VOL. 56 ISSUE 12 MARCH 26, 2019 P37
perfect on this track be-
cause I wanted to get ahead
of everyone in the dust. I just
have to stay healthy for the
rest of the year and keep the
train rolling."
Robert enjoyed the three
Pro sections, especially the
drop-off and the technical
nature of the sections that
split the course into three
distinctive parts: high speed,
technical and motocross.
"WORCS has done a
really good job with the Pro
sections," said Robert. "It's
going back to the roots of
the WORCS style where
they throw in a technical
section that keeps every-
body on their toes, and this
one was no different."
Oliveira continued his run
of consistent finishes. After
taking second off the start,
he ran his own race and
scored his third consecutive
podium. He is currently the
only racer with any shot at
catching Robert in the points
chase, as he sits second, 18
points back.
"The course was gnarly
and super technical, and
that made it hard to be
consistent this weekend,"
said Oliveira. "I rode smooth
the whole race, and I was by
myself the whole time. I want
to catch Taylor soon."
Short was characteristi-
cally humble after the race,
but he added another con-
sistent finish to his resume.
A third-place effort marked
his second consecutive
podium and placed him third
in points.
"I struggled, but I did my
best," said Short. "It has
to be a disappointment for
Ricky [Dietrich], but for me,
it was the best situation
considering. I was definitely
afraid of the cactus, so that
was a new obstacle. The
track had a good mix. I
improved as the race went
on. Overall it's been fun so
far, but it has been a steep
learning curve."
Gary Sutherlin set the
second fastest time in Pro
qualifying on his KTM before
he got cross-rutted in a
section and fell with his bike
landing on him, breaking
his foot. He returned to the
track in a walking cast but
was unable to race.
In Pro 2, Austin Walton
jumped out front early on his
Three Brothers Husqvarna
after grabbing the holeshot.
After that, he left the rest of
the field in his dust.
Clayton Hengeveld ran a
strong second, ahead of JT
Baker.
The victory extends Wal-
ton's points lead. "The track
was gnarly, and I had to be
on my game the whole time
because if I wasn't some-
thing really bad would hap-
pen," said Walton. "Every-
one out here his fast, and it's
not easy to do, but I'm happy
Austin Walton
took the win in
the Pro 2 class.
