at the Adalento GP and in early 2007 at an Alta Vista Event he knew that this was the direction he was destined to go in. Late in 07 he entered his 1st US Desert Racing event and took both the Mini Expert win and Lites Amateur win with no problem. In 2008 he started racing desert and off-road full time and won the 2008 National Hare and Hound 250 B Championship and the 2009 US Desert Racing Lites Championship.

In 2010, after domintaing the USDR Lites class and finishing in the top 3 overall he decided to bump up to the PRO class on a KTM 450 XC. The first round was "bittersweet". He was running a strong 3rd overall and crashed on a road crossing getting a concussion and losing a lot of his memory of the race. He was still able to bring it home in 4th overall but lost most of what happened.

The next round was more then what Colton ever asked for. He took the early lead and lead all the way to the wire taking his first overall win by nearly 45 seconds over Nick Burson. At the finish he was agast "I still can't even believe it. Its the best feeling to get out there and have everything go your way!" At 16 years old Colton has become the youngest rider in USDR history to take an overall win.

Colton's sucess has com

Jan 25 2010

Great weekend at the years first round of the AMA National hare & hound series. Congratulations to the NHHA for a awesome event.

Colton's first National on his Thousand Oaks Powersports/Maxima KTM 450 was a huge success as he transitions to the bigger bike. The field was stacked this weekend with riders from ...other series coming out to support the newly formed NHHA. With non-regular Kurt Caselli taking the win. Colton would finish 15th overall and 6th in class at his first HWT Expert National.

A week of rain turned the Johnson Valley desert into the perfect setting no dust and a few mudpuddles. MUD! We don't see that very often in the Hare & Hounds but it brought many riders. The bomb start for the first round was same as last year with it's very fast uphill drag race. There's nothing worse than warming up the bike and practicing starts only to have the bike not kick when the banner drops, Yes, thats exactly what happened. After getting the bike in neutral it fired and a last place start. and over 100 bikes on the front line, Colton had his work cutout as he immediately bagan picking off one at a time. The traditional fast first loop allowed for a hard push toward the front. At the 40 mile pit stop, quick gas and goggles, Colton started the 2nd loop 15th overall. Quickly moving up several positions and running through a technical rocky section when misplaced rock kicked the KTM off the course and 10 feet down the hill. Recovering and getting back on course being passed by a few riders, the next major technical section would bottleneck many riders. Colton caught site of a line

Jan 11 2010

On a brand new bike with nothing more than a GPR Stabilizer, skid plate and only 1 week to prepare, Colton finishes 4th in Open Expert class and 6th overall at Jack Rabbits Hare & Hound. The race held at Teagle wash near Ridgecrest, CA Sun. January 10th was a huge confidence builder, not only with a decent finish but he learned alot about his new Thousand Oaks Powersports/Maxima KTM 450 XCW. With only two weeks before the AMA National Hare & Hound, suspension by TBT and the addition of some different gearing and tuning with an FMF exhaust will get the bike dialed in. Dropping the stock rubber for some Dunlop Desert A/T's will round out the handling for the Johnson Valley terrain.

Jack Rabbits H&H was a good chance to warm-up the season. Colton got a great start leading the Left side of the start clearing the bomb in the top five. Learning the bike was still the goal and finishing, so taking it easy with only stock tubes in the wheels would require a little control through the rough sections. A rock from Justin Imhof took off the front number plate on the first loop causing Colton to back off a little more and stay to the game plan. In the pits he would come in 5th overall a couple minutes behind 4th place Imhof. The second loop was faster and the 450 was teaching Colton where to hit and miss the throttle giving valuable experience. Unfortunately some slight arm pump would give way to one position before the finish bringing Colton in 4th in class and 6th overall.

A special thanks goes out to Jef at Thousand Oaks Powersports for helping put this years program together. Also thanks to KTM USA, Maxima and Dunlop f

Dec 4 2009

It was an awesome night of awards and comraderie as the AMA awarded all the National Champions thier number one plates. Champions from all types of racing, from all over the country, were in attendance from road racing, dirt track, hill climbs, off-road, motocross and many others. They stood side by side December 4th at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas sharing stories and showing off thier hard earned awards. Colton Sanders was once again among the best riders in the nation.

Riding his Thousand Oaks Powersports/Answer/FMF/GPR/Scott sponsored KTM 250, Colton would first recieve the champion award in the AMA National Western Hare Scrambles. This series would match off-roaders through all types of terrain in a three hour endurance race. Though he had one DNF, Colton finished in the top 4 every other round with two wins. Finishing 53 points ahead of second place in the 7 round series.

