Uncategorized

STRUGGLED WITH BAD LUCK THE LAST 2 ROUNDS, BUT LEARNING EACH ROUND!

Submit your own amateur race report here!

April 4, 2023 – Blythe, CA – This weekend at Rnd 4 in Blythe, CA didn’t necessarily go as planned but we did make it out safe, healthy and learned a lot. On Saturday I was honestly super nervous after crashing and not riding since Rnd 2 in Delano, CA so on the line I was overthinking a lot. Jumped the start a little which I wasn’t too proud of but got the hole shot and led for about 2 laps. I noticed myself making little mistakes and getting bad arm pump along with some other complications which dropped me down positions. Ended up with a p12 in open A. Not the results I was looking for. On Sunday, I got 2nd off the start and was battling good with 1st. Was really proud with my riding that day and felt a-lot better on the bike. Mid race I noticed my carrier was going out, so I tried my best to ride the bike as safe as possible while holding a strong second place. Then unfortunately my chain kept falling off and eventually I had to get towed off the track and suffered a DNF.  

I’m taking this season as a learning experience. But overall, the track was fun. Alot of my family got to come out and watch me race this weekend, and I always enjoy hanging out with my friends and family. Gotta thanks the boys @kennysanford @codysanford over at @tireblocksofficial for getting me set up with a fresh set of wheels and tires. Also need to thank the Grosse family and my grandpa for helping me out with everything. And last but not least I have to give a huge thanks To Mr. Doug @rolldesignsuspension for getting me all dialed this weekend with my suspension. The quad feels insane now that I’m in a proper setup. Gotta take some time to get my endurance up and get some work done on the bikes to be ready for the next round at Glen Helen Raceway.

 SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram – @Desilva.523

HOEFT CONQUERS HAVASU FOR 1ST WORCS PRO WIN!

Spring Break is upon us, which can only mean one thing, It’s time for Lake Havasu! Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS brings the action to Crazy Horse Campgrounds for the next round of racing, the first of two split rounds this season. This course has the shortest lap time on the circuit, but don’t let that fool you, as it’s regarded as one of the most challenging. Over the 120-minute contest, they battled over 22 laps of rocks, sand, and the infamous Lagoon jump to emerge victorious. Justin Hoeft takes home his first victory in the 450 Pro Class at WORCS and, with that win, jumps him from 3rd to 1st in points.

After a cloudy start to the weekend, Havasu heat rolled in quickly, bringing just another obstacle for the riders involved. Teammates Hoeft and Trevor Stewart found themselves out front early on, but a small crash for Stewart led to a mechanical error which unfortunately ended his day early. With lap times coming in sub-6 minutes on a course as Havasu made, it was interesting as the leaders not only dealt with competition in their class but a constant amount of passing through the other classes during the race. Hoeft’s strategy of riding conservatively in the first hour before dropping the hammer in the second worked out flawlessly as he finished over a minute ahead of Tallon Lafountaine in the second. Aboard his SLR Honda, coming off a win in Delano, was on the move keeping Hoeft honest upfront. Most riders have a one-stop-pit strategy, but Lafountaine opts for a two-stop approach. Close behind Lafountaine as they fought hard throughout the race was KTM rider Mateo Oliveira. An early moto crash caused him to lose the front number plate and start farther back in the pack, but as the race progressed, he only showed more and more speed. This season is genuinely up for grabs as we have another rider take home the win and the top 6 in points, all within striking distance of each other. Rounding out the top 5 from the weekend on the lake was Dare Demartile on his Beta Racing machine and Zach bell for Precision Concepts Kawasaki.

In 250 Pro, we had the battle of the foreigners with Canadian Kade Tinkler-Walker and Australian Jack Simpson sitting one and two on the podium this weekend.  Walker just signed a deal with SLR Honda bringing him on as a full-time rider, and he is showing quickly that he is here to stay. Kai Aiello found himself out front after the first turn putting his 3Bros Husqvarna in a great spot as the race progresses. Simpson and Kade caught Aiello as they made their moves setting them up for a battle for over an hour. Walker pulled away from Simpson but repeatedly pulled him in close, with only seconds separating them at times.

