Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127987
Round 2: Dirt Diggers Hare & Hound AMA NA TlONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HARE & HOUND SERIES By Anne Van Beveren Photos by Tom Van Beveren RED MOUNTAIN,CA,MAR.12 y Davis got his bid for National Hare & Hound Championship title number three back on track with a hard-fough t win in round two of the championship series in the Southern California desert. Racing in the rocky terrain of the Spangler Hills riding area for the lil'st time in many years, the National competitors were treated to a three-loop, 100-mile course laid out by the I?irt Diggers MC that incorporated the challenge 01 thick dust and treacherous, hidden rocks with a grueling linal section 01 deep whoops and rocky hills. But Davis was up to the task. Riding like a man possessed to make up points after DNFing in round one of the bestfive-out-of-seven-race series, the twotime ational champ put his Yamaha YZ400F out in front on the bomb run and kept the lead all the way to the checkered flag. At the end of just over three hours of racing, Davis was a mere 20 seconds ahead of second-placed Brian Brown - but 20 seconds was enough. "It went great:' said Davis. '1 got the hoIeshot on the bomb and had dear sailing pretty much the whole way. r didn't have any problems at all." The 400 racers who lined up for the start near the moon rocks that mark the area known as "Charlie's Place" knew they were in for a tough morning. The area 'is known for tricky, hidden rocks and, with no recent rain, the region's legendary dust was sure to be blinding. Davis was out in front just seconds after the banner dropped at 9 a.m. but, even running dust-free at the front 01 the pack on the long, uphill journey to the bomb, the Yamaha pilot was treating the terrain with respect. "You had to be careful and watch out T (Above) Hare-andhound racing returned to the Spangler Mountain area. Here, the first row of racers head out on the threeloop course. (Left) After going pointless in the opening round of the National Hare & Hound Series, Ty Davis rebounded by laking the win at round two. C ') .<:: ~ CD ::E 40 for all the hidden rocks:' said Davis. "You couldn't really floor it, because there are so many hidden rocks out there." You also had to be on something bigger than a 250, as YZ250-mounted Matt Murphy found to his dismay. '1 got a first-kick start - I mean everything was good, but those 500s just ate me up:' said Murp)1y, whose lack of displacement turned a brilli811t jump off the line into a dusty struggle somewhere back around 20th. Davis survived an early challenge from Vet Expert Abe Baumaru1 and was just inches ahead of another Vet, KX500mounted Dan Richardson, as he picked . up the start of the ribbon. "Davis and J went through the bomb just side by ide:' Richardson said. "He got ahead of me and [ backed off a little bit to get out of his dust, and it was just smooth sailing from there. The first loop was really last, so no one really caught up tome." Todd Hoy was back in the pits in record time after a fa t start turned into a gnarly crash just past the bomb, and Vet racer Ed McCoy also called it qui Is a few miles further on after stopping to help a couple of downed riders. John Spaeth ended up back in the pack after he lost a battle with a rock just past the bomb, and Jeff Capt's hopes of a dust-free run didn't even make it that far. "Off the start, somebody ran "right into me, so J was on the ground within 10 feet of the start:' said Capt. "1 carne from dead last and worked my way back up." The 35-rnile first loop took tl1e racers to the west and south, winding through the Spangler Hills and the Paint Pot . area. "The first loop was really fun:' said Davis. "They had a lot of twisties. It was fast, but they used their imagination and did really good."