Roper Nabs NATC Mototrials First Win
G
asGas's Josh Roper got off
to a strong start in the 2023
AMA NATC National Mototri-
als Series by winning his first
Pro-class event on opening day
over 13-time National Champion,
FactoryONE Sherco's Pat Smage.
Smage would retaliate on Sun-
day, leaving the two riders tied in
overall championship points.
Promise Ranch, a 1300-acre
family-run cattle ranch located in
Center Hill, Florida, played host
to the opening weekend, which
was organized by the Florida
Trials Association (FTA). Near
100-degree temps meant proper
hydration and nutrition would be
imperative to not only placing
well, but simply finishing.
More than 100 riders were
present, competing in 12 sec
-
tions on a 5.5-mile loop that
ran around the perimeter of the
property's lake. The rocks and
hills that comprised the sections
are the result of the property's
history as a phosphate mine.
While the sections for Saturday's
competition were described by
some as being slightly more on
the "easy" side, a low-scoring
day provides its own stress.
While the possibility of failing a
splatter or double-step is less
likely, a single dab could cost the
top step of the podium.
On the first loop of the day,
Roper returned to the pits with
a clean scorecard, taking no
dabs in any of the 12 sections.
Smage took a dab in a side-hill
off-camber turn, but would return
triumphant (and clean) in the
second loop; Roper took a single
point in the second loop, mean
-
ing that the event came down to
the final loop.
Unfortunately for Smage, the
section bit him again when the
rocks he had used as markers
in the section on his clean loop
were no longer in the same
place. Roper kept his sights set
on the win, and turned in another
clean loop card, putting his final
score at only a single point to
WIND
IN THE
P32
Josh Roper captured
his first career NATC
Mototrials win at
the season opener
in Florida.
PHOTOS:
STEPH VETTERLY
