VOL. 55 ISSUE 40 OCTOBER 9, 2018 P47
Though most of the pack was comprised of
WHS competitors and locals, New Jersey's Kyle
McDonal upheld East Hare Scrambles (EHS) honor
by taking third in 2:50:03. (The Shootout served
as round seven for the WHS, round nine for EHS
and round seven for the Oklahoma Hare
Scrambles Championship Series.)
"I slowly just got around one, got
around another and started creeping to
the front, then I saw Devan Bolin; I was
guessing he was in the lead because he's
always quick in the trees," Oliveira said.
"He let me by, then he got on my ass and
we just started going and moved away
from the pack. We were like five bike
lengths apart the whole race—it was sick!"
To prevent a last-lap attack, Oliveira
preemptively upped the pace on the last
lap to seal the victory—his second of the
season, which moved him to second
in points behind the injured and absent
Trystan Hart, 152-126. Beta's Max Ger-
ston, the reigning series champ who was
seventh overall and sixth Pro while riding
with a broken finger, is third at 124 while
Bolin is fourth at 115.
"Honestly, he was faster than me; he had a lot
more intensity than me," Motographix/Hammer
Nutrition/Leatt 350 XC-F rider Bolin confessed. "I
let him pull me all the way through the race. I knew
we'd never gap the rest of the field if I tried to hold
him off—the battle would've been too intense. I kind
of sacrificed it there and was hoping to be able to
do something on the last lap, but he wore me out,
honestly."
After getting tangled up in the first turn, Beta
support rider McDonal had his work cut out for
him also, though not as much as Oliveira. "I tried
to make a couple passes early on, but it happened
more on the second or third lap—I guess people
were making mistakes," he said.
Gas Gas-mounted Travis Coy claimed fourth
place for the third straight round, putting him fifth in
points with 114.
Texan and OHSCS champ Zach Ingram finished
fifth on his FMF/TBT Racing/Fly Racing Gas Gas,
24 seconds ahead of FMF Pro 250 winner Jeremy
Wilton, the Gray Area KTM/House of Horsepower/
Moose Racing 250 XC-F rider clinching the class
championship with his fifth triumph of the season
over rival Dillon Sheppard.
Gerston, OHSCS racer Eddie Kowalski, 707
Racing Yamaha's Sheppard and Gas Gas-mounted
Kyle Kerling (the 250cc A winner and first A overall)
rounded out the top 10.
Just one round remains in the WHS and with the
injured Hart expected to miss it, the championship
fight will be tight.
Mark Kariya
PRO OVERALL
1. Dante Oliveira (KTM)
2. Devan Bolin (KTM)
3. Kyle McDonal (Bet)
4. Travis Coy (GG)
5. Zach Ingram (GG)
6. Jeremy Wilton (KTM)
7. Max Gerston (Bet)
8. Eddie Kowalski (Unk)
9. Dillon Sheppard (Yam)
10. Kyle Kerling (GG)
The Big Wheel race saw an all-California podium
with Seven Diaz (center) winning over Zach
Kerling (left) and Anthony Ferrante (right).
