Fahringer Victorious At The Race OMA
The OMA Nationals posted
its latest installment of a 45-year
tradition that began life as The
Illinois Cross-Country. The event,
a mainstay of Midwest off-road
motorcycle racing, was known
as the Moose Run for years, but
now it is simply The Race. This
year the event was presented by
Rock River Arms, a title sponsor
of the series, and two RRA rifles
were included in the prize pack-
age. One for the overall winner of
The Race and one for the OMA
Nationals season champion.
With a loop made up of approxi-
mately 45 miles of timber, peat
bogs, creeks and logs, this event
challenges man and machine.
Forty mile-per-hour winds and
temperatures hovering below
40 degrees made it even more
physically challenging. A shot-
gun blast signaled the start, and
Tanner Whipple (Kawasaki/Fly
Racing) took the holeshot after a
high-speed run across a freshly
harvested corn field, leading 28
other pro and A riders on their
90-mile adventure.
During the first 60 miles of the
race Buddy Fortune and Nick
Fahringer (Sherco/FXR/Kenda)
swapped the lead numerous
times, while Whipple, Colt Con-
verse Moose Racing/Dunlop,
and Cole Zuidema Moose Racing
were hot on their heels. Fortune,
however, crashed out. Fahringer
persevered and came home with
the win. Zuidema took second
place, and Whipple rounded out
the podium. His third-place finish
also cemented Whipple in as the
season champion.
"This is my fifth time winning out
of the Bike Barn," said Fahringer.
"It was good. I haven't done a tra-
ditional cross-country race. I have
been focusing on hard enduros.
With this being the, you know,
IN
THE
WIND
P40
Nick Fahringer got
back to his winning
ways at OMA "The
Race" (formerly
known as the Moose
Run) in Illinois.
PHOTOS: JOHN GASSO
