Mark Kariya | April 23, 2024
Though he grew up racing in the desert, Tyler Lynn’s recent contracts have led him to concentrate on GPs. But the desert—especially in his home state of Utah—still holds a special place in his heart. He made history by becoming the first Utah resident to overall a hare and hound National when he topped the Sage Riders Motorcycle Club-hosted Desert Devotional in 2021.
Tyler Lynn used his off weekend from GPs to rule the Desert Devotional on his Baja pre-runner, his third career H&H National victory. He’s still the only Utah resident to overall one.
Photos By Mark Kariya
He spent his off weekend from GPs by besting the most recent edition of the Desert Devotional, round four of the AMA Hare & Hound National series, presented by FMF, April 20-21. Liqui Moly Beta’s Joe Wasson—the round-two winner—kept himself in the championship conversation by finishing second, while Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Off-Road Team’s Austin Walton made it four podiums in a row in his debut season with his third place.
Going into the summer break, Wasson’s teammate Zane Roberts remains the points leader with 94 after a measured ride to fourth, his recent knee injury making this race one of damage control. Walton is two points back, with Wasson third on 87.
Team’s Austin Walton made it four podiums in a row in his debut season with his third place.
“We did it again and on a different bike!” Lynn said after sprinting to an early lead and controlling the pace from there. After completing the two diverse loops of 35 and 46 miles in two hours, 39 minutes and 18 seconds, he owned a 23-second gap over Wasson, with Walton 14 seconds further adrift.
Monster Energy/Dunlop/Fly Racing CRF450X-mounted Lynn pointed out he chose to ride the team’s Baja pre-runner for the first time at the Little Sahara Recreation Area, and said, “I was glad to come in here and get into the lead early on and have a pretty clean race.”
But it wasn’t entirely void of incident. “I could hear something clanking [near the end of the first loop], and I didn’t know what it was,” he said. “I came into the pits, and my exhaust had come unbolted! So, I jumped off my bike and had to run to my trailer, find a 10mm T-handle, found some random bike, took a seat bolt out of it, bent the side panel over, and then just put in the exhaust bolt.”
That ate most of the 1:02 lead he had over the neck-and-neck Walton and Wasson duel, and Lynn managed to leave with a five-second gap. He’d stretch that to 23 seconds by the finish.
For Wasson and his Fiji Water/Pirelli/Fly Racing 480 RR, it was back to business at the front. “I got the holeshot at the end of the bomb-run flags, and I was leading it for a little bit. I led for probably three miles, maybe, and then Tyler Lynn got around me. He was just sending it through the dunes!”
After slipping to fourth through the dunes, Wasson closed on third-placed Daemon Woolslayer’s Steadman’s Yamaha but took a while to find a way past. By then, Lynn and Walton had gapped him, but once in the tighter, technical trails and trees of loop two, he steadily reeled them back in, powering past Walton going up a rocky ridge. While he soon saw Lynn’s dust, the course also started opening up in the final miles, and he found it impossible to get close enough due to the dust.
For Walton and his Motorex/Motion Pro/Fly Racing FX 450, it was another building block of learning.
“I definitely did a lot better this weekend on the start and I knew it was going to be critical this weekend, with the dust playing a factor,” he said. (This was the first dusty race of the season.)
“I felt good and was able to put in a good performance. There are just little things we need to keep working on, every race just evaluating everything. We need to work on that tight stuff in the trees because these guys are pretty darned good there; that’s where I can improve. In the fast stuff, I know how to do that coming from the fast moto stuff—I like that stuff, sending it in the rollers and whatnot; it’s fun!”
Mindful of the knee injury he’d picked up in last weekend’s hare scrambles, Roberts rode his FMF/DP Brakes/Klim-backed 480 RR somewhat cautiously.
“Actually, it wasn’t too much of a problem; there was no pain with it, no instability or anything. It’s just the fear of putting [my foot] on the ground and then having the instability so I just didn’t really trust myself to go fast at all.”
But his 90 percent was good enough to keep him atop the points going into summer break.
In four rounds, Sam Pretscherer is a perfect four-straight in Pro 250 and finished fifth overall for the second round in a row.
Fifth overall for the second round in a row, Sam Pretscherer extended his Pro 250cc win streak to four straight aboard his Simford Group Motorsport/Precision Concepts/Fly Racing FX 250. Well in control of class points, the Australian newcomer has his sights set a step higher.
NHHA Pro podium
“It’s definitely a goal of mine by the end of the year—we’ve got two more rounds, two more goes at trying to get in that top four,” Pretscherer said. “It would be amazing if I could get there, but it’d be definitely tough and I’ve got a fair bit of pace to pick up before I can do that.”
Woolslayer came in for sixth overall, fifth Pro, followed by Pro 250 runner-up D.J. Weber on his Ride Shop AZ/Fasthouse KTM 250 XC, 250cc A winner Kayden Lynn (Tyler’s brother), DC Racing Kawasaki-mounted Chance Fullerton (third Pro 250) and JJ’s Machine KTM rider McQuin Hair (fourth Pro 250).
Darrin Tuckett picked up his first win of the season in Pro Vet 35+ and 17th overall aboard his FMF/Maxima/FXR Yamaha ahead of DC Racing Kawasaki’s Mike Jensen and class-points leader Jason Gibbons.
Rachel Stout settled down after a shaky start and rode away with her third win of the season over round-three Pro Women winner Ty Woolslayer and Megan Griffths.
In Pro Women, two-time and defending champ Rachel Stout rebounded from a disappointing round three to win for the third time this season. Despite a poor start on her InnTeck/Full Factory Off-road/Fly Racing KTM 350 XC-F and nearly crashing in the dunes, she rallied back: “I was kind of fighting for my life off the start, but after that, I kind of got into a flow.
“I was having so much fun—I think that’s the funnest Sage Riders [race] I’ve ever done!”
Round-three winner Ty Woolslayer came from near last off the start as well and took her Pure Adrenaline Yamaha to second after passing Megan Griffiths a few miles from the finish. After holding second most of the race, Griffiths crashed her Klim KTM, suffering a suspected wrist injury.
2024 AMA Hare & Hound National Round 4 Results
OVERALL (Top 10)
- Tyler Lynn (Hon)
- Joseph Wasson (Bet)
- Austin Walton (Hus)
- Zane Roberts (Bet)
- Sam Pretscherer (Hus)
- Daemon Woolslayer (Yam)
- DJ Weber (KTM)
- Kayden Lynn
- Chance Fullerton (Kaw)
- McQuin Hair (KTM)
