Jeep 48 Straight Mountain Bike Series 2008 Finale

Americans Eric Carter and Melissa Buhl earn season championship honors at the grand finale of Jeep 48Straight Mountain Bike series in San Luis Obispo, California.

The men’s Championship Heat of today’s Jeep 48STRAIGHT Mountain Bike Series at The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, Calif., featured two of the most acclaimed racers in the history of the sport – Eric Carter of Temecula and Brian Lopes of Laguna Beach – with over 60 years of experience between them. Lopes, with four World Championships and nine National Championships ended up outlasting his friend and rival to win the individual event title, but Carter, with a World Championship, two National Championships and over 30 career victories under his belt, earned the season championship based on this race and previous stops in New Jersey and Utah.

In what was labeled as one of the deepest fields in the history of Jeep mountain bike racing, Carter would need every ounce of experience accrued during his career to maneuver through a bracket loaded with the world’s top-ranked riders. And as one of the longest tenured Jeep racers, having competed in just about every race over the past six years, Carter knew it would take clean runs, some good breaks and the ability to avoid injury to capture the prize that had eluded him for so long.

“It’s funny because I didn’t feel so good on the course, and never really felt I had my rhythm, but I guess I was riding a lot faster than I thought because I had some good runs and knocked off some great competitors,” said Carter. “I had to bust tail to get this done and am kind of blown away that I was able to execute like I know how. I’m somewhat speechless because I’ve been trying to get this title for six years now.”



The first two rounds saw him get past Open Qualifier Logan Binggeli of St. George, Utah, and the surprising Open Qualifier Mike Haderer of Concord, Calif., who pulled the day’s biggest upset by taking down Alpine, Calif.’s Cody Warren, a National Champion and winner of the first Jeep race of the season in New Jersey. In the semi-finals, Carter would have to contend with three-time World Cup Champion Greg Minnaar of South Africa, who won the second Jeep race in Utah. After losing the first heat, Carter stormed back to top Minnaar and earn a spot in the finals. Lopes day was equally brilliant, with wins over Open Qualifier Joey Backus of Mesa, Ariz., National Champion Rich Houseman of Temecula and four-time Australian National Champion Jared Rando. With the season championship in hand, Carter fought off injury to give Lopes a run for his money, but couldn’t get the win. In the consolation heat Minnaar outlasted Rando to capture the final spot on the podium.


“I felt really strong at practice on Friday and came in first in the qualifier, which gave me a lot of confidence heading into today’s race,” said Lopes, who was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame earlier this year and will soon be accepted into the BMX Hall of Fame. “I have really high expectations for myself, and was disappointed with how I did in the first race of the season. I wanted to redeem myself, and coming out here today against this caliber of athletes and getting the win feels really good.”

In the women’s competition, Chandler, Ariz.’s Melissa Buhl put an exclamation point on a brilliant Jeep season that saw her finish second in New Jersey and first in Utah, not to mention earning the U.S. National Championship and the World Championship. Her second place finish in San Luis Obispo earned her the season championship, and further solidified her standing as one of the most dominant racers in the sport. Buhl earned victories over Leslie Slagle of El Cajon, Calif., and Lisa Myklak of Boulder, Colo., before reaching the Championship Heat against Fionn Griffiths of Great Britain. Griffiths, a three-time World Cup winner who has never missed a Jeep race during the event’s six year history, was dominant throughout the day, beginning with a win over Folsom, Calif.’s Joanna Peterson and a subsequent stunner over season points leader and National Champion Kathy Pruitt of Santa Cruz, Calif., to reach the finals. Griffiths pulled out the victory over Buhl to earn the individual event title. Pruitt topped Myklak in the consolation heat to earn third place.


“I felt confident today because I really liked the speed and layout of the course, which matches my race style,” said Buhl. “This whole season has been amazing for me, and is by far the best I’ve ever ridden. I am having a great time, and I know that I’ll now have a target on my back and I’ll have to work harder and harder to stay at this level.”

The title winner at San Luis Obispo received $5,000, with cash earnings for each finisher through 16th place. The season champion received additional sponsor bonuses from Paul Mitchell and the keys to a new Jeep Grand Cherokee. Overall, the prize purse for Jeep 48STRAIGHT topped $100,000, making it one of the highest cash payouts in the sport.

The Jeep 48STRAIGHT event from San Luis Obispo will air on CBS Sports on November 1.

About Jeep 48STRAIGHT:
Jeep 48STRAIGHT, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Ketchum, Idaho, is a multi-media, consumer-driven platform designed to empower individuals who aspire to connect to the outdoor lifestyle through sport, music and ‘green’ awareness and consciousness. Its unique capabilities have established Jeep 48STRAIGHT as the premiere organizers of world-class high-end summer and winter sporting competitions, as well as a top promoter of concerts that have included some of the world’s best-known musicians. The company’s global reach is made possible through 16 hours of CBS network specials highlighting year-round initiatives such as the Jeep 48STRAIGHT mountain sports/music/culture festivals; sports performance training programs; green education symposiums and a virtual outdoor lifestyle information network. In addition to Jeep, marketing partners include John Paul Mitchell Systems, Michelin, Crux Event Management & Production, Beyond Coastal, Diablo Freeride Park at Mountain Creek Resort (N.J.), The Canyons Resort (Utah) and The Madonna Inn (Calif.). For more information on Jeep 48STRAIGHT media, event and merchandise offerings, visit www.Jeep48STRAIGHT.com.


Season Champions:


Men’s Champion – Eric Carter – Temecula, Calif.
Women’s Champion – Melissa Buhl – Chandler, Ariz.

Men’s San Luis Obispo Standings

1. Brian Lopes – Laguna Beach, Calif.
2. Eric Carter – Temecula, Calif.
3. Greg Minnaar – South Africa
4. Jared Rando - Australia
5. Kyle Strait – Costa Mesa, Calif.
6. Rich Houseman – Temecula, Calif.
7. J.D. Swanguen – San Diego, Calif.
8. Mike Haderer – Concord, Calif.
9. Cody Warren – Alpine, Calif.
10. Peter Hanak – Winter Park, Colo.
11. Mitch Ropelato – Ogden, Utah
12. Logan Binggeli – St. George, Utah
13. Neko Mulally – Reading, Pa.
14. Amiel Cavalier – Auburn, Calif.
15. Brad Oien – Fountain Valley, Calif.
16. Joey Backus – Mesa, Ariz.

Women’s San Luis Obispo Standings

1. Fionn Griffiths – Great Britain
2. Melissa Buhl – Chandler, Ariz.
3. Kathy Pruitt – Santa Cruz, Calif.
4. Lisa Myklak – Boulder, Colo.
5. Michelle Rivera – La Puente, Calif.
6. Stephanie Nychka – Gresham, Ore.
7. Joanna Peterson – Folsom, Calif.
8. Leslie Slagle – El Cajon, Calif.