VOLUME 58 ISSUE 10 MARCH 9, 2021 P41
Elite Off-road/FMF/Fly Racing
KTM 250 XC-F and freed him.
"Huge thank-you to her. I prob-
ably wouldn't have won if it wasn't
for her, so thank you," he said. "It
hurt—I was burning."
Richards explained further:
"He lapped me and then a
little bit later on we were go-
ing through a rock sand wash.
I came up on him and he was
completely pinned under his
bike. I didn't even think twice
about it; I stopped and picked it
up off him. He said he was get-
ting burned by the oil. I'm glad I
stopped for him and picked him
up and helped him out.
"I was shocked. When I came
up and saw Bell, I was like, 'No
way!'
Prior to that, Bell had the
race under control after some
early arm-pump issues subsided.
"Once I finally loosened up and
got to know the track, I really put
in the fast laps [until running into
the lapper just before the white
flag came out].
"It is what it is; I still won so it
makes it that much better," Bell
said. "I was still able to win with a
fall and I'm getting stronger each
weekend so that's huge."
Though Oliveira hoped to
make it three in a row aboard his
Red Bull/Motorex/Thor 450 XC-
F, he was unable to match Bell's
pace throughout, though he said
he was fairly pleased with his
riding. "I felt on point the whole
race, never bobbled or anything,"
he said, adding that he may have
lost the race in the first turn when
he got into Talladega too hot and
drifted to the outside which let
Bell and Stewart sneak past.
He passed Stewart but, "we
got to the second half of the
track where it's a lot more high-
speed and Zach walked away
from me. I'm not too stoked on it,
but my riding was good other-
wise, so I can't complain about
that. Obviously, I have a couple
things to work on."
Third marked the first podium
for 2018 and '19 series champ
Stewart as he continues to dial
in his Pro Circuit/Dunlop/Bell
His second consecutive triumph gives
defending Pro II champ and current class points
leader Tallon LaFountaine a larger cushion over
Colton Aeck who was second again.
Brandy Richards didn't hesitate
when she saw Zach Bell pinned
beneath his bike on the lap
before the white flag. She
immediately stopped to free him
and they both went on to win
their respective classes.
