Cycle News Staff | September 19, 2023
Round seven of the Rocky Mountain ATV-MC World Off Road Championship Series (WORCS) signaled an end to the summer break for western U.S. off-road racers, as the series headed to Buckskin Hills Recreational Area in Vernal, Utah, September 16-17. A new stop on the circuit, the venue offered 8.5 miles of fresh track, including a large motocross track, and plenty of dust and silt throughout. In the end, Mateo Oliveira brought home some new hardware after taking the 450 Pro win. The Alvarez brothers topped their respective classes, with JP winning 250 Pro and Tristun taking the 125 Pro victory. Kayden Lynn topped his first Pro Am race and Brandy Richards helped herself to yet another Women’s Pro win.
Mateo Oliveira (831) leads the way en route to the 450 Pro-class WORCS win in Utah. Photos: Connor Moore
Set in the Uintah Mountains of northeast Utah, the Buckskin Hills course sits at an elevation of near 7500 feet, proving an added challenge to racers. The 125 Pro class felt the power-robbing effects on the hilly Utah course, but it didn’t stop Tristan Alvarez from taking a liking to the course on his RPM FMF-backed KTM. He shot to an early lead, battling with Travis Damon, who would go on to claim second. Third place went to Daemon Woolslayer, who came back after barely missing out on the podium at the previous round in Cedar City.
Oliveira was stoked on the win.
Brandy Richards was in prime form, using her desert experience in the silty conditions. After rocketing to a holeshot in front of Kaitlyn Jacobs, she grabbed some clean air and set sail from that point on, where she held on for the class win.
Brandy Richards leads Kaitlyn Jacobs in Women’s Pro.
The 2-hour Pro race started at 11:00 AM, and the morning talk was about the pit strategies for dealing with the intense dust—if and when air filters should be replaced. Zach Bell came out at a blistering pace in the Pro race, pulling away from the pack with the fresh-air advantage in the off-road section. Bell had grown his lead to over 45 seconds when disaster struck; as he entered the pits, a mechanical issue caused his race to end early.
JP Alvarez won the 250 Pro class.
Mateo Oliviera started the race in second and held that position, only falling back after his first pit where he replaced the air filters. This allowed Tyler Lynn to pass into the lead on his Precision Concepts Kawasaki. But lightning struck twice for the Kawasaki boys as Lynn was also forced to exit the race early, suffering a mechanical issue while in the lead.
450 Pro Podium.
Smooth and steady won the race as Oliviera then found himself in the lead, which he held to the finish for his second win of the season. Justin Hoeft, riding for Purvines Racing Yamaha, was pushing hard, shaving seconds each lap, but could not reel him in. In third place was Beta’s Dare Demartile, at his first race back since his injury at the Blythe round earlier this year. Demartile looked back to form, with the same style and ease he is known for, and it showed with his podium result.
250 Pro Podium.
In the Pro 250 division, Kai Aiello grabbed the holeshot on his 3 Bros Husqvarna and led the race early, with JP Alvarez chasing him down on his RPM racing KTM. In the second lap Alvarez made the pass on Aiello and was able to set the pace from that point. Another Purvines Yamaha rider, and the points leader, Jack Simpson, had a rough start. His sixth-place start meant he had his work cut out for him. Passing in the off-road section was highly difficult, with low visibility in the thick dust. Still, he made it work, picking off rider after rider and settling into second place. He focused on running down Alvarez, but the gap proved to be too much, forcing Simpson to settle for a respectable second place, nonetheless extending his points lead in the class, staying healthy for the next two rounds.
125 Pro Podium.
In Pro-Am, Kayden Lynn brought home his first win in the class, making it a three-podium weekend for the Purvines team. Lynn nailed the all-important start and allowed him to set his own pace while the rest of the field clamored in the dust. Mason Decunzo was able to close the points gap, claiming second place by finishing ahead of points leader Hayden Florez. Justin Patton put his best race of the season together finishing in third place. CN