Next award was the AMA/WORCS National Off-road Bike Week Championship. Colton earned this number one plate by competing in a week long event that would include 4 different types of racing, Hare Scrambles, Motocross, Enduro Cross and World Off-road. Consistancy was the key that week at Straddleline park in Washington but the best points gain was when Colton was the only 250cc rider to qualify for the enduro cross. Finishing sixth overall would gain him maximum points over the other 250 riders who didn't make the event.

It w

Nov 15 2009

With the points already wrapped up for Colton in the Lites Expert class, a undefeated season was on the line November 15th. It was a great day for racing in desert near Ridgecrest. A slight wind made the condition perfect to blow the dust off the very fast course laid out by the USDR staff. Colton's start was one of the best this year as the top 3 riders from expert line hit the single track tire to tire. As the Pro riders came through the first lap the 534x of Sanders came through 5th overall closing hard on the 4th position. At lap two of the 13+ mile course Colton moved into 1st in class, and with a Pro engine failure, took over the 2nd overall position. The speed of the course would take it's toll on the rear as the mousse bib began coming apart near halfway through the 4th lap. Being careful not to roll the tire off the wheel Colton's huge lead over 3rd would soon close and put him back a position before the end of the 5 lap race. First in class and third overall would complete a undefeated season in the Lites Expert.

USDR would mark the 3rd Championship in 2009 for Colton completing his run on the 250 and meeting his goal of finishing top three in every series competed.

1st AMA National Western Hare Scrambles 250A

1st AMA/WORCS Off-road Bike Week 250A

1st United States Desert Racing Lites Expert

1st Adelanto Grand Prix 250 Expert

2nd AMA National Hare & Hound 250A

2nd WORCS 15-29A

3rd WORCS 250F-A

Thanks to everyone of our sponsors who keep us in the

Oct 27 2009

The trophies stack up as Colton finishes on the podium in each WORCS class for the 2009 season. A No. 1 plate in the National Western Hare Scrambles, a 2nd place podium in the 15-29A, and a 3rd in the 250F-A WORCS classes complete another successful year.

The weekend started off with great concern as our primary race bike began blowin' smoke in practice on friday forcing a change to the back-up bike for the weekend of racing. Seven points out of 1st in the 250 F-A class made for nervous tension on the starting line but Colton would need a lot of luck to move up in class. A mid pack start was quickly turned into 5th place first lap as the top 2 in the points were trailing. The very sandy off-road was difficult for most as the course became worn-in and wooped out but Colton kept pushing himself to move into 4th. The other riders were falling back with problems as the race was closing but it would not be enough to close the deficit. The back-up bike doing the job he finished 4th in the race to hold on to 3rd in points for the season final.

Sunday was more of the same as Colton was in third only six points out of first in the 15-29A class. A better start placed him in position to make a great move on the field completing the first lap in 4th. A early morning race meant the course would start off groomed but soon became very rough. Quickly moving to 2nd on lap 2 as he took advantage of two riders having trouble in the same turn. A quick figuring of the points showed he needed to finish there to take over the 2nd place in points. Trying not over ride the conditions a very solid finish moved him up the standings t

Sep 27 2009

It was a busy weekend for the Sanders Racing Team as scheduling took us two different directions in 2 days.

Saturday was the AMA National Hare and Hound in Wendover, NV where a unfortunate rock led to a DNF and a substantial lose of points in the series championship. Colton still leads by 3 points with 2 rounds left and a very fast 250 two stroke on our heels.

Sunday was the 4th round of the USDR series in Ridgecrest, CA. After some late night driving, and a 100 miles of racing the day before, all Colton needed to do was finish 1st in class to clinch the championship.

It was an extremely dry and dusty day in Wendover as the point to point event was a nice change from the typical two loop format. Colton got a nice jump off the line as he put his 250 off the tire of Destry Abbott when the soft dry powder created a total white out of the course making conditions very sketchy. "I couldn't see farther than my nose for the first 20 miles as riders were hitting each other around every corner" said Colton. Completing the first 30 miles we were in the top 15 and second 250 as we stopped for a splash of gas. The 2nd leg would be alot more technical which is usually a strong point for Colton, but in the dust it's treacherous. A couple falls would put him back a few spots but still in the top 20 as the second stop was a full pit for gas and water to wash down the dust. The third leg was more technical with a fast end coming through the alternate pit which we did not need as there is only 17 miles left and we were good on gas. Still in the top 20. In the last leg is where a rock flew up and broke off the rear chain guard, a mile later proved the damage was worse when the chain broke and jammed up inside the case. Ending a day which started with a 33 point lead and ending with a mere 3 points ahead. Two rounds left!

