Cycle News

SERIES VOL. 52 ISSUE 9 MARCH 3, 2015 P111 Briefly... to practice more flat turns like [they have] on the cross tests; they're pret- ty hard. I went [to the first round] and the first test I went like crazy like mo- tocross so I messed up a lot. I need to ride smooth." While Dalton Shirey and Steven Kirk III repeated their 1-2 from round one in the FMF 250cc Pro class, Wyoming's Taylor Stevens claimed third for his first NHHA podium. Co- incidentally, both Shirey and Kirk are second-generation members of the Checkers. My Own Race: 4 AXEL PEARSON 3RD O/A The Purvines Racing Beta duo of Nick Burson and Axel Pearson finally got their 2015 480 RRs and raced them for the first time at the Check Chase. Among the changes is a new starter motor, and Pearson discovered it's very dif- ferent than the 2014 version: "The first race I couldn't start the bike and this race, this new bike fired up really quick, but it almost went too quick and I lost control and looped out within 100 feet of the start!" he confessed. "It was solid dust and I couldn't find my bike for, like, 15, 20 seconds." 422 BRANDON PRIETO 4TH O/A "I just rode smart because the track was pretty rough and rocky," TBT Racing/Ame Grips/Klim KTM 450 XC-F rider Brandon Prieto said. "I wanted to keep it in one piece. I had a great battle with Axel the whole race, but at the end he got me. I'm happy with fourth place, for sure." 2 NICK BURSON 5TH O/A "I was third off the start and kind of hairballed it to get by Skyler Howes for second," said Nick Burson of his race. "Hopefully, he was wearing a GoPro, because I passed him sideways! I was in his dust and it looked clear so I pinned it and there was a big rock and hit it pretty hard." But be- fore long, he found himself in front, though Ivan Ramirez passed him back after taking a wrong turn. A crash later dropped Burson back and Ricky Brabec started pressur- ing. "We went back and forth a few times. In his dust, just clipped a rock and lost the front end going pretty good and smacked my face on the ground and broke the visor; it was right before the pit so I lost sight of him." After pitting, Bur- son's wrist started giving him problems, but he shook that off and got into a good pace before crashing big on a hill and hitting his face again, this time breaking a tooth and cutting his chin open. "I just can't buy a break this year. The speed was there, my starts are really good—it'll come, I guess." X146 DALTON SHIREY 1ST FMF 250CC PRO, 8TH O/A Zip-Ty Racing/Pro Circuit/Torco TC 250-mounted Dalton Shirey continued his hot streak in the FMF 250cc Pro class, racking up another triumph and finishing almost eight minutes ahead of class runner-up Steven Kirk III. "I got a pretty good start. I was behind Steven Kirk for a while, and then I got by him and Nic Garvin. Then I caught up to Brandon [Prieto]. Then Axel Pearson caught up to me and passed me, then Brandon got back by me. I started catching up to Skyler [Howes], but every hill I got to I made every mistake you could make so I kept getting frustrated and they kept pulling away. Justin Morgan got by me when I made a mistake down a hill, but the whole day I felt pretty good." 51 COLTON UDALL 11TH O/A "I got a really good bomb start, the best one I've ever had— second place. Right at the end of the bomb, I got cut off so I was third for a while," the Galfer/AHM/MSR CRF450X rider said. "I just fell back after that. I can't blame anything right now [on the bike]; I have work to do on it and work to do on myself to come out here and be better. I know how to race out here. I just need to ride out here more and set up a bike better." our course for the Youth course still," Burson said. "But there was a guy there and two signs. I slowed down and looked at the signs and went that way, then he was pinning it and passed me [back]. I was just fine where I was at." Unfortunately for Burson, two crashes dropped him back to an eventual fifth aboard his Kenda/ FMF/Klim-supported 480 RR. "I battled with Burson for a little bit then passed him and I had clear vision again," Ramirez said. "I was able to ride smooth again after I loosened up [be- cause] I was a little tight [at first]. "After the pits, Ricky was be- hind me. I made a little mistake about 10 miles after the pit and hit a rock that shot me sideways and crashed. It didn't hurt any- thing, but I lost a little time there and Ricky went by me." Pearson looped out right off the line then crashed near the bomb. He said, "After that, I was kind of mad at myself because I was riding so bad, but then I picked up the pace, felt good, was able to pull off the course and make some passes and just rode my own race. I think I

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