Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/804174
IN THE WIND P38 BRABEC WINS RABBIT CREEK NATIONAL HARE & HOUND T he Kenda/SRT AMA Hare & Hound National Champion- ship Series is becoming a two- man show after three rounds. First, it was two-time and current series champion Ricky Brabec taking the win at the opening round with challenger Gary Sutherlin taking round two. Those two ended up battling for the lead almost all day at round three, the 42nd Annual Rabbit Creek 100, hosted by Dirt Inc., in Murphy, Idaho, March 26, and after two fast loops and 125 miles of Idaho desert, Johnny Campbell Racing (JCR) Honda's Brabec padded his points lead with another victory, Sutherlin settling for second and Purvines DA8 Racing Yamaha rider Nick Burson taking third. Perhaps most impressive for the victor was that his winning ride came only two days after winning the Sonora Rally in Mex- ico on the works CRF450 Rally for the Monster Energy Honda Team before being helicoptered back to the U.S. and catching commercial flights to Boise. "I had one day to recuperate and it wasn't enough," Brabec said. "My first [loop] out here was hard. I had arm pump. I got a good start [right behind holeshot winner Sutherlin], but it didn't help me as far as riding good—I was way off pace trying to read the ribbon, the arrows." Being his first national aboard the new Lucas Oil/Pro Circuit/Fly Racing-sponsored CRF450RX probably didn't help, at least for the 69-mile first loop. "Once the arm pump went away, confidence started com- ing back. How fast I can hit G-outs, how fast I can hit things comparing the rally bike and [the CRF450RX] obviously is a little bit different." The battle up front between Sutherlin, Brabec, Jacob Argu- bright, Burson and David Kamo eventually became a private and intense duel between Sutherlin and Brabec, those two going back and forth as they tried all sorts of lines to gain the upper hand. Brabec ended up making the final pass and led from the alternate gas stop on the 56- mile second loop with Sutherlin unable to retaliate in the 20 miles left to the finish on his John Burr Cycles/Rekluse/Thor-backed YZ450FX. Burson ran as high as second behind teammate Sutherlin on the first loop aboard his Mo- tion Pro/GPR Stabilizers/Sidi YZ450FX. "Trying to get by him, we all bunched up, all four of us [Sutherlin, Burson, Argubright and Kamo]," he said. "It was super-fun going through the wash like that. Then, Ricky got me back and Jake got me, and I just kind of struggled. I lost pace." Getting drenched crossing Sinker Creek in the first half of the second loop didn't help; the snowmelt plus the chilly weather left him with no feeling in his hands.