Dillon Zimmerman was quickest...
Dillon Zimmerman was quickest to get his machine fired and off the line with the rest of the pro-class hot on his heels.
As the WORCS crew battled yet another cold weather storm for round 2 of the 9 stop series, you would not have been able to tell by the weekends attendance. This round was being held in Primm, Nevada where both M/C and ATV racers would take over Buffalo Bills Resort and Casino by storm for the weekend. Promoter and WORCS Racing owner Sean Reddish combined the two series together for the weekend so each group could see how fierce the action was on each side since they haven't raced together in quite a few years. The WORCS crew worked long and hard to create two different courses that would test both man and machine whether you were on 2 or 4 wheels.
As all of the riders made...
As all of the riders made their way through the old CORR racetrack, it was Josh Row who came out in the lead making the early pass on Dillon Zimmerman.
This is one round for the ATVs that would not feature a regular MX course, but would run on the former Lucas Oil Short Course track which allowed all of the racers to hold the throttle wide open through some high speed banked turns and even jump the massive tabletop jump. Coming into this round with the series points lead was MCR rider Beau Baron who had been battling illness in the week leading to the race. Knowing how stiff the competition was he knew that he would have to give 110% to ensure that he stayed on top of the point standings for the series. Josh Frederick arrived with the Motoworks/Can-Am team ready for a race that seemed like it was made just for him. Fredericks lives just over an hour away from the venue and the terrain is almost identical to his local practice area. Everyone in attendance was ready to watch a battle of the fittest. Throw in the speed and skill of Yamaha's Dustin Nelson, Josh Row and his desert racing experience and all of the other riders who were capable of pulling off a win and you have one heck of a race waiting to happen.
Even with no motocross track...
Even with no motocross track near Buffalo Bills Resort, the one huge 90'+ tabletop jump provided plenty of airtime for all of the racers and spectators alike.
For this race, since there was no starting gate, a dead-engine start would play factor as to who claimed the holeshot for the race. Team Motoworks/Can-Am rider Dillon Zimmerman was the first to fire his machine and jump into gear as the rest of the pack was close to follow. Close in pursuit of Zimmerman was Josh Row, followed by Beau Baron, Dustin Nelson and then finally Josh Frederick. As the pros blitzed through the high-speed truck course, Row had made up enough ground on Zimmerman and was able to pass him just before they headed out into the off-road section. It only took a half lap to realize that the leaders of the race were going to set a blistering pace that would separate them from the rest of the field. For the first few laps Josh Row would continue to hold the lead as Baron and Nelson would quickly make their way around Zimmerman and hold each other's attention in the battle for second place.
While he didn't seem to be...
While he didn't seem to be the fastest on the track, Motoworks/Can-Am rider Josh Fredericks' consistent lap times put him at the front of the pack and on top of the podium with a great run for the day.
By the fourth lap, Baron had passed his teammate Josh Row and the MCR duo continued to lead the pack of extremely fast riders as Dustin Nelson was hot on their tails with a fierce Josh Frederick not far behind. Nelson continued to stay on the gas as Row faded through the race surrendering 2nd place and allowing the Yamaha rider to close in on Baron. In the series of pit stops Nelson took over the lead, leaving Baron in 2nd place, Row in 3rd and Frederick comfortably in 4th. Dillon Zimmerman was virtually unchallenged in the race in 5th place. Row would eventually fall victim to a hard charging Josh Frederick as he started to pick up the pace in the second half of the two-hour long event.
It looked as if Nelson could possibly sit on top of the podium for the race until bad luck struck for the Yamaha mounted rider again. Contact between his rear rotor and a rock in the track left him without rear brakes putting him at a severe disadvantage when coming into the corners on such a high-speed track. Baron quickly took advantage of the situation to regain the lead and try to claim the win for the second time in a row, but Frederick and his endurance had other plans. As Nelson rode as hard as he could with his disadvantage, Row regained 3rd place while the bigger battle was up at the front of the race. Baron continued to ride hard, but being at a health disadvantage against someone like Frederick when he is healthy, is almost certain doom. Josh took the lead from Baron during the last quarter of the race and never looked back.
What started out as a good...
What started out as a good day in a fast paced lead pack quickly turned to disappointment once again for Dustin Nelson as he fell victim to a bent rear rotor mid-race.
When the checkers flew Frederick had put almost a full minute on Baron in second place, which included time for him to stop for a splash of fuel and water to insure he would take the win. Josh Row ended the day in third place, which is his highest finishing position since moving up into the pro ranks last year. Even with his mechanical disadvantage, Dustin Nelson held on for a 4th place finish and Dillon Zimmerman rounded out the top 5. In 6th place for the day was Mike Cafro who did everything he could to close in on Zimmerman but just couldn't get the job done. John Shafe followed in 7th, Robbie Mitchell in 8th, MCRs Levi Marana finished the day in 9th and Christy Racing's Andy Lagzdins rounded out the top 10.
The next round is held this weekend in Lake Havasu, AZ for spring break. The track at Crazyhorse Campground is known to be one of the roughest on the circuit because of how whooped out it gets and also because temperatures have been known to get into the high 90's wreaking havoc on the riders racing in the middle of the day. Keep checking back on www.atvrideronline.com for complete race recaps.
Fighting sickness all week,...
Fighting sickness all week, Beau Baron gave 110% to claim second place for the day and looks forward to breaking the tie and taking back the points lead at Lake Havasu.
Having the best ride of his...
Having the best ride of his Pro WORCS career, Josh Row led the firs part of the race and ended the day with a career best 3rd place finish.