CJM_0270
CJM_1787

Jake Alvarez, on his FMF RPM KTM Racing Team machine, was on fire as he smashed his way through the course. He was one of the few riders on a section after the beach was doubling a step-down, which made the crowd cheer each time he hit it. Alvarez lands himself on the podium in 3rd for the first time this season after a 7th and 5th to start the season. In the points, Simpson extends his lead with a 2nd place finish, with the 2nd position being a close battle with multiple riders. Another Purvines Racing Yamaha rider Thomas Dunn has his best finish of the season in 4th, and Aiello had to settle for 5th place, still keeping him in the points standing.

Jason Fichera showed his moto skills as he took the live-engine start, grabbed the holeshot, and led the race wire to wire with Mason Decunzo not far behind, but he was never able to make a move on him to take that top spot. When Decunzo is not ripping his KTM at WORCS, he is a mechanic for the BarX Suzuki team for West Coast 250 Supercross. Hayden Florez returns to the podium after missing the box in round 2. He fought hard as he finished just over a minute behind Decunzo. Justin Patton and Tyler Jones round out the top 5. This season, every pro class will be fun to watch with so much equal talent that every race is anyone’s game, and so is the championship.

Tristun Alvarez wins the 125 Pro class while battling with Travis Damon. A close battle but Damon ended up going down, allowing Alvarez to pull away and finish on the top. Alvarez teammate Kaitlyn Jacobs wins the Pro Women’s class over Lauren Woods and Jessica Daniel.

Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS wants to thank the racers, volunteers, and everyone involved for coming out to another excellent racing weekend. We are excited to see you all at Blythe on the dates of April 7th-9th.

BRAXTON GROSSE DOMINATES IN FIRST PRO RACE WIN

The season is in full swing as we head into round 3 of the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS Series, and it’s one of the most anticipated of the season in Lake Havasu City. Hundreds of ATV Riders descend upon Crazy Horse Campgrounds to compete in what is considered the most physically demanding course of the year. This was also the first split weekend of the year, with just ATV and SXS competing this weekend.

One of the fastest growing classes this year is Women’s Pro ATV, and Havasu was no exception as they lined up on Saturday Afternoon. Torey Matajcich finds herself with a comfortable lead in the points with a dominating performance as she leads every lap of the race in Havasu. Behind her, the points tighten up quickly as 2nd-4th are only within 2 points of each other. Battling with Matajcich, Layne Fryar kept quite the pace as she was under 5 seconds behind until a mechanical problem forced her to pit, which ended her fight for first. Once Fryar had to pit, rookie Dakota Hibler took full advantage, passing her and landing in 2nd as the checkered flag flew. The season points tighten up as Heidi Coleman has another good finish that has she tied with Hibler for 3rd place in points behind Matajcich and Fryar.

CJM_8533
CJM_7079

On Sunday, the penultimate race for ATVs came out to battle with a stacked lineup in both Pro and Pro-AM. Braxton Grosse has looked like a seasoned veteran in his rookie season, landing on the box in Both races with consecutive third-place finishes. But this race was different; Grosse found himself in front with his second holeshot of the season and quickly set the pace with the fastest lap of the entire class in the second lap. Behind him, Beau Baron and Travis Damon were battling, switching the lead twice during the race giving the crowd what they wanted. Damon had a mishap causing both rear tires to go flat as he had to pull over and pit, losing his 2nd position to Baron while getting them replaced.

Meanwhile, Baron had to check up on the lagoon jump, causing him to take a swim. Luckily, Cole Fryar and Auston Baxter came together and got him tied up and towed into the pits allowing him to get back on the course as quickly as he could to salvage a finish in this grueling 90-minute race. Once back on the path, he found himself in 6th, and Damon made his way back to 3rd.  Cody Sanford, another rookie in the class, had himself a career day as he took advantage of the problems some competitors faced while on his way to one of his career-best races and a first podium finish in the pro class.

