Burson, Beta Win Mulley Run National Hare & Hound

Nick Burson goes big at round seven of the Kenda/SRT AMA Hare & Hound National Championship Series.

Story and Photos by Mark Kariya

It hasn’t been the best of years for Purvines Racing Beta’s Nick Burson, especially in the Kenda/SRT AMA Hare & Hound National Championship Series, which is his specialty.

But Burson turned it around and dominated the Silver State Trailblazers’ 4th Annual Mulley Run, Presented by Purvines Racing, which served as round seven of the eight-race series, leading basically from start to finish in the popular event in Panaca, Nevada.

“This is actually my first time on the podium this year for the hare & hounds,” Burson said. “I threw away the first two rounds—I crashed—while running third, fourth, and I broke at…two [other rounds].”

Thus, going into the Muley Run, Burson was out of championship contention and seventh in points having gone 4-5-DNF-4-DNF-5. But that didn’t mean he’d lost the desire to win again.

“Things didn’t fall my way this year, but I’m still out there to win races,” Burson said.

And he proved that at the Mulley Run, edging Blais Racing Services KTM-mounted Skyler Howes for the holeshot and leading the rest of the three-loop race, totaling about 100 miles, in thick, silty dust with temperatures close to 100 degrees. (Howes would eventually finish fourth, the first two-stroke and his best result of the season to date.)

“I felt like I could’ve won it last year, but I just had no strength or anything [after having my hand operated on four weeks before],” Burson said.

Speaking of coming back, Jacob Argubright put in another solid race in only his second National since breaking his wrist last year. Third at round six, the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team ace was third at the start, boonie-bashed past Howes before the first loop’s alternate gas pit and held second the rest of the way.

“[My wrist] hurts now–it hurts after every race–ut it’s good; I didn’t have any really big issues with it,” Argubright insisted. “It was more me. After those couple falls, I was wiped, I was dragging.”

Unlike Argubright, FMF/KTM Factory Off-Road Racing Team support rider Gary Sutherlin had a bad start but made some quick passes right away to lock into third.

“I was just inconsistent today,” Sutherlin lamented. “I rode good; I rode as hard as I could the whole race and I’m pretty beat right now, but I wrecked like four times!”

Still, third was enough to unofficially move him into second in points behind Ivan Ramirez, who opted to play it safe and collect points with a conservative fifth place. Ramirez has 160 with Sutherlin at 132 and defending series champ Ricky Brabec (who remains on the sidelines following his devastating crash at round six) third with 131, unofficially.

To no one’s surprise, Zip-Ty Racing Husqvarna’s Dalton Shirey won the FMF 250cc Pro class, placing seventh overall and effectively wrapping up the class championship. Expect him to be on a 450 next year and gunning for podiums. Joining him on the FMF 250cc Pro podium were Chidester Transport Racing Yamaha-mounted Cooper Ashton and new Purvines Racing Beta recruit Damon Bush.

SRT KTM’s Kevin Murphy won the Vet A division, finishing eighth overall, with LG Electric Yamaha’s Ryan Smith and Open A winner Ty Bartholomew rounding out the top 10 overall.

In Women’s racing, Nevada MRAN regular Krista Conway made all the right moves to secure her career-first Women A victory after early leader Sharon Mowell got lost. Mowell hung on to claim second in class followed by Megan Blackburn.

2015 Kenda/SRT AMA Hare & Hound National Championship Series
Mulley Run National Hare & Hound
Panaca, Nevada
Results: August 23, 2015 (Round 7 of 8)

Overall

1. Nick Burson-Bet/first overall, first Pro
2. Jacob Argubright-Hus
3. Gary Sutherlin-KTM
4. Skyler Howes-KTM
5. Ivan Ramirez-KTM
6. Axel Pearson-Bet
7. Dalton Shirey-Bet/first 250cc Pro
8. Kevin Murphy-KTM/first A Vet
9. Ryan Smith-Yam
10. Ty Bartholomew-Kaw/first A Open