by Deegan Newton #45
Photos By: HighRevPhoto, 239Films, Race-Dezert
What’s your name?
My name is Deegan Newton
How old are you?
I am 22 years old
Where are you from?
I’m from Parker, Arizona.
When did you get into the sport of hard enduro and when did you ride a dirt bike for the first time?
I got into the sport around 2014, as a fan. Watched every piece of footage I could find of all the events, the euro hard enduro events (now WESS) and all of the endurocross and super enduro events. I raced mostly desert racing and a ton of GP events in the A and AA (pro) classes and at these events whenever there was a “pro-line” aka. a technical section or hull climb, rock section, endurocross section in the races, I always ended up having the most fun in those sections, so I set my eyes on the 2015 LAST DOG STANDING event at the notorious Glen Helen raceway, and ever since then, I’ve been hooked. I may not be the fastest or most skilled rider but I truly have the most fun punishing and pushing myself. Did the race on a 2006 yz125, completely setup for motocross/gp races… talk about a disadvantage!
What bike do you ride?
I currently ride a 2016 yz250x.
What team do you ride in (if any)
No team, completely on my own budget. I do have a handful of local companies that I work closely with. Scootin Newton Racing does all of my engine work. Precision Concepts suspension work. And a tight group of local companies such as LaPiazza Pizza, Gibbs Repair, Scott’s AC, 239Films, snd Torco Race Fuels (all located in my hometown of Parker, AZ) provide me with funds to get to and from as many events as I can afford to attend. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to race.
How many hard enduro races have you entered (roughly, doesn’t have to be 100% accurate)?
I would say I have entered around 6 hard enduro events. Typically one or so each year, whenever I have a free weekend from other series’ I race.
If possible, what would you characterize yourself as? Beginner, weekend warrior, ambitious amateur, semi-pro or pro?
I am a true amateur, still learning this sport, and getting my ass handed to me time and time again. But it’s a blast and I have been getting better each event!
What race are you going to talk about and what year did you do it?
2021 Ultra4 King Of Motos
What was the race format like – how many days, hours or races did you have to do to finish/win the race?
The race format was a little easier and shorter than previous years. There was no prologue, and the first race of the day was a short timed 6 mile loop that setup starting positions for the second main race. The second and final race was a 2 lap, 16 mile loop.
What excited you the most about this race? Was it the terrain, the grip, the camaraderie, the organisation, the weather, your own performance or something entirely different?
What was most exciting part of this event for me, was not only that its known as “the hardest enduro on the western USA” and part of the offroad festival known as King of Hammers, (which is awesome and everyone should check it out atleast once), but because I broke early last year at this event and never truly got to test myself, so this race was a personal vendetta that I had, and I really wanted to complete it.
What kind of tires/mousse/tubliss/tube did you use and why? More importantly – would you recommend your setup or did you learn that something else would have been better?
I ran an STI front and rear set of tires. Last year there was a lot of higher speed desert sections, so I went with a medium tire set instead of the gummy trials tires most people run…. for this year, bad idea. There was a lot of gnarly climbs and a lot of slow speed rock sections so, I kind of set myself up for failure haha. But, it still worked well with the Nitro Mousses I ran. I used a soft compound rear bib and a hard compound front, (exact sized I can’t remember) and it worked wonders. I can’t complain about my mousse setup at all.
Was the track tough on you physically, mentally, both or not at all?
The track itself wasn’t too hard for the most part, it was right up my alley and in my comfort zone, there was only one section around race mile 10 that I really struggled with and it drained ALL of my energy for the rest of the race as well as almost overheated my bike. But other than that one section, I had a blast!
Was the track easy to follow (markings or GPS tracks) and was the difficulty level what you expected, easier or harder?
This race is different than most, because it used specifically GPS and trackers and there isn’t really any course markings (other than extreme danger spots). Using a gps and a gps only is new to me, but luckily I was mid-pack to I was able to follow the leaders tire tracks, so it made it easier for me.
Where did you stay during the race, was it a good choice and would you do it again? (camping, hotel, private etc.)
I stayed in my fathers toy hauler (trailer) near the main pits at Hammertown. Was nice to just relax and hangout in the comfort of a trailer all weekend, and ride my bike to the line straight from my camp. Camping is definitely the easiest option but there is hotels like 30 minutes away that are a great option to.
What result did you get and are you happy with it?
So honestly, I have no seen any full official results posted yet, so I am unsure about how I did. My family said I was running in the 30’s or so overall, which for an amateur like me (who doesn’t train as much as I should) I was pumped for that! Those pros and top amateurs are on a different level and I’m definitely going to work on my riding to prepare for the next hard enduro!
Did you feel like you got a good value for your money at this race?
This race is actually really expensive for what we got for actual track time. The pros were done in like 2.5 hours total. It was close to $500 to race after entry fees, gas, food, tracker, and transponder, not including the gps I had to buy for myself. The entry itself is $200 which isn’t bad at all, but there was a ton of extra fees and tracker rentals, transponder fee… etc that we had to pay. Which is just how it goes, I can’t complain, but I wish the rentals and fees were a little cheaper but oh well. I still had a blast tho!
Finally, would you do this race again and recommend it to other riders?
I am definitely going to be back for this event. The natural terrain, single track, goat trails, no man-made obstacles, is right up my alley and what I like to ride. The week long event is awesome. I’ll be back stronger and faster!
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