Pro-AM was also quite the race, with lots of lead changes and passing in general, with four different people holding that top spot throughout this race. Cole Fryar blasted off the start line with a holeshot as he was on fire early in the race. Unfortunately, he would come up short on the lagoon jump, which caused his quad to lose power, and he was unable to get it started as he had to settle for a DNF. Wyatt Rock got into a little pileup on the start where he had to withdraw from the back of the pack finishing the first lap in 8th place, but that wasn’t going to stop him; he put on a clinic as he meticulously made his way through his competitors till he was in first as early as the 7th lap. Behind him was Nate Teeple, looking for his first podium of the season in Pro-AM as he battled for the win, settling for the second-place finish and putting him second in points. Layne Fryar worked hard as she put consistent laps in after having issues on Saturday, and she found herself on the box again in 3rd place. Uriah Tsinnijinnie, even with a rough finish at round 3, holds on to the points lead by 3 points.

Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS wants to thank the racers, volunteers, and everyone else involved for coming out to another excellent racing weekend. We are excited to see you all at Blythe on the dates of Mar 31st- April 2nd.

LARRY HEIDLER WINS THE BATTLE IN HAVASU

After the last rounds green rolling hills, Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS brings the racing action to Lake Havasu City for the first split round of the year. Renowned as one of the most challenging and tiring courses on the circuit, Havasu did not disappoint this year with the famous lagoon jump still in play, with a new run-up making only the best hit it this year. After finishing second in the first two rounds, Sebastian Marquez grabs his first career pro stock victory and the points lead. Another first in the Pro Production class as Larry Heidler, who also doubles as the series tech inspector, wins after the grueling final race of the weekend.

On Saturday, the sun came out to play as both the first rounds were quite chilly. It was refreshing to race with quite lovely weather all weekend. New additions to the pro stock class this Havasu weekend as Colton McDonald debuts in the Pro Stock class and Kody Winiecki returns to race against the best of the best at WORCS Racing. This race was all Sebastian Marquez from start to finish as he grabbed the holeshot and didn’t let anyone close that gap for the entire race. Behind him, however, had quite the carnage with Chris Johnson. He starts in 2nd place but would have to settle with a DNF after four laps of racing. Casey Sims continued his early-season dominance as the race began slotting himself in second behind Marquez, but on the 5th lap, he would also have some issues that landed him in 6th place as the checkered flag flew. Marquez gets on top of the box after consecutive 2nd place finishes to start the year. He would grab the holeshot and take off, finishing almost 2 minutes ahead of Beau Baron in his Honda Talon machine. In his first pro/stock race of his career, Mcdonald finds the podium as he finishes in 3rd.

CJM_4642
CJM_5693

Pro production lined up for the weekend’s final race, and it would be one to watch as Havasu and its brutal race course ran its course, causing many of the racers to battle against machines as problems arose. On the start line, Shawn Saxton came into contact and rode into the middle section as he took out a few poles but came out unscathed. He ran a fast pace keeping him in the fight till the 4th lap had a mechanical issue which caused him to have problems pushing for long periods, where he finished in 5th. Jeremiah Wagner grabbed the holeshot and was in the front looking to compliment his race win in Delano.

Still, a faulty water pump caused him to overheat and end up in limp mode, but to salvage points, he would continue pushing and land himself in 4th. Braden Judge and Larry Heidler put on quite the show in front of the crowd at Crazy Horse Campgrounds. Judge held the lead in front of Heidler until the 9th lap of the race when he would have a rear tire failure that caused him to slow down, and Heidler capitalized. Another first as Heidler pushes ahead with his freshly tuned Polaris with the help of Queen racing, and Shawn Saxton turned his machine into a rocket ship this season.  With the first three rounds in the books, Heidler takes the point lead into the Blythe with a 3-way tie for second place: Saxton, Wagner, and Judge, all fighting for the top spot only two away from the leader.

