Mark Kariya | March 27, 2017
2017 Rabbit Creek 100 AMA National Hare & Hound Results – The Kenda/SRT AMA Hare & Hound National Championship Series is becoming a two-man show after three rounds. First, it was two-time and current series champion Ricky Brabec taking the win at the opening round with challenger Gary Sutherlin taking round two.
2017 Rabbit Creek 100 AMA National Hare & Hound Results
Ricky Brabec had a busy week winning the Sonora Rally and the Rabbit Creek 100 in Idaho. Photography by Mark Kariya
Those two ended up battling for the lead almost all day at round three, the 42nd Annual Rabbit Creek 100, hosted by Dirt Inc., in Murphy, Idaho, March 26, and after two fast loops and 125 miles of Idaho desert, Johnny Campbell Racing (JCR) Honda’s Brabec padded his points lead with another victory, Sutherlin settling for second and Purvines DA8 Racing Yamaha rider Nick Burson taking third.
Perhaps most impressive for the victor was that his winning ride came only two days after winning the Sonora Rally in Mexico on the works CRF450 Rally for the Monster Energy Honda Team before being helicoptered back to the U.S. and catching commercial flights to Boise.
“I had one day to recuperate and it wasn’t enough,” Brabec said. “My first [loop] out here was hard. I had arm pump. I got a good start [right behind holeshot winner Sutherlin], but it didn’t help me as far as riding good—I was way off pace trying to read the ribbon, the arrows.”
Being his first national aboard the new Lucas Oil/Pro Circuit/Fly Racing-sponsored CRF450RX probably didn’t help, at least for the 69-mile first loop.
“Once the arm pump went away, confidence started coming back. How fast I can hit G-outs, how fast I can hit things comparing the rally bike and [the CRF450RX] obviously is a little bit different.”
The battle up front between Sutherlin, Brabec, Jacob Argubright, Burson and David Kamo eventually became a private and intense duel between Sutherlin and Brabec, those two going back and forth as they tried all sorts of lines to gain the upper hand.
2017 Rabbit Creek 100 AMA National Hare & Hound Results
Brabec ended up making the final pass and led from the alternate gas stop on the 56-mile second loop with Sutherlin unable to retaliate in the 20 miles left to the finish on his John Burr Cycles/Rekluse/Thor-backed YZ450FX.
Burson ran as high as second behind teammate Sutherlin on the first loop aboard his Motion Pro/GPR Stabilizers/Sidi YZ450FX. “Trying to get by him, we all bunched up, all four of us [Sutherlin, Burson, Argubright and Kamo],” he said. “It was super-fun going through the wash like that. Then, Ricky got me back and Jake got me, and I just kind of struggled. I lost pace.”
Getting drenched crossing Sinker Creek in the first half of the second loop didn’t help; the snowmelt plus the chilly weather left him with no feeling in his hands.
After a blazing start found him passing both Burson and Argubright and draw a lead on Brabec in the opening miles, semi-retired racer Kamo finished a strong fourth aboard his PCI Race Radios/Edge Performance Sports/Shot Race Gear KTM 450 XC-F with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Off-road Team’s Argubright ending up fifth after wrist problems hampered him over the final loop on his Bel-Ray/Braking/6D Helmets FX 450.
Burson’s teammate Axel Pearson, Rocky Mountain ATV-MC/Precision Concepts Honda-mounted Justin Morgan, SRT KTM rider Morgan Crawford (the FMF Pro 250 winner), Braasch Motorsports CRF450X-mounted Nic Garvin and Stevens Off-road Racing Husky rider Taylor Stevens rounded out the top 10 overall.
Chidester Transport Racing Yamaha-mounted Tyler Lynn took second FMF Pro 250 and 11th overall with Burk Barnes third in class—his first time on the podium as a Pro.
In Women A, FMF KTM Factory Off-road Racing Team’s Kacy Martinez-Coy notched another victory followed by Rebecca Stout and Britney Gallegos. However, Martinez-Coy wasn’t the first woman finisher as ISDE veteran Jamie Wells managed to sneak up on her on the final loop, pass and stay just ahead. But Martinez-Coy still got the class victory since Wells entered 250cc A, which she ended up winning against the guys.
2017 Rabbit Creek 100 AMA National Hare & Hound Results
Results
- Ricky Brabec (Hon)
- Gary Sutherlin (Yam)
- Nick Burson (Yam)
- David Kamo (KTM)
- Jacob Argubright (Hus)
Click here for complete results.
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