FINAL ROUND/NOVEMBER 24, 2013
JOHNSON VALLEY OHV AREA/LUCERNE VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
OFF ROAD
AMA RACING/FMF/GPR HARE & HOUND NATIONAL CHAMPION
My Own Race:
7
P74
SKYLER HOWES
5TH O/A
"I felt awesome!" Blais Racing KTM's Skyler Howes said
of his day. "Got a sweet start; I was third on the start and
just kind of rode right behind Jake and Nick and was keeping their pace. We hit the boulder field out there and kind
of just took it easy. Justin and Axel kind of rode their own
race; I just had fun with it." After sitting out four rounds due
to breaking his back at round four, the Faast Company/
Troy Lee Designs/EKS Brand Goggles 300 XC rider added, "No mistakes really, just a couple bobbles here and
there - virtually a mistake-free race, didn't get tired so I'm
amped."
N358 LEVII HUTCHINGS 1ST 250CC A, 7TH O/A
The battle for first 250cc honors was perhaps more intense than the fight for first, involving not just 250cc A's
but a Pro or two as well. "Me, [and Pros] Ryan [Smith]
and [Robert] Underwood hung together for the first two
loops. Then we put a little time on Underwood. Ryan and
I battled that whole third lap. We caught Austin [Keys] and
had a three-way battle going. It was a blast! You couldn't
have asked for better conditions," the West Weld Industries/Fifth Gear Powersports/FMF KTM 250 XC-mounted
Hutchings said. While he's placed as high as fourth overall
in Utah, his seventh here marked his best-to-date finish in
California. "I haven't been able to break in the top 10 yet I'm
really excited!"
N316
SAM BANGERT 1ST 200CC A, 17TH O/A
Having clinched the 200cc B Championship earlier thanks
to seven victories, Blais Racing KTM's Sam Bangert moved
up to the A division for the first time and won again aboard
his Race Tech/Kenda/Troy Lee Designs 200 XC. Bangert
said, "It's definitely a gear higher! Everything's wide open;
you let off for a minute, then someone's going to pass you
right away. Being with the top guys is awesome! Seeing
Axel out there [just in front of me], I was like, 'All right, this
is weird.' Usually when I was an Amateur I would pass old
guys, but now it's like I'm getting passed by Pros because
I got a good start, so it's kind of a cool feeling." Bangert
estimated he got a top 15 start but later hit a cactus and had
to stop to remove the needles from his arm.
