AMA/SRT HARE & HOUND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
OFF ROAD
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY
MARK KARIYA
T
he last time Jacob Argu-
bright won a National Hare
& Hound was five months
ago at the 2013 series finale.
The last time Husqvarna won
a National Hare & Hound overall,
Argubright wasn't even born! (Al-
though no one is certain, many
are guessing that Dan Ashcraft or
Dan Smith are likely candidates as
the last Husky racers to overall a
National in the desert, probably
was some time in the early 1980s.)
It was by no means an easy
victory for the Bel-Ray/FMF/
Moose Racing Husqvarna fac-
tory racer and his Charles Jirsa-
prepared FC 450, as he was
just one of four vying for the lead
throughout the fifth round of the
AMA/SRT Hare & Hound Nation-
al Championship Series hosted
by the National Hare and Hound
Association in conjunction with
AMA District 37 Competition at
the Cougar Buttes section of the
Johnson Valley Off-Highway Ve-
hicle Area.
Round-one winner Ivan
Ramirez of the FMF/KTM Fac-
tory Off-Road Racing Team got
out the quickest when the ban-
ner dropped, signaling the start
of two separate 40-mile loops.
Privateer Nic Garvin got a great
start on his City Service/BRP/
FMF KTM 250 XC and trailed
only Ramirez as they headed east
towards Soggy Dry Lake then
Means Dry Lake, with Argubright,
round-four winner Ricky Brabec,
Brandon Prieto, Purvines Racing
Beta's Nick Burson, Blais Racing
Services KTM's Skyler Howes,
Maxxis/Mad Jack Racing KTM-
mounted Kevin McKeehan, Eddy
Motorsports Honda's Max Eddy,
Jr., and Maxima/MSR KTM rider
Chance Wyllie comprising the
top 10 a few miles into the race.
The battle for the lead was
soon distilled to four: Ramirez,
Brabec, Argubright and Burson.
Brabec
slipped
past
Ramirez
a
few
miles
before
the
end
of
the
first
40-mile
loop,
earning
the
new
$100
bonus
from
Bike
Week
Radio.
But
Ramirez
didn't
give
up
and
stuck
with
the
THR
Motorsports/
Monster
Energy/Precision
Con-
cepts
Kawasaki
rider,
perfectly
positioned
to
take
advantage
of
any
slip-up.
And
with
the
windy
condi-
ROUND 5/APRIL 27, 2014
JOHNSON VALLEY OHV/LUCERNE VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
P102
Jacob Argubright
gave Husqvarna
its first National
win in the desert
in about 30
years.
HUSQVARNA BACK ON TOP
