Naran, Tucker Win San Felipe 250
H
usqvarna's 39-year winless
drought at the SCORE San
Felipe 250 came to an abrupt
end Saturday, April 1, when
teammates Ciaran Naran and
Tucker Hopkins rode a Husky
FE 450 across the finish line in
first place (but with little room
to spare) in San Felipe, B.C.
Mexico. The two Southern Cali
-
fornians piloted the top-finishing
two-wheel vehicle out of the Pro
Moto Unlimited (400cc or more)
class to victory in the 263-mile
race in six hours, eight minutes
and five seconds. The duo aver
-
aged 42.95 mph, and it's their
first major off-road win as a
team.
"The first half of the race that I
rode was really, really good," said
Naran, who calls Huntington
Beach, California, home. "I came
in knowing just keep the wheels
on the ground; we don't need
crazy speed. San Felipe can bite
you easily, so I just wanted to
make sure the bike kept moving
and going forward. That was the
game plan. We executed it well.
The dust wasn't too bad this
morning, luckily, so I made some
passes quickly.
"I think I got into fourth within
10 or 15 miles. Then I just kept
trucking forward and got third,
second, first. It happened
smooth and efficient. Can't com
-
plain. And Tucker did a super
job in the second half keeping
everything clean."
Naran gave credit to mentor
Colton Udall, multi-time Baja
champion. "It was good to have
someone like Colton Udall, who
is very experienced down here,
helping guide us and with pit
strategy and guiding us through
this adventure. It helps me stay
safe and be more prepared, so
I'm not doing any danger to my
-
self. It is unreal to know that we
are just the second Husqvarna
bike to ever win this race down
here. That is cool. We made
some history."
The last time a Husqvarna
won the San Felipe 250 was in
1984 with desert-racing legends
Dan Smith and Dan Ashcraft.
"The race was all right," said
Tucker who hails from Venice
Beach, California. "I had some
arm pump in the first 20 or 30
miles, then stopped at the Baja
Pit and was able to shake it out a
WIND
IN THE
P56
The Ciaran Naran and
Tucker Hopkins privateer
Husqvarna entry leaves
the start line in San Felipe.
The duo went on to win the
race, giving Husqvarna its
first win at this race since
1984.
PHOTOS: JACK WRIGHT
