| May 17, 2021
2021 Magic Valley West Hare Scramble Results. Being on multiple winning Baja 1000 teams paid off for Kamo Realty/PCI Race Radios KTM’s David Kamo at the Magic Valley MX Hare Scramble hosted by the Magic Valley MX, in Hagerman, Idaho, May 15-16. The race served as round two of the AMA West Hare Scrambles Regional Championship Series, Presented by MojoMotoSport, and was co-sanctioned by SIDRA Racing. It drew nearly 350 riders for the weekend, a significant increase over the initial running two years ago with 200-plus riders.
David Kamo Tops Magic Valley Hare Scrambles
David Kamo used his desert riding experience to good use at the Magic Valley Hare Scramble in Idaho. Photo: Mark Kariya
Though the speeds weren’t as fast as Baja, one thing the Magic Valley MX event did feature was plenty of silt, sand and whoops due to the unusually dry conditions Idaho has experienced over the winter.
For the first three laps of the 17-mile course, it appeared that Beta’s Zane Roberts would repeat his runaway triumph in relatively similar conditions at round one.
Unfortunately, he experienced a technical issue with his Kenda/Motul/Klim-backed 480 RR and was unable to complete the race.
It was a double whammy for Beta because teammate Cole Conatser fell victim to a similar gremlin while running third on his FMF/Acerbis/Moose 480 RR shortly afterward.
Kamo, however, was in familiar territory with the extremely silty dust, trailing only Roberts and maintaining a comfortable margin over Conatser.
“The silt that you see in Baja is about the same [as here],” the defending series champ explained. “Also, Six Days (the International Six Days Enduro or ISDE) [is very similar]. Portugal [in 2009] and Mexico [in 2010] was just like this with the silt. You just [learn] to look ahead and look at the silt coming up and take better lines.”
MotoOne KTM/Pro Line Suspension/Fly Racing 450 XC-F-mounted Kamo won despite losing the course early on, saying, “You just had to put your head down and keep riding, try not to get frustrated about it and just ride my own race.”
Kamo completed five laps in two hours, 51 minutes and 54 seconds, giving him $775 of the Let’s Ride Pro purse.
Also making the podium with a second place in his first series appearance, Kenda KTM’s Austin Serpa proclaimed himself pleased with his day. Known primarily for racing grand prix events on his 250F, he actually grew up racing desert so he was also comfortable in the warm, dusty conditions. Having switched to the Chik Fil-A/Asterisk USA/Moose Racing 450 XC-F for the series, which he intends to complete, he declared, “I was having a blast, to be honest. The dust was horrific, but the track was still fun.”
Serpa also took a wrong turn, dropping back to about fifth or sixth, though he rebounded nicely, passing Conatser on the third lap before running out of fuel going up one of the hills. Even that turned out well for him, though, as another competitor who’d apparently fried his clutch was sitting at the top, out of the race, and transferred fuel from his stricken bike to Serpa’s via an empty water bottle.
“I’m pretty happy with a second place after all that,” he said after finishing in 2:58:00.
Third on the day at 3:02:20 and now the new points leader when combined with his sixth at round one, Watachi Racing KTM’s Chase Larson certainly turned his day around after a last-place start and a few crashes early on. Asked how he made so many passes, the Fun Country/PDR Suspension Technologies/Fly Racing 450 XC-F rider quipped, “I guessed where the track was and went for it.”
Fun Country KTM’s Blake Best claimed fourth in 3:04:47, one minute ahead of 3 Bros./Kilmartin Racing KTM’s Shane Logan, the Pro 250 winner for the second consecutive round which earned him $500 of the Canyon Excavation-class purse.
Shane Logan Top 250cc
Shane Logan was the 250cc Pro-class winner.
After getting the holeshot, the Blud Racing/Modified Machine Works/FXR 250 XC-mounted rider admitted he learned a lot at round one, which helped him at Magic Valley MX: “You’ve got to have some sort of strategy for this stuff. You’ve got to make yourself last for the full race; it’s three hours almost and I’ve never done anything over two hours [in the GP-style races I normally do].”
Making the bike last is also paramount, and to that end, Logan shared that he stopped on the course at one point to remove the Filter Skin and knock some of the accumulated debris off his air filter.
One11Concepts Kawasaki’s Brody Honea took sixth followed by Let’s Ride GasGas-mounted Tayson Weeks (the Pro 250 runner-up), Racer Decal Kawasaki’s Kyle Kerling (third Pro 250), Big Valley Honda KTM rider Reece Honea (the Open A winner and first A overall) and Buchanan Trucking/Chidester Transport Racing Yamaha’s Mason Matthies (fourth Pro 250 after leaving the start last).
In Pro Women on Sunday morning, FMF/Maxxis/RPM Racing KTM’s Kaitlyn Jacobs dominated the field in her return to the series for $425 of the class’ Canyon Excavation purse followed by Beta-supported Lexy Baker (the Women A winner) and Pro Woman Alyson Tonsgard on her Carl’s Cycle Sales KTM.
Round three in two weeks heads to a new venue for the series in Jacksonville, Oregon.
By Mark Kariya
AMA West Hare Scrambles Regional Championship Series, Presented by MojoMotoSport
Round 2
Magic Valley MX Hare Scramble
Hagerman, Idaho,
RESULTS (May 14-15, 2021)
OVERALL
| 1. |
David Kamo |
(KTM) |
| 2. |
Austin Serpa |
(KTM) |
| 3. |
Chase Larson |
(KTM |
| 4. |
Blake Best |
(KTM) |
| 5. |
Shane Logan |
(KTM) |
| 6. |
Brody Honea |
(Kaw) |
| 7. |
Tayson Weeks |
(GG) |
| 8. |
Kyle Kerling |
(Kaw) |
| 9. |
Reece Honea |
(Hon) |
| 10. |
Mason Matthies |
(Yam) |
