Mark Kariya | January 24, 2022
After winning all three Hare and Hound rounds he entered back in 2018, FMF KTM Factory Racing Off-Road Team star Taylor Robert is back to the desert in 2022 in a bid to capture the AMA Hare & Hound National Championship Series, Presented by FMF.
The Desert Motorcycle Club’s 55th Annual Winter Classic served as the opening round of the series and saw Robert scramble to edge 2021 series champ Joe Wasson after a late-race tumble snapped the clutch perch off Robert’s Factory KTM 450 XC-F.
“I stalled it like three times in the last five minutes,” Robert said. “I couldn’t restart it in gear [without a clutch lever] so I’d have to put it in neutral and literally rev it up and neutral bomb-drop it!”
Taylor Robert fended off a late challenge from defending series champ Joe Wasson to take the Winter Classic victory, repeating his result at this race in 2018. Photos: Mark Kariya
LiquiMoly Beta’s Wasson wasn’t too upset about his runner-up finish as he had to come from a less-than-ideal start on his Beta 480 RR and actually chased down Robert in the closing miles before they both overshot a turn and momentarily lost the course with Robert picking it up first and beating Wasson to the finish.
Johnny Campbell Racing (JCR) Honda’s Preston Campbell was about a minute and a half back in third aboard his Honda CRF450X.
In a stacked field of Pros that included the past three series champions, 2019 champ Jacob Argubright powered to the bomb first on his Team Green Kawasaki KX450X, though he nearly collided with Robert who took the lead shortly after. From there, Robert remained out front, despite Wasson getting close near the end.
Defending Pro 250 champ Corbin McPherson rocked the plain look to repeat his triumph from last year, with Carter Klein second after leading much of the way.
“I’m glad to be back out here; I just had a real strong desire to go back and do some real off-road racing,” Robert said. “The course was awesome—[the club] did a really good job with that; it was definitely some of the best markings I’ve seen in a long time. Joe and Jake were both ripping—they definitely kept me honest! I kind of kept an eye on Jake that whole 43-mile first loop; I was pushing pretty hard and he was staying right there.
“The second [loop of 41 miles], Joe surprised me because I felt like I was pushing pretty good, then it opened up and it was really fast. I was keeping a good pace but not 100 percent, and he sucked right up on me and I definitely had to, like, ‘All right, time to go; let’s get it done!’”
“Wearing the number-one plate for the first time wasn’t the huge burden some might expect,” Wasson said. “I’ve been working on my whole program overall just to be a well-rounded rider no matter what situation I’m in, no matter if I’m chasing or being chased. I had a bad start—my bike kind of coughed off the start—so it took me a while to work up through the pack. I finally got around Jake leaving the pits here and Taylor had about a minute on me, I think. I was able to reel him in about Cougar Buttes and it was game on. We were side by side, and like I said, if I wouldn’t have made that mistake going back left [to try to find the course], I think could’ve got him.” Officially, Wasson was 19 seconds behind after more than two hours of racing.
Two-time Pro Women Champion Britney Gallegos took the class win over last year’s series runner-up Rachel Stout and newcomer Ava Silvestri. Lexy Baker, shown here behind Gallegos, crashed and had to settle for fifth.
“I’m happy to start the year off better than last year [when I was fourth],” Campbell said. “It was just a consistent race. I didn’t make any big mistakes—just a couple tip overs—but it was good and I didn’t jeopardize my year [with any big crashes].”
It’s been a while since Dustyn Davis raced a Youth National H&H, but his domination in taking the overall victory in the Big Wheel race for the first time demonstrated he remembered how to do it.
Thirty seconds behind Campbell, Argubright rode in for fourth, and it was a couple minutes before 3 Bros./Hatch Racing Husqvarna’s Dalton Shirey rolled through for fifth after a horrible start.
Recent Dallas Chidester (DC) Yamaha signee Clayton Gerstner finished sixth after a big crash that left him with a possible broken hand followed by defending Pro 250 champ Corbin McPherson on his Kenda/IMS/Fly Racing Husky FC 250. However, Carter Klein led most of the way on his 3 Bros./DT Racing/Fly Racing KTM 250 SX-F, ultimately settling for second in class and eighth overall.
High Sierra Fire Kawasaki-mounted Brody Honda and third Pro 250 Nic Colangeli on his Precision Concepts YZ250 rounded out the top 10 overall.
The new-for-‘22 Pro Vet 35+ class saw DC Yamaha’s Dan Caparelli win over SW Roberts Construction Yamaha-mounted Steve Roberts, the 2021 Senior A champ.
In Pro Women, Colorado Recycling Husqvarna’s Britney Gallegos began her season on top as she seeks to earn a third consecutive title. Last year’s class vice-champion Rachel Stout picked up where she left off, hammering to second on her Full Factory KTM while newcomer Ava Silvestri made her hare & hound debut good for third aboard her 3 Bros./Kilmartin Racing GasGas. CN
Brooklyn Caudillo got to the trail and bomb first en route to winning the overall as well as Junior Girls in the combined Micro Mini/Girls race.
Results
| 1. |
Taylor Robert |
KTM |
| 2. |
Joe Wasson |
Bet |
| 3. |
Preston Campbell |
Hon |
| 4. |
Jacob Argubright |
Kaw |
| 5. |
Dalton Shirey |
Hus |
| 6. |
Clayton Gerstner |
Yam |
| 7. |
Corbin Mcpherson |
Hus |
| 8. |
Carter Klein |
KTM |
| 9. |
Body Honea |
Kaw |
| 10. |
Nic Colangeli |
KTM |
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