Ricky Brabec’s Panaca, Nevada, National Hare and Hound win moves him into the series points lead.
THR Motorsports/Monster Energy/Precision Concepts Kawasaki’s Ricky Brabec has been a man on fire in the off-road big leagues this summer.
Like a major league baseball power hitter on a tear, Brabec has been knocking it out of the park in the desert, scoring wins in big races such as the Tecate Score Baja 500 and the Best in the Desert Vegas-to-Reno. At round eight of the SRT AMA Hare & Hound National Championship Series, Sunday, Brabec hit another home run.
Brabec very nearly went wire to wire en route to the Silver State Trailblazers Muley Run in Panaca, Nevada. It was only his second career AMA Hare & Hound win (his first came at the So Cal M.C. Slim Tesh Memorial Hare & Hound in Lucerne Valley, California, in April) but it was a crucial one, as it carried him past Purvines Racing Beta’s Nick Burson and into the series points lead, 193-183, unofficially.
“The points lead, that’s a dream right there!” Brabec exclaimed.
For Burson, the day was all about damage control. He’d spent much of the summer break recovering from hand surgery after suffering a broken clutch hand that required a plate and 13 screws to mend, and he had only ridden twice in the week leading up to the race.
“I couldn’t ride hard, just rode super-smooth,” he said while soaking his hand in ice water following his fourth-place finish.
Blais Racing Services KTM’s Skyler Howes got things off to a great start by nabbing the Speed Freaks Bomb Run Award, worth $300, but his lead was short-lived as Brabec saw a line through the sage brush to make a pass for the lead less than two miles into the race. From there, Howes could only watch as Brabec slowly disappeared from view as they tackled the varied terrain of the 87-mile-long, two-loop race in central Nevada.
“I knew I could win this thing,” Brabec said. “I took a deep breath, relaxed and tried to ride as smooth as possible. Never [having raced in the area] before, I had no idea what was around each corner so I played the whole race safe, backing it down a tad because sometimes that’s what it takes.”
Howes basically admitted that once Brabec was past him, there was not much he could do to stop the flying Kawasaki rider.
“He (Brabec) ended up putting a big gap on me real quick so I settled in real fast and just rode a smooth, fun race the rest of the way,” Howes said.
raced a 498 RR instead of his usual 450.
While Brabec gapped the rest of the field, there was some close racing among some of the other contenders. Purvines Racing Beta’s Axel Pearson, who’s from nearby Pioche, Nevada, was a local favorite, and he was racing a Beta 498 RR for the first time instead of the 450 he’s employed in the previous rounds. Pearson made good use of both the 498’s power and his familiarity with the area to finish third, just 8 seconds behind Howes. It was the first podium for both riders.
“It’s definitely fun to get the first [podium finish] here!” Pearson said excitedly.
FMF/KTM Factory Off-road Racing Team’s Ivan Ramirez entered the race with a lot of momentum, having won rounds six and seven of the series. But a poor start killed that streak as he first bounced off Burson then a couple other riders on the bomb run, dropping far back in the pack. However, last year’s third-place finisher (behind Kurt Caselli and David Pearson). Ramirez didn’t panic. Instead he patiently picked off one rider after another all the way to the finish where he was fifth, just four seconds ahead of Purvines Racing Beta’s Justin Morrow.
Ryan Smith took the 250cc A win, finishing seventh overall in the process, while Max Eddy, Jr., was seventh Pro and eighth overall, followed by 250cc A runner-up Steve Kirk III and Brandon Prieto, the eighth Pro.
SRT AMA Hare & Hound National Championship Series
Silver State Trailblazers Muley Run
Panaca, Nevada
Results: August 24, 2014 (Round 8 of 10)
Overall
1. Ricky Brabec-Kaw
2. Skyler Howes-KTM
3. Axel Pearson-Bet
4. Nick Burson-Bet
5. Ivan Ramirez-KTM
6. Justin Morrow-Bet
7. Ryan Smith-Yam (first 250)
8. Max Eddy, Jr.-Kaw
9. Steve Kirk III-Yam
10. Brandon Prieto-KTM
AMA/SRT Hare & Hound National Championship Series Points Standings (After 8 of 10 rounds)
1. Ricky Brabec-193/2 wins
2. Nick Burson-183/2 wins
3. Ivan Ramirez-171/3 wins
4. Skyler Howes-113
5. Axel Pearson-110
6. Jacob Argubright-106/1 win
7. Ryan Smith-97
8. Justin Morrow-92
9. Brandon Prieto-80
10. Morgan Crawford-65
Your Privacy Choices