CJM_9589
CJM_4642

Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS wants to thank the racers, volunteers, and everyone involved for coming out to another excellent racing weekend. We are excited to see you all at Blythe on the dates of Mar 31st- April 2nd.

LAFOUNTAINE WINS AS FRESH FACES SWEEP PODIUMS

For the second round, Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS brought the action to a new race track in Delano, CA, at American MX with its rolling green hills and orange groves in the distance. Tallon Lafountaine brought home his first 450 Pro win, narrowly edging out Dare Demartile for the win, and Tristun Alvarez won his first pro race on Saturday’s early morning 125 Pro race. In 250 Pro, Jack Simpson set sail and found himself holding the number one plate, and Tyler Jones won the Pro-Am battle.

The WORCS crew and Dane Perry built a 5.7-mile course that flowed up and down the hills of American MX, and for the pro, the race included a great section that had a steep-cliff drop-off and two sets of tires, one of which the field doubled over using the ledge before the tires were set up. Beta Racing rider Demartile found himself in the lead early on, stretching a lead in front of Lafountaine and Hoeft, but with a few laps left to go, and found himself a bit “throttle happy” as he put it and laid it down in a corner, allowing Lafountaine to get by him and was unable to make a move back for the lead before the checkers. Aboard the SLR Honda machine, Lafountaine started behind Oliveira and Demartile. Still, an early mistake by Oliviera leaving the hot pits allowed both of them by as they set off into a battle that would last for the next hour and forty minutes. This track was quite flowy with only a few jumps across the track, but it was pretty slick as the water on some of the uncut sections made the grass hard to brake on, and without many ruts, it was still quite a fast track throughout. In 3rd place was Justin Hoeft riding for Purvines Racing Yamaha raced at a consistent pace the entire time, minimizing mistakes as he kept Zach Bell contained. This was Hoeft’s first time back on the box since round four in Taft last year, where he finished a personal best 2nd place.

250 Pro saw another WORCS first-class win as Jack Simpson won his first 250 Pro class on his Purvines Racing Yamaha bike. Kai Aiello, on his Husqvarna, would blast out of the start with a holeshot but overshot the second set of tires on the first lap in the pro section allowing Simpson to get around him and into a groove quickly. He set a blistering pace, but Aiello kept him honest even without his usual pit crew.

It would cause a lengthier pit stop than standard allowing Simpson to have the gap he needed to take home the win. Colton Aeck started in the back after a rough jump on the start making the race a battle from start to finish as he made his way through the pack. Aeck found the speed halfway through the race as he gained time on Aiello with each lap but couldn’t put it together, having to settle for third.

Tyler Jones lands his first win in Pro-Am on his Gas Gas machine. After missing the first round in Primm with this, all three winners of this round were fresh faces setting up what will be a great year for racing. Behind him, Jason Fichera finishes in second, with Mason Decunzo in third.

Before the race on Thursday, Brandy Richards would have a practice crash while holding a training ride at the track. We all wish her a fast recovery and can’t wait to see her do what she does best. Kaitlyn Jacobs and Lauren Woods would battle hard during the race, swapping the lead position back and forth, with Jacobs finishing on top of the box aboard her RPM Racing KTM bike. And Tristun Alvarez was able to hold off the charging Travis Damon in the 125 Pro class, with Lauren Woods also racing on a 125 loaner bike from the 3Bros team.

CJM_5301
CJM_6802
CJM_6888
CJM_8649

Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS wants to thank all the racers for coming out to another great round of racing and can’t wait to see everyone very soon in Lake Havasu for the always exciting lagoon.

JEREMIAH WAGNER WINS FIRST PRO PRODUCTION RACE IN DELANO

Rocky Mountain ATV/MC brought the next round of SXS racing to a new location at American MX in Delano, California, as the recent rain was showcased by the rolling green hills this course had to offer. After switching his Polaris motor back to a stock motor, Jeremiah Wagner put his Polaris on top of the box for his first win of the season in Pro Production. Following his first-round victory, Casey Sims continued his 2023 season with a win. Dane Perry and the WORCS track crew put together an excellent 5.7-mile course that winded through the hills and near the orange groves of Delano.

