Shirey Strikes First at Lucerne H&H
D
espite being less than 100
percent after recent knee sur-
gery, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna
Factory Racing Off-Road Team's
Dalton Shirey embarked on his
quest for a fourth championship
by speeding to the win at the
Desert Motorcycle Club's 57th
annual Winter Classic, round
one of the AMA Hare & Hound
National Championship Series,
Presented by FMF, January 21.
Liqui Moly Beta's Zane Rob
-
erts kept him honest all the way
to the checkered flag and led
part of the way on the 80-mile
course in the Johnson Valley
Off-Highway Vehicle Area that
was in nearly perfect condition
after sprinkles during Saturday's
Youth races and light overnight
showers. But a spill by Roberts
was all that Shirey needed to
slip past for good, the three-time
champ taking the checkered flag
in two hours, eight minutes and
eight seconds aboard his Mo-
torex/Dunlop/Fly Racing-backed
FX 450.
Roberts trailed him by just
11 seconds on his Fiji Waters/
Pirelli/Klim-sponsored 480 RR
with Shirey's Rockstar Husky
teammate Austin Walton nab
-
bing third in his first H&H Na-
tional aboard his FMF/Dunlop/
Sidi-backed FX 450, with a time
of 2:10:41.
After rehabbing from menis-
cus surgery at the end of last
season, Shirey said, "I got three
weeks on the bike, and it was
enough for me to get the job
done today. I can feel I still need
more seat time so I can be stron-
ger at the next one. I executed
my start well, and I knew my line
[to the end of the bomb] was
good. My bike fired, and I knew I
was going to get the start.
"From there, after the bomb,
I just kind of was sending it a
little bit and looked back to see
where they were, and I was like,
WIND
IN THE
P44
Despite being less than
100 percent after knee
surgery at the end of last
season, Dalton Shirey
blasted off the start and
stayed in front for most of
the 80 miles for the win.
PHOTOS: MARK KARIYA