Sunday was the USDR series where Colton has been unbeaten in the 250 class and held a substantial po

Sep 20 2009

It was a very hot and dusty weekend of racing at Southern California's Glen Helen raceway. But of course Colton wouldn't have it any other way as very rough off-roard sections and nearly half the race on the National/REM combined track brings a 2nd place finish. But that's all he needed to clinch the 250F-A Western Hare Scrambles Championship and move him up in the points maintaining third position in the WORCS series.

Pushing a 100degress at the start of a 2 hour race is not what you call optimal conditions as the flag dropped. Colton got off to a bad start clearing Talledega turn second to last and passing 3 bikes before the top of Yamaha hill. At the completion of the first lap, after passing 7 bikes, Colton crossed in 4th place as he pushed his way to the front. Lap 2 would move him into second as the point chasers all had to settle back aound 6th. As the course continued to break down the lap times remained steady as Colton forced himself to focus through the heat and dust to secure his position. The competitors meanwhile began to drop off bringing the point chasers closer in position. The final laps would show Colton the leaders back tire but there was not enough time to reel him in. Holding position and clinching the Championship would ensure another spot on stage at the AMA awards banquet.

Sunday the temperature would drop slightly and the race time for the 15-29A class was earlier in the morning making it bearable for another one hour race.

Bad start again, but this time it was the 450's pulling him up the long start. It didn't matter as Colton moved to 3rd place early and hung on for the push to catch 2nd. Riding the back tire for a couple laps, and a course misque from the competitors, Colton played it straight and legal as others got docked laps and he moved into 2nd. This hard riding race would now tie him for second in the point standings with just one race left in the series.

Thanks once again to the

Aug 30 2009

Bull Hollow raceway in Monticello, UT proved once again to be one of the best and demanding off-road courses on the series. The hot and dusty conditions created a course Colton likes on his way to a first in class finish.

The 3hour race would start off bad as a unusual misstart of the KTM 250XCF put Colton at the back of the pack. There was a lot of dust to fight through in the first lap but racing in the desert has given him the edge to work through the pack into 2nd place in class. At the second lap a move into 1st place and increasing the time on the competition proved to be the best plan. A good lead allowed an early pit stop to get water and not push the fuel window. Ride hard, get a big lead going into the third hour and stop for water was the plan as the heat was sure to take it's toll on all the riders. At the end of 2 hours Colton had more than a 10 minute lead on the other 250 riders. With several riders out for mechanical problems only two 250A riders were left as Colton put a lap on the only rider left in his class which was cruising with an injury. The last couple laps were a lesson in staying focused and in control under extreme physical demands on the way to the finish.

An excellent finish has given Colton a 15 point lead over 2nd and 30 points over third in the National standings with two rounds left. Next race September 19-20 as the WORCS / AMA WHS heads to Glen Helen raceway.

Aug 9 2009

Nine days on the road turns into a very successful week for the first AMA WORCS National Bike Week Championship at Straddleline OHV park near Olympia, WA.

With the Bike Week Championship on the line, there were four different races making up the format to which each rider can earn a National No. 1 plate on stage at the AMA banquet in Las Vegas.

The Aug. 2nd weekend at the spectacular Straddleline was the AMA Western Hare Scrambles format which Colton extended his points lead with a 3rd place finish. This would also receive points in the WORCS series which moved him from 6th to 4th. The course was very dry which is unusual for WA. this time of year but the dust is what Colton likes. The start was good going into the off-road where the trails were full of rocky silt beds and roots. A rough uphill bottlenecked most of the field to which a red flag would mean a complete restart. The roughness took it's toll on Colton as several falls in the first couple laps would drain his energy before he could settle into a good enough pace to manage a 3rd finish.

The Wednesday race for the week would be the MX format on the track. Colton rode hard each moto to finish 3-3 to score an overall 3rd toward the weekly Championship.

The WORCS Cross race on the very difficult enduro still stadium course. This race would prove to be the difference in the week. This format lined all bikes into the A Class meaning the 250 would race against the 450 and open bikes. Colton was lined up in the second heat race and rode smooth despite the difficult obstacles the WORCS staff would layout to finish 3rd when only 4 riders would transfer. The Main proved to be challenging as the physical race was wearing in and Colton would hit the standing tree section very hard with his left shoulder. Despite the injury and a broken clutch lever a 6th place would prove good as the other 250F riders did not qualify.

