While the Open Pros mixed
it up a bit, the Pro 250s put on
a proverbial barnburner with a
number of lead changes. In the
end, East Coast transplant Tyler
Vore edged his way past Clayton
Gerstner on the final lap to claim
his very first Pro-level victory.
"I'm slowly starting to adjust
and make the change [to the
faster courses here out West],"
he said. After getting the hole
-
shot on his Enduro Engineering/
Mobile Powersports/MotoSport
Hillsboro GasGas EX 250, he
stayed a couple seconds ahead
of Anthony Ferrante and Layton
Smail while working through
some arm pump.
"Once I pitted I saw how fast
they were going, I knew I had to
turn it up quite a bit. Once I real
-
ized the pace, I started clicking it
off. I think my last two laps were
the fastest of the race."
Carl's Cycle/707 Suspen-
sion Husky-mounted Gerstner
finished second Pro 250 and
seventh overall followed by
defending class champ Mason
Ottersberg on his DC Racing
Sherco 250 SEF, Smail on his
JMC Motorsports/Just 1 Gas
-
Gas and MojoMotoSport/Six Five
O GasGas rider Ferrante.
The morning race was far
sloppier, but current Pro Women
champ Ava Silvestri thrived in the
conditions on her 3 Bros./Hatch
Racing GasGas EX 250F, topping
Full Factory Racing KTM's Rachel
Stout—the AMA Pro Women
Hare & Hound National Cham
-
pion—and Alpinestars/Piston
Bones KTM's Mikayla Nielsen.
"I would say, yeah, I know
how to ride mud well," Silvestri
admitted. But after tipping over
on the penultimate lap and see
-
ing Stout uncomfortably close,
she continued, "On the last lap, I
threw down the hammer and just
hoped for the best. Obviously,
this year I've been getting sec-
ond a lot [in other series]. In my
opinion—at that point—I'd rather
crash and get straight up passed
[than lose while playing it safe]."
Tied for the class points lead
with Nielsen coming into the
Desperado, Silvestri left with sole
possession of first over new
-
comer Nielsen, 85-76, with Stout
third at 61.
Mark Kariya
WIND
IN THE
P52
Ava Silvestri won the
Pro Women class for
the second time in
three rounds.