The Pro Production class would lineup on Saturday evening; each round they switch when each pro class races. On the front line, Beau Judge who had quite a busy race leaving the lakebed from King of the Hammers after a week of racing in both the desert and rock race, drove straight to the course to defend his title. Behind him was our Primm winner, Shawn Saxton, and as the race started it seemed like we were in for another great battle between the two. Saxton faced some steering issues that caused him from really pushing for the lead against Judge. Meanwhile from the second row, Wagner, who suffered a few setbacks in Primm, causing him to finish in 6th, was looking to make up some room in the points championship. David Haagsma showed up in Delano, very close to his hometown of Bakersfield, and decided to put on a show for the hometown crew.

Haagsma and Wagner battled from the second line separating themselves from the competition as they set eyes on the front line. For each lap, they would shave off time as their times were a few seconds, then the leader Judge. The fastest lap of the race would go to Judge as a late charge had him complete his final lap in 8:31.35, But sadly, it would be a little too much too late as Wagner got the win. Judge would finish in second, with Haagsma rounding out the podium after a minor mishap on the final lap giving his position up to Judge.

In the pro stock class, another driver who spent a long week on the lakebed Chris Johnson also raced the same car he was driving this weekend in the short course at KOH. Johnson was fast in third as he had Sebastian Marquez in sight. But a rollover in the late stages caused him quite a good bit of downtime, but he was able to put it on the box still. Marquez, in only his second Pro Stock race, showed that he was here to stay as he came out the gate hot battling with Casey Sims for the win for the entirety of the race. Tipping his machine left and right to keep up with Sims, who raced a flawless race in Delano, wasn’t easy, but he made it happen and was happy to see himself in the 2nd position for the 2nd round as well. Sims is looking ahead as the championship season unfolds, taking home the win in the first two rounds. This will be a great class to watch as they battle it over the next several months.

Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS wants to thank all the racers for coming out to another great round of racing and can’t wait to see everyone very soon in Lake Havasu for the always exciting lagoon.

BEAU BARON CONTINUES DOMINANCE IN DELANO.

Green Hills for as far as the eye can see for the second round of the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS Series in Delano at American MX. a 5.7 Mile course that spanned through some of these hills with a quick hill climb before the first big turn created some great racing throughout the entire weekend. Torey Matajcich found herself on top of the podium to continue her hot streak to start the season. In the Pro Class, Beau Baron made some moves and won to widen his points lead. In his first WORCS race of the season after missing round 1, Joseph Semas grabs the win in dominating fashion after a tremendous 90-minute race on Sunday.

As the green flag dropped on Sunday, Braxton Grosse blasted off the start line to grab his second holeshot in as many races proving he is here to stay in the pro class. Behind him were Travis Damon and Baron as they fought hard, starting the race with a bang as they would finish the first lap within 3 seconds of each other. Damon made a pass during the first lap, and Grosse held off the reigning champ for the first two laps before he could slip by and begin to work the track with some fresh air. Once Baron got fresh air, he set the fastest lap time dipping into the 8:56 marks and finished up by almost 40 seconds over Damon. Grosse kept the pressure on Damon for the entire race closing the gap to less than a few seconds multiple times, but ultimately it would be Damon in the second spot after the checkered flag. This class grows as the racing gets better by the week behind these top three.

CJM_3366
_22I9930

Pro-AM had excellent, intense racing from start to finish, as we had a completely fresh podium from round one. Joseph Semas led from start to finish as he dominated after missing round one. In Second place, Clinton Crafts, who last finished on the podium in Mesquite last season, started the race in third but was able to make a pass by Gage Leaver to get into the second position and would not relinquish that position for the rest of the race. Now the third place was where all the fun was had as four different riders battled for that final position. Uriah Tsinnijinnie was in third for most of the race, but as the race winded down and the final laps began, both Gage Leaver and Cole Fryar roared into the picture. Tsinnijinnie found himself on the ground after a small mistake on the last lap after miscalculating a turn, allowing Leaver and Fryar to pass. Still, with a few turns left, Leaver would make some contact in a turn and take over the position, where he would finish with less than half a second lead over Fryar.

