the first lap, I kind of chilled,"
Sutherlin said. "I was trying to
figure out how to go fast again
in the desert. It's been a while
since I've been out here—new
bike, new team.
"I went all the way from fourth
to first on the second loop in,
probably, five miles. I was like,
'You know what? I want to get
out front and see if I can win this
thing.' I got out front and tried
to pin it for maybe 10 miles and,
man, couldn't get away from
them! We were all just keying off
each other," the John Burr Cy-
cles.com/FMF/THOR YZ450FX
rider said.
Though Argubright was able
to pass Sutherlin for third at the
same spot Brabec passed Rob-
ert with a few miles to go, Bel-
Ray/Rekluse/Fly Racing FX 450
rider Argubright had to settle for
a close fourth at the finish, say-
ing, "I had it in me [today]. They
just rode better."
Beta's Wasson—last year's
FMF Pro 250 champ—made his
debut on the factory-backed
FMF/Kenda/Fly Racing 480
RR memorable, ending up fifth
after leading impressively at one
point.
In the FMF Pro 250 class,
former Super Mini champ Bray-
don Bland came from behind
to take his first victory in the
class aboard his Mom and Dad/
Kenda/Fasst Co. KTM 250 XC
over Chidester Transport Racing
Yamaha teammates Tyler Lynn
and Daemon Woolslayer. (All
three are 16 or younger.)
Though she'd never raced
in the desert before, two-time
GNCC champion Kacy Marti-
nez took advantage of the cold,
wet conditions for a convincing
Women A triumph for the FMF
KTM Factory Off-road Racing
Team over Britney Gallegos and
Rachel Gutish.
One down side of the dust-
free conditions and appreciably
faster pace was a couple serious
injuries, with Jayden Densley
and Johnny "Ringo" Scharnwe-
ber involved in separate, single-
rider crashes. Both were initially
reported as having lost feeling in
their lower extremities. CN
OVERALL
1. Ricky Brabec (Hon)
2. Taylor Robert (KTM)
3. Jacob Argubright (Hus)
4. Gary Sutherlin (Yam)
5. Joe Wassen (Bet)
OFF ROAD
ROUND 1 / JANUARY 21-22, 2017
JOHNSON VALLEY OHV / LUCERNE VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
P72
KENDA/SRT AMA HARE & HOUND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Mason Matthies
dominated the
Super Mini race
on Saturday.
