Skyler Scores Silver State Victory
N
ot often is the vast open des-
ert graced with enough water
to eliminate dust and provide
hero dirt, let alone enough to
cover 300 miles of trail, but the
2024 edition of the Silver State
300, round two of the Best In
The Desert Championship, gifted
racers with prime conditions to
battle wheel to wheel for nearly
300 miles through the Nevada
desert, April 27.
Often cited as one of the most
fun races on the BITD schedule,
the event organizers went to
work to mix in new roads and
sandwashes on the 262-mile
point-to-point race starting and
finishing just outside Alamo,
Nevada. The new trail slowed
speeds down with winding roads
and washes scattered with loose
rocks and soft dirt. Overnight
rains left the course dust-free
with ample traction and tight
racing for the motorcycle racers
taking off at first light on Satur
-
day morning.
Staging based on the previous
round Golden State 250 finishing
order, the Shane Logan/Corbin
McPherson team set the first
trail on the N2 KTM. One minute
behind was the Hayden Hintz/
Trevor Hunter duo on the Dirt
Bike Test/1-800-Dent-Doc N1
Honda, with Skyler Howes a few
minutes behind on his Monster
Energy HRC Honda rally racer
(N10).
Within the first few miles of
wide-open roads, both the N2
and N1 bikes missed a turn and
strayed off course, losing 45 to
90 seconds before re-entering
the designated route. As the two
found the marked trail, a drag
race over the next several miles
ensued as the duo topped 100-
plus mph into the rising sun. As
the course tightened up, Logan
began gaining time through
the fast, rocky sandwashes
and twisty mountain roads. In
WIND
IN THE
P50
Skyler Howes rode his
Monster Energy HRC
Honda to victory at the
BITD Silver State 300.
PHOTOS: HARLEN FOLEY