On Saturday, the Women’s Pro class lined up with reigning champion Matajcich and some new faces like Dakota Hibler and Heidi Colman looking to put their mark on the class for the new season. Matajcich found herself in front early as she grabbed the holeshot and would not relinquish the lead in front of Layne Fryar. She would slowly put some distance between the two each lap, finishing just under 45 seconds ahead of Fryar. Donna Espensen finished the first lap in 3rd place with Hibler in tow, but she found a way by Espensen to secure the third-place spot ahead of her. On the final lap, Colman pushed extremely hard to make a pass on Hibler but could not find a place to make it happen where. She had to settle in 4th.

Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS wants to thank all the racers for coming out to another great round of racing and can’t wait to see everyone very soon in Lake Havasu for the always exciting lagoon.

LYNN WINS IN PRIMM SEASON OPENER

The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS series is back with a bang to start the 2023 season. To kick off the season, we headed to the newly renovated Buffalo Bills Casino in Primm, Nevada, with just over a 7-mile course to battle it out on. In addition to the existing pro classes, they added a 125 pro class, contested early Saturday morning, allowing that beautiful two-stroke sound to ring through the air. Travis Damon brought home the first 125 Pro class victory aboard his mint 2004 Perry Concepts Honda. Tyler Lynn claimed his 1st 450 Pro Victory for Precision Concepts Kawasaki after an intense race with a stacked field of competitors. Over this 7-mile course, they faced many obstacles, with some new sections thrown in to create challenges for the elite riders. The first pro section was quite the spectacle, with two sets of tires plus a suspended log that you had to traverse quickly after starting the race. It caused quite the shakeup as it took out multiple riders, such as Tallon Lafountaine and Jack Simpson, over the weekend, but both were okay and kept racing. Gus Riordan found the fast line and was the only rider to use the first log to double in, clearing the first rock as the east coast GNCC Rider came to warm up for the season. They also raced through two “raw” sections, which allowed the riders to choose their lines through uncut portions of the track, concluding the pro section was a rock garden with a few different fast lines to get through.

Cole Martinez and Tyler Lynn would barrel down the start straight, with Lynn barely edging out Martinez for the lead after the first turn. On his Purvines Racing Yamaha, Justin Hoeft would make a pass early in the race and hold second place, while the top 5 would pull away from the rest of the field and begin their battle. Precision Concepts rider Lynn would never relinquish his top spot as he rode fast and safely for the entire 2-hour moto, pushing his lead to a comfy 30-second cushion.  Mateo Oliveira, who moved up from the 250 Pro after his championship last season, filling his brother’s shoes as he moves over to the AMA WHS series, would have quite the battle with SLR Honda rider Lafountaine for the start of the race as they all sat in the top 5 before he accidentally found himself out of fuel. As Lynn would start to gain time in front, the action was brewing in the back as Martinez would make a pass by Hoeft to put him in second as he set off to track down Lynn. Oliveira would ultimately get by Hoeft, allowing him to grab his first 450 podium.

Pro-Am start line

In 250 Pro, Kai Aiello would take the holeshot, but after a crash in the tires would see him too far behind to catch up to the guys on the podium. Gus Riordan showcased that GNCC style and speed as he shot out to a dominant lead early in the race on his RPM Racing KTM. He pulled away after Jack Simpson had an unfortunate get-off over the first big tire, which saw him give the crowd a nice scorpion. After the fall, Purvines Racing Simpson pushed hard to catch Riordan but didn’t have enough time as he would finish second, 54 seconds behind. Collier Martinez riding for SLR Honda in his first 250 Pro Race after a dominant season in Pro-Am last year, found himself in a fight for third with Gainslinger Racing Cole Zeller. As the race was winding to a close, Zeller would close the gap to 6 seconds, but it was too late as Martinez grabbed the final spot on the podium.

