September 27, 2020- The Kenda SRT AMA National Hare and Hound Championship, presented by FMF resumed this weekend in Jericho, Utah for round five of the 2020 season. Hosted by Sage Riders MC, the event situated just outside of the famous Little Sahara Sand Dunes offered an 80-mile course consisting of two loops designed to challenge riders of all skill levels.
The smallest racers of the series quickly lit their bikes and charged off onto the short bomb run that led to the start of the course of Race 1. Making moves as the pack began to settle Taeson Smith took the lead position, followed by Nevada rider Finn Ruby and Hagen Olsen. Baylor Collins, Nixx Park, Katin Lessing, Thayne Long and the rest of the field moved into their respective positions behind the leaders. Coming through scoring with a 19-minute lap time, Smith, Ruby and Olsen set out onto their second and final lap. Lessing made her move on Park to move into 5th overall, while Stone Andrews put his electric KTM motorcycle in a favorable top 10 position. At the checkered flag, Smith held off Ruby and Olsen to take the overall Pee Wee victory.
Race 2 welcomed a longer 14-mile course for the remaining Youth racers of the day, including Big Wheel, Girls, Jr. Girls, Mini, Jr. Mini and Micro Mini. A more technical course would challenge the growing racers with natural terrain and fun trails. With the drop of the banner, all racers quickly started their bikes from a dead engine and raced across the open field to meet the head of the trail. Tayson Volker moved his way into the lead position over the next miles ahead of Jason Harris and Mikey Wayne as the trio settled into a blistering lead pace.
Coming through on Lap 1 after a 36+ minute lap time, Volker held the overall lead with just one lap to go. However, Harris put his head down and sprinted over the next lap to move into the lead position as the checkers flew, with Volker and Wayne in tow. Meanwhile, Tallon Smith (Mini), Alijah Delatore (Girls), Malcom Pearson (Micro Mini), Kehne Leane (Jr. Mini) and Joey McPhearson (Jr. Girls) worked their way through the pack and ultimately claim their class win.
As the dust settled from youth racing, the afternoon premiere race riders began to take their place on the the FMF Bomb Run. With desert specialists including David Kamo, Dalton Shirey, Jacob Argubright, Joe Wasson, Zane Roberts and more ready to battle it out, the banner raised, and all went silent. As the banner dropped after 1-minute, the field of off-road talent lit their engines and began the charge. 3 Bro’s Husqvarna rider Dalton Shirey edged out the competition to take the FMF Holeshot, followed by a train of overall hopefuls.
Shirey’s impressive start gave him favorable, dust-free air to build a gap on the competition that was desperately chasing to catch him. Current points leader David Kamo made quick work of the terrain to move into 2nd place overall ahead of 2020 series champion Jacob Argubright. Factory Beta rider Zane Roberts, JCR Honda’s Preston Campbell, Factory Beta’s Joe Wasson, Axel Pearson, Evan Kelly, Bridger Steele and Factory Beta’s Cole Conatser (Pro 250) settled into the top 10 positions over the next 40 technical miles and into the Mika Metal Pits.
With a 3:32 gap on second place, Shirey led the pack with conviction and came into the pits looking strong. Meanwhile, Kamo led Argubright by nearly a minute. Roberts held his own just 1:08 down from the front runners, but had pressure from Campbell who sat in 5th overall just behind. Over the next 40-miles, Shirey maintained focus to nearly double the gap on Kamo who was busy fighting off Argubright. As the checkered flag flew, Shirey cruised his way in as overall winner, 5:46 ahead of Kamo. Kamo and Argubright nearly crossed the finished line wheel to wheel, ahead of Roberts and Campbell who rounded out the top five. Kamo’s 2nd place finish further solidified himself as the overall points leader heading into round six.
PRO 250
In the Pro 250 class, Factory Beta rider Cole Conatser would find himself with pressure coming from Utah natives Mcquin Hair, Corbin McPhearson and Corbin Eatherton. On the unusually more technical first Loop, the riders settled into their pace and came into the Mika Metal Pits, all less than 1-minute of each other.
On Loop 2, Conatser held his lead position of Eatherton and McPhearson. Unfortunately, McPhearson encountered a mishap that ended his day, allowing Eatherton and Hair to advance. Hair kicked it up and made the pass for second place ahead of Eatherton as the trio came across the finish line.
PRO WOMEN
With a $4000 championship bonus on the line, the Elegant Cabinetry Women’s Pro class saw a new winner top the podium. Colorado native Britney Gallegos lined up alongside Utah’s Rachel Stout and California Factory Beta rider Morgan Tanke. On Loop 1, Gallegos and Stout battled it out nonstop for 40 miles, coming into the pits wheel to wheel. Heading out onto Loop 2, the women continued their battle in hopes of taking the lead.
Coming across the checkered flag, Gallegos officially earned her first win of the season after an exhausting battle with Stout who came in less than 30 seconds behind. Tanke raced her way to third overall to round out the podium. Gallegos’ victory officially moved her into the overall points lead with just two rounds to go.
HOOLIGAN OPEN presented by SCRAMBLER DUCATI
The Hooligan Open class presented by Scrambler Ducati once again brought top talent to compete on 750cc+ motorcycles in the challenging off-road terrain of The Desert Devotional. Off the start, Ducati racer Jordan Graham jumped off the line alongside the other Hooligan riders and charged towards the sand dunes. Meanwhile, KTM backed Quinn Cody quickly moved into his line of choice, which served as a faster line to the end of the bomb as he took the holeshot of the entire Intermediate row. Over the next 40 miles, the Hooligan riders battled their way through the technical terrain on their off-road-adapted street motorcycles. With Cody in the lead and Graham chasing the target, Jake Pope, Mikey Hill, Ken Durr, Tony Parent and Nick Wojnarowicz navigated their way through valleys and mountains. Pope and Wojnarowicz found themselves with minor mechanical challenges that would ultimately end their day and headed back to the pits.
Coming into the finish line at full speed, Quinn Cody charged across the finish line as winner, with Graham coming through in second place. After an injury left Durr off the podium at the previous round, he kept himself upright to officially cross the finish line in 3rd overall ahead of Tony Parent.
