going out, Holt was faced with
less dust than expected (now
only one bike was ahead with a
two-minute gap) and was able to
put in fast miles early on with the
Trevor Hunter team in tow.
The opening stages of the
race were the traditional fast
roads and washes, making vis
-
ibility through the dust and low
light a key factor in the race.
Those who started further back
credited dust playing a pivotal
role in the opening miles as there
was no wind to carry the dust off
the racecourse.
The Eric Holt/Brian Whiteside
duo maintained a stranglehold
on second overall from pit one
through the finish, slowly building
the gap with fast and consistent
miles all the way to the checkers
on their Norman Racing/Kenda
Tires backed Husqvarna.
Rounding out the podium,
Trevor Hunter/Hayden Hintz
piloted their Dirt Bike Test/1-800-
Dent-Doc Honda CRF450X to the
bronze position. A big crash early
in the day left Hintz with a small
hand injury that slowed their over
-
all pace, but the team soldiered
on to reach the finish with no
major injuries to the bike or body.
While it wasn't the nailbiter
we saw just one month prior in
Tonopah, the VT Battleground
provided stellar racing for all
involved and a very well-received
racecourse from those who lined
up. One of the closest battles
of the day was in the Ironman
Expert division between Joe
Kidd #747 and Vinny Ruiz #711.
The first half of the race saw a
dogfight between the two solo
racers as they tackled the 330+
mile racecourse with no other
relief riders. In the end, Kidd took
the class victory en route to 11th
on the day. Other notable finish-
ers include Karson Boyce/Kody
Livreri (first 399 Pro), Tanner
Jacobsen (first Ironman Pro) and
Nick Lopez/Cole Burdick (first
Expert O/A).
Trevor Hunter
Unofficial VT Battleground Overall
1. Danny Cooper/Axel Pearson (Hon)
2. Eric Holt/Brian Whiteside (Hus)
3. Trevor Hunter/Hayden Hintz (Hon)
4. Karson Boyce/Kody Livreri (KTM)
5. Tanner Jacobson (Kaw)
WIND
IN THE
P54
Eric Holt and Brian
Whiteside finished
eight minutes behind
the Cooper team for
second overall.
