free laps over the following N2
bike, both of which had built a
sizable gap over the rest of the
racers. As the race settled in,
the front-runners began catch
-
ing lapped riders as early as lap
three, with dust now becoming
a factor for all of the racers,
including the ones out front.
A new feature of the race
implemented this year was the
use of a Joker Lane, an approxi
-
mately 20-second-longer section
that each team was required
to take at least once during the
race. Rather than sitting in dust
for the entirety of the race, the
N1 team opted to take the Joker
Lane on lap two to allow for a
bigger gap and break in the dust
in hopes of making up time on
the leader with some clean air.
By the end of lap four, the first
pit stops came into play and the
N1 team exited with approxi
-
mately 30 seconds over the next
bike after the rider swaps and
refueling.
Over the next two laps, the N2
team lost considerable time and
was forced to pit early due to a
rear-tire malfunction. The team
was testing a different tire, and
it had worn through the center
knobs entirely and the mousse
was exposed. A long pit to
change the rear wheel cost them
valuable time, dropping them
to over four minutes behind the
leader.
Then, just as the race seemed
under control and everyone
was settling into their finishing
positions, the N1 team ran out
of gas a couple miles before the
pit, leaving them stranded on
the side of the course. Luckily
for them, a photographer nearby
had some gas handy and gave
the CRF450X enough to make it
back into the pit. After refueling
and swapping riders once again,
the Honda team set out for
the final two laps just seconds
VOLUME ISSUE OCTOBER , P51
Nic Colangeli did all
the work himself to
take second overall.
