FMF/KTM’s Ivan Ramirez makes it two AMA/SRT National Hare & Hound wins in a row at the Sawmill Canyon 100, inching closer to the series points lead.
FMF/KTM’s Ivan Ramirez knows that in order to close the gap on AMA/SRT Hare & Hound National Championship Series points leader Nick Burson, he has to keep winning races. Ramirez did just that at the Sawmill Run in Caliente, Nevada, Saturday, collecting his second win in as many rounds of the series.
Hosted by the Silver State Trailblazers Motorcycle Club, the two-loop (38 and 36 miles long) race served as both round seven of the series and the first of three consecutive rounds in Nevada. There will be special series-within-a-series awards for those who do all three events in the Silver State Classic, and they’ll be distributed immediately after the finish of round nine in Yerington on September 20-21.
Temperatures in the low 80s made for a comfortable racing conditions. The bomb run was unusually long at nearly 3 ½ miles in total length. Ramirez immediately helped his chances at a second straight overall win by grabbing the holeshot and, with it, the $300 bonus Speed Freak apparel put up for the bomb run winner. Ramirez built a 10-second lead early in the first loop, which consisted mainly of grated fire roads. From there, he and his Robbie Goolsby-prepared KTM 450 XC-F kept right on collecting dough, as he was able to increase that lead to nearly 30 seconds before the first gas stop, netting another $100 from the Bike Week Radio Show.
The second loop was more technically challenging, but Ramirez remained mistake-free, and he finished the race more than 2 minutes ahead of THR Motorsports/Monster Energy/Precision Concepts Kawasaki’s Ricky Brabec for even more sponsor bonuses. The win was Ramirez’s third of the season.
“At first, [the course] was kind of open, then the second loop went up into the trees,” Ramirez said. “I enjoy going slow where it’s tight and technical.”
Brabec said that the difference for him was that he struggled in the tree section on the second loop.
“I caught up to Ivan and I was pretty close to him, but I just bobbled a little bit going up a hill, tipped over and just tried to regroup,” Brabec said. “[I] tried to finish strong in second.”
Purvines Racing Beta’s Nick Burson was able to hang onto his series points lead by virtue of another consistent third-place finish, but Burson is falling under attack by Brabec and Ramirez. After the Sawmill Canyon 100, Burson is just two points ahead of Brabec, 165-163. Ramirez is just 10 points behind Burson, with 155.
“I just couldn’t keep up with those guys in the dust off the start,” Burson said after the race. “I just kind of rode by myself all day.”
Bel-Ray/FMF/Moose Racing Husqvarna factory rider Jacob Argubright had to recover from a bad start after his bike didn’t fire, but he Argubright refused to throw in the towel. Even after an unplanned excursion off a small cliff cost him a lot of time, he was able to pass Purvines Racing Beta’s Axel Pearson in the final few miles to claim fourth overall. Pearson rode most of the second loop without a rear brake after hitting the pedal on a rock and folding the pedal to uselessness but held on for fifth.
The series now takes its traditional summer break and resumes on August 23 in Panaca, Nevada.
AMA/SRT National Championship Hare & Hound Series
Sawmill Canyon 100
Caliente, Nevada
Results: May 17, 2014 (Round 7 of 10)
Overall
1. Ivan Ramirez-KTM
2. Ricky Brabec-Kaw
3. Nick Burson-Bet
4. Jacob Argubright-Hus
5. Axel Pearson-Bet
6. Brandon Prieto-KTM
7. Skyler Howes-KTM
8. Tallon Taylor-Bet
9. Steve Kirk-Yam (first 250)
10. Morgan Crawford-KTM
AMA/SRT Hare & Hound National Championship Series Points Standings (After 7 of 10 rounds)
1. Nick Burson-165/2 wins
2. Ricky Brabec-163-1 win
3. Ivan Ramirez-155/3 wins
4. Jacob Argubright-98/1 win
5. Axel Pearson-89
6. Skyler Howes-88
7. Ryan Smith-83
8. Justin Morrow-77
9. Brandon Prieto-69
10. Morgan Crawford-55
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