bikes prepared to help minimize
prep time. He admitted that the
engine he chose for Tough Like
RORR could have been a better
call, as he found himself spin-
ning out more than he wanted,
especially on the first lap when
the rocks were dry. Rockstar
Energy Husqvarna Factory Rac-
ing's Ryder LeBlond managed to
make a pass for the lead as the
first lap progressed but lost time
and his advantage during a hill
-
climb when Hart flew up cleanly.
The second and third laps uti-
lized the latter part of the open-
ing lap, and the course quickly
deteriorated. Lines became satu-
rated with mud, and traction was
almost impossible to find. With
riders on their first lap attempt-
ing to maneuver themselves
and their bikes out of the way
for the leaders, the only option
to advance was to seek out new
and innovative lines. Between
the loose hills, which offered
little to no traction, and the rocky
climbs where nearly every rock
was loose and would spin at the
slightest throttle twist, the race
evolved into a grueling battle to
the finish, six inches at a time.
Hart managed to start dis
-
tancing himself from Riordan
and Webb, eventually extending
his lead to nearly 30 minutes by
the time he saw the checkered
flag. Webb was more than five
minutes behind LeBlond as
he entered the second lap but
utilized his trial skills to conquer
a challenging rock garden and
secured third place. He replicat
-
ed this on the final lap, passing
Riordan in the same spot and
finishing over eight minutes
ahead to claim second place.
WIND
IN THE
P68
Cody Webb again finished second.
