2023 WORCS Round 1 Results

| January 24, 2023

The Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS series kicked off the 2023 season at Buffalo Bill’s Casino in Primm, Nevada, January 21-22. Precision Concepts Kawasaki’s Tyler Lynn bested the sandy, seven-mile racecourse to claim a career-first 450 Pro victory.

Tyler Lynn at 2023 WORCS round one — **Tyler Lynn kicked off the 2023 WORCS series with his first 450 Pro win.**

Story by Connor Moore

As usual, the Pro race featured multiple Pro-only sections. This included two sets of big tires to cross as well as a suspended log to navigate, which riders faced quickly after the start. This caused quite the shakeup, as it took down multiple heavyweight riders including Tallon Lafountaine and Jack Simpson. Gus Riordan found the fast line early on and was the only rider to double over the logs. The Australian native normally races the East Coast GNCC rounds but used the WORCS opener to warm up for his season.

Cole Martinez and Tyler Lynn barreled down the opening start straight, with Lynn barely edging Martinez for the lead after turn one. Aboard his new Purvines Racing Yamaha, Justin Hoeft made an early pass and held second place as the top five pulled away from the field. Lynn however, never relinquished his top spot, as he rode fast and safely for the entire two-hour moto. He claimed victory by a comfortable 30-second cushion.

Gus Riordan at 2023 WORCS round one — **Gus Riordan used his GNCC skills to navigate the Pro-only sections and take the 250 Pro victory.**

Martinez managed to sneak by Hoeft for second and continued to march toward Lynn at the front. A runner-up position was all he could manage at the end of the two-hour race.

Mateo Oliveira, who moved up after winning the 250 Pro championship last season, had quite the battle with SLR Honda rider Lafountaine during the start of the race. They all sat inside the top five for the entire race, with Oliveira eventually gaining the advantage. Oliveira ultimately got around Hoeft as well, allowing him to grab his first 450 podium.

In 250 Pro, Kai Aiello took the holeshot, but a crash in the tires put him out of contention for an overall podium. Gus Riordan showcased his GNCC speed as he grabbed the lead spot and shot out to a dominant lead early in the race. He pulled away from fellow Aussie Jack Simpson after Simpson also suffered a get-off over the first big tire. After the fall, the Purvines Racing rider pushed hard to catch Riordan but ultimately finished in second place, 54 seconds behind Riordan. Collier Martinez, riding for SLR Honda, found himself in a fight for third during his first 250 Pro race. In the final portions of the race, Cole Zeller closed the gap and caught up to within just six seconds of Martinez. However, Martinez held tough and took the final spot on the 250 Pro podium.

Travis Damon at 2023 WORCS round one — **Travis Damon claimed the win in the newly-added 125 Pro class. He raced a 2004 Honda CR125!**

With Collier Martinez and Brandy Richards both moving up to the 250 Pro class this year, the Pro-Am class is wide open with a new group of championship contenders. The top three finished within 30 seconds of each other, but Eric Danoski and the Gainslinger Racing team brought home the win, even finishing the race with a flat tire. Hayden Florez and Justin Patton rounded out the podium in the Pro-Am class.

In Women’s Pro, Brandy Richards took home the win after putting in her podium performance in the 125 Pro class. Lauren Woods, riding for Reezen Kilmartin Racing, finished the race in second, with Kaitlyn Jacobs finishing in third on her RPM Racing KTM.

Mateo Oliveira at 2023 WORCS round one — **Mateo Oliveira bumped up to the 450 class this year and finished third at the opener.**

In the newly-added 125 Pro class, KTM-mounted Tristun Alvarez grabbed the holeshot and early lead. He ultimately dropped back to third behind Travis Damon and Brandy Richards. Richards and Damon both fell during the first lap but each regained composure and swapped leads back and forth. Damon eventually took the win aboard his 2004 Honda CR125.

The second round of the WORCS series takes place in Delano, California on February 10-12.