BAYLOR WINS OMA CYCLONE XC
I
t was a warm and sunny day in
Dayton, Iowa when the OMA
Nationals series returned to host
the Sidi Cyclone XC, round four
of the 2016 series on July 9 in
Iowa. With a tight points battle
brewing in the Pro 1 class, it
looked to be another epic battle.
A recent race injury sidelined
current points leader Mike Wit-
kowski, which offered Steward
Baylor a major opportunity to
regain the advantage in defend-
ing his series championship.
The bikes roared to life with
Husqvarna's Nick Fahringer
taking the FMF holeshot award
and leading the pack. Fahringer
lead most of the event, but a
late-race mistake left the door
open for Baylor to capitalize.
The seventh and final lap of the
race ended with Baylor leading
Fahringer by 44 seconds for
the win. Fahringer would take
second place, followed by Drew
Higgins (KTM/Klim/Maxxis) who
rounded out the Pro 1 podium.
In the Pro 2 class, Yamaha/
Fly/Maxxis rider Cody Barnes
grabbed the holeshot and the
early lead. Barnes maintained
a comfortable lead until the
final lap, when Jeremy Smith
(Yamaha/TLD/Maxxis) put on a
charge, taking the lead briefly
after Barnes collided with a
lapped rider in the final mile
of the race. Smith also had a
lapped-rider incident just a few
hundred yards from the finish
line, allowing Barnes to regain
the lead and take the win by a
scant three seconds. Barnes
and Smith also got into the top-
IN
THE
WIND
P38
Steward Baylor
recorded the overall
win at the Cyclone XC
OMA race in Iowa.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
JOHN
GASSO
