Drivers Jason Kaminsky and Richard Jenkins and the Durango-based Four Corners 4x4 racing team secured the Dirt Riot Endurance Mountain Series title with a decisive victory in last weekend’s event at Battle Rock Off Road Park outside Cortez.

Saturday’s race was a double-points event and the final race in both the Southwest and Mountain Series. The team’s first-place finish secured the Mountain Series title and further widened its first-place lead in the national points standings. The team also won the Mountain Series and placed third in overall national points in 2012.

“This was a really important race for us,” Kaminsky said. “We had to do very well to capture the series win, and the vehicle performed flawlessly. We are very happy with our first-place finish in the 4600 class. This weekend’s win was about teamwork, and everyone’s involvement really paid off.”

The dry, dusty course twisted through 3½ miles of McElmo Canyon and included both high-speed desert sections and technical rock-crawling. The racing format dictated that whoever completed the most number of laps within the time limit was the winner. Kaminsky and Jenkins completed 11 laps, while the closest competition in their class completed only seven.

There were two pro classes running in Saturday’s two-hour race, and the Four Corners 4x4 team ended up with a third-place overall finish among 10 vehicles, some with much more power, suspension travel and other performance upgrades.

jeisele@durangoherald.com