Gus Riordan clearing the first tire in the pro section.
Collier Martinez in full send mode over the suspended log
Jack Simpson creating some waves through the sand after the rocks

Both Martinez and Richards were consistent podium finishers in Pro-Am last season, moving up to 250 Pro, which leaves the class wide open with a great group of riders to battle it out for the championship. The top 3 finished within 30 seconds of each other, but Eric Danoski and the Gainslinger Racing team brought home the win as he left it all on the line, even finishing the race with a flat tire. Rounding out the podium for the Pro-AM would be Hayden Florez and Justin Patton.

 

In Women’s Pro, Brandy Richards would take home the win as she also found herself on the podium for the 125 Pro class finishing second behind Damon. Riding for Reezen Kilmartin Racing, Lauren Woods would finish the race in second, and Kaitlyn Jacobs finished in third on her RPM KTM. In the new class 125 Pro, Tristun Alvarez grabbed the holeshot but ultimately fell back to 3rd behind Damon and Richards.  Richards and Damon both fell in the first lap but regained composure and would swap leads back and forth before having Damon take the win.

We want to thank all the sponsors, workers, and especially the racers who came to round one of the 2023 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS Series. We hope to see everyone at Delano for the second round on February 10-12th!

BARON WINS, AND GROSSE LANDS ON PODIUM IN 1ST PRO RACE

The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS series is back with a bang to start the 2023 season. To kick off the season, we headed to the newly renovated Buffalo Bills Casino in Primm, Nevada, with just over a 7-mile course to battle it out on. Beau Baron, last year’s champion and 10x WORCS champion, would return and race his unique TRX450/CRF450 hybrid quad, and lots of new additions to each of the pro classes were a great thing to see. Womens Pro would be the first of the pro classes to hit the course racing on Saturday and saw Torey Matajcich take home the win, hoping to redo her championship season in 2022. Uriah Tsinnijinnie won his first-ever Pro-AM race beating his previous best, a second-place finish last season. After a heated battle between the two for most of the race, Baron would win the season opener over Travis Damon.

For the pro race on Sunday, there would be a few pro sections that included a rock garden and “raw” sections that allowed riders to choose their line through ungroomed sections. Still, the big one was the endurocross section which had four k-rails that suspended a log which caused quite the backup on the second lap of the race.  Braxton Grosse looked as if he shot out of a rocket on the first lap, grabbing the holeshot on his first-ever Pro race, but a big crash had him falling back to 5th place on the first lap. Perry Concepts Racing rider Travis Damon would capitalize and take the lead at the end of the first lap with a ten-second split from Baron. Each lap, Baron would shave a few seconds till the 4th, where Baron made a pass on Damon in the back to grab the lead and begin setting the pace with the open air in front of him. Baron adds some more hardware to his collection as he takes the win at the season opener, which saw him land on two podiums in the three classes he would compete in. Damon would finish in second, which also compliments his 1st place finish in the first 125 Pro race earlier in the weekend. After the first lap, Grosse would sit in 5th place behind Roberto Villalovos and Auston Baxter, but that would not stop him as he would put his head down and shave time off each lap and, by the 4th lap, saw him past Villalovos for the 3rd place spot where he would finish for the day.

Pro-AM had quite the wild beginning of the race, with the brother/sister duo of Cole and Layne Fryar coming in 1-2 after the first lap. Sadly, Layne would have trouble with the Pro section, and Cole would have a mechanical problem putting them out of contention for a podium spot, but I’m sure they will be back in Delano ready to battle. With the shakeup early in the race, Tsinnijinnie took quick advantage going from 4th to 1st in the second lap and not looking back as he finished in first place 25 seconds ahead of second place. Pedro Montes and Steven Lopes would be in striking distance for most of the race until the 6th lap when Lopes fell behind but still could secure that 3rd spot, with Montes landing himself on the box in second place.

