Mark Kariya | November 19, 2024
Defending series champion Dalton Shirey finished the 2024 Hare & Hound season as he’d begun it: winning. In doing so, he led a Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Off-Road Team 1-2, as teammate Austin Walton finished a strong second with Johnny Campbell Racing (JCR) Honda’s Preston Campbell rounding out the podium.
The points leader coming into the finale, Zane Roberts did what he needed to do after a poor start. His fifth-place finish gave him the series championship for his first time.
Words and Photography by Mark Kariya
But Liqui Moly Beta’s Zane Roberts did all that he needed to in finishing fifth at the 100s Motorcycle Club’s 57th Jimmy Fowler Memorial National Hare & Hound to earn his first overall title in the AMA Hare & Hound National Championship Series, Presented by FMF. Walton locked up second in final series points behind the champ, 140-133, while Roberts’ teammate Joe Wasson—a former champ himself—was fourth on the day and third in the final points at 120. Campbell with 103 and Shirey at 94 completed the top five in points.
In his final event as a full-time Pro, Walton nabbed the holeshot and sped past the bomb with the lead aboard his Motorex/Dunlop/Fly Racing-sponsored FX 450 just ahead of Kenda/Blud Lubricants/Klim Husky FC 450 rider Daemon Woolslayer, Kris Keefer (aboard Shirey’s spare bike for a test) and the rest of the field in hot pursuit.
“I didn’t know I had the holeshot because I know how these guys are—they hold it wide open!—but I felt like I had a good line and I practiced it enough times where I was comfortable with it,” Walton said. “Once that banner dropped, I was gone. I just laid on the back wheel and kept clicking gears until I didn’t have any more to click. It was definitely the best way to start the race off with how dusty it was.”
Defending series champ Dalton Shirey, who is still mending from injuries, pulled off an unexpected victory at the series finale.
After a mostly fast 40-mile first loop, Walton came into the pits 13 seconds ahead of his teammate, who confessed that he was toast at that point after rebounding from a somewhat slower start.
“My back was tight at that time because we were doing a lot of high speed across the desert,” he said, “but after I got out of my pit, I got my back to calm down a little bit and got out on the second loop and it started to tighten up a little bit, but I kept ignoring it.”
Walton surrendered the lead on the much rockier, more technical 40-mile second loop after crashing twice, with Shirey right there to take over aboard his FMF/Motion Pro/Sidi FX 450 and lead it to the end.
Shirey said, “I’m stoked to be able to pull this win off, because it’s a good confidence booster; I basically proved to myself that I’m still the guy; I can be here. I didn’t expect it to happen today—I was expecting it at the first round next year, because I’m still rebuilding from injury and I didn’t expect my body to actually perform like it did today.”
Sam Pretscherer had his ups and downs during the season, but it was mostly ups and winning the final Pro 250 race was icing on the cake for the new class champ.
After dropping back from an early third, Campbell and his Pirelli/Pro Circuit/Fly Racing CRF450RX battled back on the second loop and found himself five seconds shy of runner-up Walton at the finish.
“I was fighting the dust and almost crashed a couple times so I said, ‘Okay, take a third today,’ ” Campbell said.
Like Walton, Wasson was in his final race as a full-time Pro, and he claimed fourth, a couple minutes back aboard his Fiji Water/DP Brakes/Fly Racing 480 RR, seven seconds ahead of his teammate and new champ, Roberts.
“I’m stoked to finally get it done,” FMF/Acerbis/Klim 480 RR-mounted Roberts said. “I’ve been in the Open Pro class since 2020, so it’s been quite a few years of trying and a lot of second places, but I’m happy to finally get it done.”
Austin Walton was second overall, making it a Husky 1-2.
With the championship not quite locked up coming in, Roberts went into the finale needing a seventh or better if Walton had won. After a mediocre start, he switched to plan B. “With the bad start and the dust, I knew I could pick my way to where I needed to be, so it was kind of, ‘Don’t panic and work my way up.’ ”
Former series runner-up David Kamo came out of retirement to earn sixth aboard his Kamo Realty/PCI Race Radios/Kurt Caselli Foundation-backed 450 XC-F ahead of GNCC regular Ruy Barbosa on his borrowed JCR Honda.
Preston Campbell filled out the overall podium.
Eighth went to new Pro 250 champ Sam Pretscherer on his Gol Gol Hotel/Precision Concepts/Fly Racing Husqvarna. Comfortably ahead in points going into the race, he shared, “I didn’t have to win today. For me, it was just about ending the season on a high note. There were a few more guys out there [in the class than normal], so I was excited to get out there and get a win and do it with the people that were here. It was a good day, and it was great to wrap up the championship.”
Fellow Australian Gus Riordan shadowed him to the finish, the FMF KTM Racing Landers GNCC specialist adapting well in his Hare & Hound debut.
After having finished the Baja 1000 the previous day, Woolslayer rounded out the top 10 overall a few seconds ahead of GNCC racer Lyndon Snodgrass and Dallas Chidester Racing Kawasaki-mounted Chance Fullerton, who lost his left footpeg on the second loop.
Darrin Tuckett earned his second Pro Vet 35+ triumph of the season on his Precision Concepts/FTA Yamaha, but runner-up Jason Gibbons earned the class championship on his One13 Suspension/Fasthouse KTM.
The Pro Women’s title was down to the finale and it was Rachel Stout out front all day to claim her third-straight crown over Ty Woolslayer and Britney Gallegos.
In Pro Women, Rachel Stout claimed her third-consecutive class championship thanks to her fourth win of the season on her InnTeck/Full Factory Offroad/Fly Racing 350 XC-F over Woolslayer Racing/Precision Concepts/Pure Adrenaline YZ250FX with Beta-backed Britney Gallegos third on the day and in the final points.
With only a six-point cushion over Woolslayer starting the day, Stout knew it was winner-take-all, though she refused to let that rattle her. “I just knew that I had to ride my own race,” Stout said. “I knew that as long as I won, I would get the championship. That was my goal coming into it—focus on my race. I can’t control anyone else, so I focused on what I can control and ride smooth and make as few mistakes as possible.”
It worked, and like Shirey, she ended the 2024 Hare & Hound season as she’d begun: winning at Lucerne. CN
OVERALL
- Dalton Shirey (Hus)
- Austin Walton (Hus)
- Preston Campbell (Hon)
- Joseph Wasson (Bet)
- Zane Robert (Bet)
- David Kamo (KTM)
- Ruy Barbosa (Hon)
- Sam Pretscherer (Hus)
- Angus Riordan (KTM)
- Daemon Woolslayer (Yam)
