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/128397
Rocky Mountain ATV/MC World Off-Road Championship Series he Rocky Mountain ATV/MC World Off Road Championship Series got under way again after its summer break with stop eight of the 12-round series being held in Monticello, Utah. KTM's Kurt Caselli finished where he left off at round seven in Washougal, Washington - on top of the podium. Caselli rode a nearflawless race aboard his KTM 250 EXC. Zip-Ty Racing's Nathan Woods and Suzuki's Mike Kiedrowski chased Caselli all race long; however, not even these ~ fast guys had anything to offer Caselli, and he rode off to an uncontested win, finishing over a minute and a half ahead of his closest competitor. The Bull Hollow course was a mixture of fast straightaways, where you could hold your ride wide open, to a flowing motocross track, where motocross skills and technique would give an MX racer the upper hand. The formidable track also had some tough single-track that wound T was dead last and just got covered in mud. I tried my best to get going after that, but that's racing. I definitely needed a better start to run up front." Woods went into the first lap feeling pretty good. He had already opened up a nice gap on Caselli and was the first into Bear Canyon. "I went into the canyon with about IS seconds on those guys," Woods said. "I was making no mistakes, riding really good. I got out of the canyon without any trouble and, all of a sudden, Caselli is on my rear wheel! I couldn't believe it." The two seasoned championship rivals rode together for the remainder of the first lap. Kiedrowski was close and doing his best to not let the two front-runners go. Montclair Yamaha's Russell Pearson followed Kiedrowski in fourth after leaving the pits on lap one. Honda rider Eric Rhoten from Colorado was putting in a great ride behind Pearson, in fifth. through trees and ravines, all of which would challenge the racers to muster up the determination to finish the grueling two-hour competition. Nothing, however, challenged the WORCS racers more than the infamous Bear Canyon, a section that consisted of approximately a mile of the nastiest trail Mother Nature can conjure up. It's a tight wash with boulders and sand for traction, and the walls are steep sandstone that jut irregularly into the path of the riders. There are also drop-offs and trees to negotiate, and getting through Bear Canyon completely unscathed is usually an impossible feat. Bear Canyon also had multiple lines, where you could either bounce and dab through the rocks or bulldoze through the trees. This section would be the deciding factor for the Pro race. Off the start, Woods grabbed the holeshot, with Caselli and Kiedrowski in hot pursuit. Team Green's Nick Pearson and Ricky Dietrich where also up front in the mix, though their teammates, Destry Abbott and Lance Smail, were nowhere to be seen. Abbott had a horrific crash on Saturday, and by the time the Pro race started on Sunday, he was at home recovering from a second-degree shoulder separation and two broken ribs. Smail was outside the top 10. '" got the worst start ever," he said. "I Going out on lap two, Woods made a mistake that would ultimately cost him the race. '" went into a turn and lost the course and Caselli got by," Woods said. "I basically handed him the race. He didn't have to work for it at all!" Once Caselli made the pass, he checked out. On lap two alone, Caselli pulled out a 24-second lead. "I rode good today," Caselli said. ':After [Woods] missed the corner and I got by him, I basically just got to ride my own race. I feel confident now up front and like being able to pick my own lines. Getting out front early is exactly what I wanted to do. I'm really stoked with the way I'm riding right now." Kiedrowski could see the action up front and was doing his best to stay with the leaders. "I could see Woods ahead of me and wanted to stay with him," Kiedrowski said. "The course was getting dustier as the race progressed, so I knew I had to stay close to try and win; if you let those guys out of your sight, it's over, so I was doing everything I could to stay with them." Behind Kiedrowski was a big group of riders battling for position. In the mix were Dietrich, Rhoten and Smail. Smail was flying, trying to make up for his poor start.