There was some new firepower in the Women’s Pro Class as Dakota Hibler would snag the holeshot in front of Fryar and Matajcich to show there were some new ladies on the block. Hibler finished in 5th, but don’t count her out; she will be back just as strong in Delano. Matajcich would find her groove being the only one in her class to drop into the 12-minute mark, and she did it in style with a 12:09 and would finish over 5 minutes ahead of her competition. Heidi Colman, another fresh face to the pro class, made a last-lap pass to secure the second position over Donna Espensen, who settled for third place in the season’s first round.

We want to thank all the sponsors, workers, and especially the racers who came to round one of the 2023 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS Series. We hope to see everyone at Delano for the second round on February 10-12th!

SAXTON WINS IN NEW POLARIS TURBO R AT SEASON OPENER.

The 2023 Season has arrived for the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS series, with the action returning to Primm, Nevada, right behind the Renovated Buffalo Bills Resort & Casino. Pro Stock would line up on Saturday evening without last year’s champion Brayden Baker who suffered a big crash while testing his desert car this offseason; we hope for a quick recovery and to see him back contesting for the championship soon! On Sunday, Pro Production would line up with some new faces and machines, with Braden Judge, son of champion Beau Judge making the jump to the class and Beau Baron switching from a Polaris over to a brand new 2022 Honda Talon. They battled it out over a just under 7-mile course with old and new terrain that proved rough for many of the racers.

The Pro Stock class saw Sebastian Marquez move up from the 1000 class in his Polaris RS1 to compete with some of the best in the business. As the green flag dropped, Cayden MacCachren and Marquez would find themselves out front battling into the first turn, with Marquez getting the advantage as the dust settled. MacCachren was on the move, but a slight mistake when he overjumped a table before heading into the off-road section caused him to slow down as he had discomfort from the rough finishing in 4th place just under 2 minutes behind 3rd place. Baron racing his brand new Honda Talon, which had a whopping 6 miles on the odometer before this race, put his car through the paces battling with the top racers finishing on the box in 3rd. The battle for the lead was a good one, with Casey Sims and Marquez challenging each other with only a few seconds separating them for the first three laps. Sims would put down the fastest lap with a time of 10:43, also passing Marquez in the same lap. He wouldn’t allow Marquez the opportunity to pass again, finishing on top of the box and taking the first win of the season, with Marquez finishing 18 seconds behind in 2nd place.

Pro Production would bring the heavy hitters out to play, with Shawn Saxton debuting his brand-new Polaris Turbo R build and Braden Judge driving one of his dad’s old cars while Judge finishes his brand new car which he will debut later this year. As they lined up based on last year’s point standing, we would see Judge and Saxton fly into the first corner together and put on quite the show for the beginning of the race. Judge found himself in the lead with Saxton on his bumper for the first two laps, almost causing him to rollover as he went over a berm while blinded by the sand from Judge. After the third lap, Judge would find himself having some mechanical troubles leaving him only one working wheel by the end of the race, salvaging himself a 5th place finish. Once Saxton got around Judge it was a clear track allowing him to set his own pace while breaking in his Polaris Turbo R, finishing just over a minute from the second-place finisher. Both 2nd and 3rd battled from the second row to land themselves on the podium. Larry Heidler arrived to the races this season with a fresh car as over the off-season, he went through the entire vehicle to get it prepared for the new season and came out swinging, fighting his way back up, being only a minute behind Saxton. Braden Judge, who had some practice at the last round of the year in his dad’s car, would make the official jump this year, and he did it with a bang! On the final lap, he would pass Baron on corrected time by just 4 seconds to take the final spot on the podium as Baron would have trouble getting around Beau Judge on the tight track.

CJM_0127
CJM_0197
CJM_1024

We want to thank all the sponsors, workers, and especially the racers who came to round one of the 2023 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS Series. We hope to see everyone at Delano for the second round on February 10-12th!

Scroll to top