OFF ROAD
AMA DISTRICT 37/FMF BIG 6 GRAND PRIX SERIES
ROUND 2 / FEBRUARY 10-11, 2018
HONOLULU HILLS RACEWAY / TAFT, CALIFORNIA
P64
time," the ProTaper/Motion Pro/
Klim-backed 450 XC-F rider
shared. "I would make up a bunch
of ground on him then he'd hit
some really dusty sections and I
would lose everything I'd made up.
It was kind of a yo-yo effect the
entire race."
Yorba finished third at round
one as well.
Jones held on for fourth place
followed by Chaparral Motors-
ports/Precision Concepts Ka-
wasaki's Justin Seeds, who was
among the many who hit the
ground at least once.
Hatch Racing Suzuki's Gary
Sutherlin claimed sixth ahead of
Monster Energy Honda rider Ricky
Dietrich, Johnny Campbell Racing
(JCR) Honda's Trevor Stewart, Kai-
lub Russell and Monster Energy
Honda-mounted Derek Kelly.
Halfway through the race when
I got into second, I just started
putting on a charge but the
second-to-last lap I went down
and that took it out of me."
Having finished second at the
opening round as well, Shirey
is the unofficial points leader.
FMF/Maxxis/RPM Racing
KTM's Yorba also charged
at the end, his push leaving
him just two seconds behind
Shirey. "I ran third for most
of the race; I just got stuck
behind Jones for quite some
ing FX 450, but the dust didn't
faze him quite as much as
others, having grown up racing
desert. Being well enough to
start training also helped im-
mensely.
"I felt more prepared coming
into this weekend so it was a
lot nicer. I felt more confident,
but I think the others were
in better shape, too," Shirey
said. "Some of the guys I was
following early on, I was using
their lines, too, and once I
got their lines I got by them.
Despite a bad start Beau Baron (pictured) picked off
rider after rider until he was the top Pro II over round-
one winner Clay Hengeveld and Jakub Alvarez.
