Ricky Brabec breaks through and scores his first AMA/SRT Hare & Hound National Championship Series win of 2014.
THR Motorsports/Monster Energy/Precision Concepts Kawasaki’s Ricky Brabec may not have won the last round of the AMA AMA/SRT Hare & Hound National Championship Series, but an amazing come-from-behind third-place performance there showed that it may only be a matter of time before he scored his first National win of 2014. At round four of the series on Sunday, Brabec did just that.
Brabec bypassed second place altogether as he won the Slim Tesh Memorial Hare & Hound hosted by the So Cal Motorcycle Club at the Johnson Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Area outside Lucerne Valley, California. The win came only after a race-long battle that included four of the fastest desert riders in the country.
In addition to the intense racing, round four of the series also had its share of controversy. Ivan Ramirez of the FMF/KTM Factory Off-Road Racing Team looked like he had secured second place in the race, having crossed the finish line a few seconds after Brabec, but after talking to witnesses, officials penalized him for taking one of the three alternate routes on the 42-mile first loop that was meant for ATVs only. Race officials listed Ramirez as a DNF, but the FMF/KTM team asked instead for Ramirez to be disqualified, as that would allow them to lodge an appeal with the AMA. The appeal is expected to be filed later Monday, April 14, and would make the results unofficial until a decision is reached. Most felt that Ramirez hadn’t intended to gain an unfair advantage and that he simply went the wrong way while in front.
Ramirez may also be able to cite weather conditions as a factor in the error. High winds blew many of the course markers away, so following the trail was more difficult than usual, although it did seem to keep the pack closer together. The running order changed regularly as the leader would blow a turn, with the next rider in line then taking a turn up front until he missed a trail and the running order was shuffled again.
“The first and second loops, it was me, Jake [Argubright], Ivan and Nick Burson all just back and forth all day,” winner Brabec said. “It was tough to read the markings because [so many] arrows were blown over.”
That was even a problem farther back in the pack as well according to eventual 200cc A winner Sam Bangert who finished 16th overall.
The battle for the overall win came down to the last half of the 36-mile-long second loop with Brabec noting, “I think it was whoever made a mistake first, and that’s what it came down to. Ivan got a little squirrelly in the rocks so I went right past him. I came around a corner maybe a mile later and Jake was picking his bike up.”
That put Brabec in first with a long sprint westward across a valley to the finish, something he felt favored him.
“The valleys are definitely my thing. I’m a little bit bigger,” he said. “I can hold the bike down a little bit more and I like going fast!”
Ramirez chased him to the finish, only to be penalized. So, that moved everyone behind up a spot, pending the expected KTM appeal. Bel-Ray/FMF/Moose Racing Husqvarna factory rider Argubright came in next to match his runner-up performance in Idaho with Purvines Racing Beta’s Burson in third, keeping his streak of podium finishes perfect so far this season, despite losing fourth and fifth gears on the second loop.
“It’s awesome! It definitely boosts my confidence,” Brabec said of his win. “Now I can’t wait for the next one and I know the next one’s out here as well, but the SCORE race is the day before so I’m actually going to shoot just for a podium there. But if I have the chance to pull off another win, I’m going to do it–go for it!”
While Brabec enjoyed the much-deserved accolade of the win, he and the rest of the off-road racing community were saddened to learn that reigning Baja 1000 Champion Colton Udall suffered a broken femur during a bad crash in the race. Udall underwent surgery on Sunday night to repair the damage and now faces a lengthy recovery, but he is expected to return to racing later in the year.
AMA/SRT Hare & Hound National Championship Series
So Cal M.C. Slim Tesh Memorial Hare & Hound
Johnson Valley OHV
Lucerne Valley, CA
Results: April 13, 2014 (Round 4 of 10)
Overall
1. Ricky Brabec-Kaw
2. Jacob Argubright-Hus
3. Nick Burson-Bet
4. Justin Morrow-Bet
5. Max Eddy, Jr.-Hon
6. Brandon Prieto-KTM
7. Skyler Howes-KTM
8. Ryan Smith-Yam (250 winner)
9. Irving Powers-TM
10. Levii Hutchings-TM
AMA/SRT Hare & Hound National Championship Series Points Standings (After 4 of 10 rounds)
1. Nick Burson-102/2 wins
2. Ricky Brabec-88/1 win
3. Justin Morrow-79
4. Ivan Ramirez-66
5. Skyler Howes-56
6. Ryan Smith-52
7. Jacob Argubright-50
8. Axel Pearson-50
9. Brandon Prieto-40
10. Morgan Crawford-31
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