Apr 26 2009

This weekend was a little tough for me, I have been racing in the Hollister trees for the last couple of weeks so the desert is a change. I was somewhat anxious and nervous for the weekend because I was still on the backup bike. I just wanted to stay focused and determined.

Saturday was different because I normally walk the end of the bomb but they did not let us this round. That only added to my nervousness. I dealt with it and hoped for the best. As Sunday came I was up bright and early to get started, I had a good line chosen and was ready to go. The banner dropped and I got a good jump off the line on my 250 only to swallowed in about 30 feet by the 450's. So i just looked for lines in the dust and got to the bomb about 20th. All I could think about was catching and passing everyone I saw one at a time. As I passed people, I felt like I was in a good spot and I just set a pace. We got into the technical sections and I continued to pass people. At the pit, after the first 48 mile loop, I realized I was only 1-2 minutes behind the first 250. The 2nd loop was a tough ride for me as I kept falling in the rocks and thinking about who was behind me. I broke my electric start and realized I just had to take a deep breath and ride smart. I got lost oward the end of the loop and got really nervous. I found my way and almost got passed by the 3rd place Levi Jones when I fell a mile later and then he got lost and I held my poisition. I had lost alot of time to 1st place Justin Morrow and couldn't make it up.

I finished 2nd in class and 17th overall. I hopefully have a desent points lead going into the next round. I need to stay more relaxed and just go with the flow. My next race is WORCS at Honeylake MX in Milford, CA. My goal is to ride relaxed and try to podium in both the 250F A and the Sport 15-29 classes.

Apr 18 2009

This weekend I was feeling good because I had raced here last week for 3 hours. I don't ride the trees very much but I still felt comfortable. Friday was a bitter sweet day. I felt really fast and smooth in practice when my bike started smoking and popping. So I retired the primary bike for the weekend and hopped on the backup bike. Saturday was OK, I was running 3rd in the 250F A class when 2nd place fell in front of me and I went down, I got back up but had a broken clutch lever and just tried to push forward. It was difficult as the lever wasn't even long enough for my middle finger. I stalled the bike many times and kept dropping back in the pack and finished 8th. I gained positions from 9th to 7th in the standings.

Sunday was alot better for me though I had a bad start and fell on the first straight of the off-road section. I got up and pushed 1000% to get into 3rd. I finished solid and was happy considering the position I was put in with the backup bike. That moved me up from 6th to 4th in the points.

Hopefully I will have it back for the National Hare and Hound in Lucerne. I am looking forward to getting back to the desert, it should be fun.

Mar 29 2009

Going to any USDR race is always fun in one way or another. The spectators are always cheering no matter where you are on the course. Everyone is always excited for each round even if it's the course over and over. Speaking of the same course, round 1 and round 2 had alot of the same 1-2 mile sections but we would hit it from another angle. This made it fun and smoother and there wer more obstacles. I was sick and the wind was about 50 MPH at times.

I fought through the obstacles and ended up with a decent start. The wind was good for the dust but it was still hard to see at times. After a few miles I passed everyone in my class and just wanted to push hard so that I wouldn't be in their dust again. After the first lap I had about a 15 second lead. The second and third laps went really well as I just kept pushing and tried to focus on breathing due to being sick. I pitted on lap 3 and was refreshed that I had a good lead. Wiping the spit out of my helmet and mouth, I got some water and left settling into a consistant last 2 laps. I started to get tired from battling the wind but knew I had to keep riding smooth. On the 5th and final lap I started to get arm pump and made a few mistakes just looking for the finishline. I finished 5th overall and 1st in the 250 expert.

I am continuing to stay strong and healthy in order to last longer. I'm leading the 250 expert points Next race is the Western Har Scrambles in Hollister, CA.

Mar 21 2009

Going to Havasu is always a plan to survive the rough, wooped, rocky sand based course. Saturday was really hot as I planned for the 250F-A class, I had struggled in the last two round and was hoping to fight back and gain some points in the series. I was not feeling well but thought I would be able to work through it. At the start I got of the line in the top five but got pushed out in the first turn going over the burm, last place start, I settled in and just began to pass one bike at a time. After the third lap I was up to third in class and running near the fastest laps as the front 250's. Then suddenly at the halfway point my body shut down and I began feeling very sick and spitting up in my helmet, I pulled into the pits got some water and went back out but begen loosing positions. I had a sizable gap back to 5th place so I just had to ride it out and finish the best I could. That ended up being a 9th place, not a total lose as I was able to move up to 7th in points.