VOL. 55 ISSUE 5 FEBRUARY 6, 2018 P45
it got everyone warmed up and
gave them a taste of what lay
ahead. Webb began the week-
end by dominating the race from
start to finish ahead of Haaker
and GasGas North America's
Noah Kepple.
The next morning, only the
Pros went out for a quick sprint
of only a couple miles with
Webb again leading the way.
With the race being scored by
moto finishes, the 250 XC-W TPI
rider's chances looked good for
a three-moto sweep and fourth
KOM triumph.
But the main event was the
final race of the weekend featur-
ing two long loops—one 40 miles
long, the other also 40 with the
Pros doing a slightly shorter
version of that one immediately
after for a total mileage of 136.
Lewis warned riders that
navigation would be even more
important this year, to which
Haaker commented, "I guess
this year, I would say they made
[navigating] extra-confusing with
just more intricacy to do it and it
caught out all of us."
Webb was worried.
"Last year was tough [losing
the race after missing a way-
point]," Webb admitted. "It both-
ered me over and over again;
everyone brought it up—I already
knew I messed up!
"I just really focused on the
navigation aspect [in my training
leading up to this]."
er—the two-time and defending
champ—finished second and
Beta's Max Gerston third after a
very long day.
As it had last year, KOM start-
ed with a night race on Saturday
evening to get everyone warmed
up for the real fun on Sunday at
Hammertown, on the Means Dry
Lake bed in the Johnson Valley
Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area.
Though comparatively short at
approximately 10 miles (with one
loop done twice by the Pros),
(Above) Second to Webb in the night
race, Colton Haaker dueled with him
again in Sunday's daytime races,
though last year's champ had to
settle for second this year.
(Left) Though in the middle of the
pack at the start of the long race,
Cody Webb ended up being the only
rider to complete the entire 136-mile
KOM afternoon race, winning for the
fourth time.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
MARK
KARIYA
