Cycle News

VOL. 51 ISSUE 4 JANUARY 28, 2014 My Own Race: P105 457 BRAD PACE OPEN EXPERT/9TH OVERALL 1ST 7TH V1X MORGAN CRAWFORD VET EXPERT/6TH OVERALL 1ST "My start was good," Wilson's Motorcycles of Fresno/SRT Off-road/Moose Racing KTM's Morgan Crawford said. "I kind of got around some people, got out of the dust right after the bomb and kind of took an inside line and passed a few people that were all bundled up in some rocks. From there, I just started picking people off. I was running fifth overall at the pits and then going into the second half my brakes started fading a little bit in some super-tight stuff and I think Axel [Pearson] of Purvines - he passed me and I tried to keep up with him, but he just kept inching and inching away. That was about it from there and I just rode my own race by myself." "This is my first desert race since Dirt Diggers last year back in April before I broke my pelvis," Dad/SRT Off-road CRF450X-mounted Brad Pace said. "This was a pretty scary one for me. I was real nervous getting back on the bike. Being a national, my first desert race back, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't want to get hurt - just went out and played it safe. It definitely paid off. I had some really good lines. A lot of people were getting lost. The first loop was real gnarly. It was probably like a third loop national, for sure. I just played it smart, did everything to stay on the bike and rode a consistent pace. On the second loop, I ended up going over the handlebars passing a guy on a downhill. Right after that, I hit a rock and bent my rearbrake pedal all up." 17 RYAN SMITH 250CC EXPERT/8TH OVERALL 1ST N326 BRANDON PRIETO PRO/10TH OVERALL "I had like a fifth-overall start," John Burr Cycles/Rick's Custom Shutters and Blinds/Moose Racing YZ250mounted Ryan Smith said. "I got off the line really well and just held it wide open all the way to the bomb. I was lucky enough to edge out Gary Sutherlin for a line and it left me in fifth place overall. It went good until we got to this rocky road… I got really bad arm pump for the first three-quarters of the first loop and then going out on the second loop, I made a few little mistakes and somebody got by me. It lit a fire under my butt and I started riding like I know how to ride. I passed a bunch of people and flowed really well and had fun." It was a lot of fun. He chopped throttle for the last road crossing and I figured I'm going for it." "I rode by myself all day," Burson said. "I got a second-place start, but Ivan just pulled me, Justin passed me because I was in Ivan's dust. We were back and forth off the start like that. I just tightened up. We went straight into the rocks. I just rode horrible at first. I knew I was riding bad. I just couldn't loosen up. Brabec and Gary passed me - they all checked out a little bit. "I kept pushing and pushing. And I started getting whiffs of At this race last year, Brandon Prieto broke his leg and ended up getting a ride to the closest checkpoint on the back of Kurt Caselli's bike after the champ had a brake issue that set him back. Prieto (Ivan Ramirez's cousin) sat out the remainder of the year recuperating from that injury and rode to a steady seventh Pro, 10th overall in his return aboard his Family/Friends/Sidi 450 XC-F. "I had a little bit of arm pump because I haven't been racing that much," Prieto said. "So I just kept it smooth and it was good. I had arm pump the whole first loop and after that I just kept riding smooth and having fun. It's good to finish the first race and let's see how it goes." dust the last 15 miles so I just kept pushing and pushing. I thought Morrow heard me because he took off so I got up on him and made the pass. If I knew he didn't know I was there, I would've waited and just try to blow by him right at the end." Officially, they ended up 10 seconds apart, but it seemed much closer. Axel Pearson put his TBT/ Fasst Company/Sidi 450 RR into fourth after a four-kick start. Brabec, Vet Expert winner Morgan Crawford, Blais Racing Services KTM's Skyler Howes, 250cc Expert winner Ryan Smith, Open Expert winner Brad Pace and the returning-from-injury Brandon Prieto rounded out the top 10. CN 1. Ivan Ramirez 2. Justin Morrow 3. Nick Burson 4. Axel Pearson 5. Ricky Brabec 6. Morgan Crawford 7. Skyler Howes 8. Ryan Smith 9. Bradley Pace 10. Brandon Prieto

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