IN
THE
WIND
P38
BAYLOR BAGS ANOTHER OMA WIN
S
teward Baylor kept his win
streak intact by taking the
overall for the third time in the
Parts Unlimited Off-road Motor-
cycle and ATV (OMA) Nationals,
but his victory at the Bluegrass
Cross-country National was the
first time he's gone 1-1 in the two
motos.
The pair of relatively short
45-minute motos promoted
close, intense racing, especially
at the front. Promoter Bill Gusse
used much of the existing trail at
the Russell Creek Motorsports
Park, but he also got to provide
those in the afternoon races
with several miles of virgin trail
cut especially for the Bluegrass.
In the first moto, OMA first-
timer Ricky Russell got out of
the first turn in the lead to nab
the $100 FMF Holeshot Award
aboard his Raines Riding Univer-
sity/Atlas Yamaha YZ250FX.
Russell, however, was un-
able to hold off the more ex-
perienced Jordan Ashburn
and Baylor. Everrev KTM 250
XC-mounted Baylor managed to
keep Ashburn at bay, finishing
six seconds ahead of the Am-
Pro/FMF Yamaha rider, who fell
a couple times. Russell ended
up third, five seconds behind
Ashburn, after waving Ashburn
past following a run-in with a tree
on the second lap.
Ashburn got the holeshot in
the second moto but couldn't
shake Baylor, who trailed by
seven seconds as they com-
pleted the first lap.
"Everybody was mixing it up,"
Baylor said. "It was a really good
time from start to finish; there
was never a dull moment, that's
for sure!"
Though he ran second, Baylor
was confident: "The thing about
the OMAs is, it's hard to pass
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
MARK
KARIYA
While Steward
Baylor topped the
first two rounds,
the Bluegrass X-C
National was the
first time he's won
with a 1-1 sweep.
