With lap times in the low
seven-minute range (several
minutes shorter than the usual
NGPC course), the leaders would
eventually complete 13 laps with
Hoeft out front for the first five.
But the shorter course also
meant the leaders would come
up on lappers sooner, and that
happened abruptly to Hoeft, who
reportedly tried to fit between
the lapper and a bush on the
side of the trail while in fifth gear.
The bush caught his foot and
ripped him off the bike, sending
both cartwheeling into the brush.
Mateo Oliveira was only a
few seconds behind and saw it
happen. When he saw a course
worker shortly after, he tried to get
the worker's attention to let him
know Hoeft was down and might
be hurt, and he ended up dropping
his Acerbis/FMF/Fly Racing FE
450—one of two small spills that
did nothing to help his rhythm.
"I felt good on the track, but
it just wasn't coming to me," he
said. "This track suited my style;
it was just a little slower, it was
pretty technical, it was chewed
up, and I was right in there [for
about the first half of the race].
Who knows what would've hap
-
pened if I didn't go down. The
track was hard to pass on, and
my brother charges hard to the
end, but you can't expect to win
going down twice, especially
against him and [eventual run
-
ner-up] Dare [DeMartile]. Another
third, but I think it was maybe my
strongest one of the year, so I
can hang my hat on that."
After Hoeft went down, Liqui
Moly Beta's DeMartile found him
-
self leading, unknowingly.
"I didn't see him crash, so I
didn't know I was in the lead.
When I got around Mateo, I
thought Justin was far out front,"
he said.
DeMartile and his Bridges
-
tone/Seat Concepts/Moose
Racing 450 RX led for about 10
minutes before Dante finally
showed up at the front, assisted
by a quick pit, though lappers
and dust also made it tough for
DeMartile to stay with Oliveira.
"I tried to make a hard charge
the lap after that and made a
couple mistakes," DeMartile
admitted. "We were right on the
edge, so I really didn't want to
pick myself up off the ground, so
I just kind of stayed at my pace
the last couple laps."
Dante said, "It was a hard bat
-
tle for quite a while, all the way
to the pit stop. The first three,
four laps, the lead pack was
getting away, and I was watch
-
ing them go, and I'm just like, 'Oh
my, I've got to get moving!' "
VOLUME ISSUE MARCH , P55
Dustyn Davis (508) led the Pro II Silver State GP from
start to finish for his first-ever Pro-class win.
