Kamo Tops Moose Run National Hare & Hound

Mark Kariya | February 9, 2009

KTM’s David Kamo came through in the end to win round two of the AMA Racing National Hare & Hound Championship Series, the 59th annual Moose Run at the Spangler Hills Off-Highway Vehicle Area near Ridgecrest, California, Februay 8. It was Kamo’s first National triumph. Kamo’s teammate David Pearson, who is continuing his recovery from a broken leg, claimed second. Kawasaki of Simi Valley’s Jacob Argubright rounded out the podium in what was his best National finish to date.

“It felt like a dream, almost, because it was perfect out there today,” Kamo said, noting that it was by no means a runaway.

Round-one winner Russell Pearson got to the front early on his Pearson Brothers Construction/Moose KTM 450 XC-F, but he lost the lead in the pits when he had to replace the rear wheel. That allowed Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Destry Abbott to slip past him, but Pearson quickly caught and passed the reigning series champ, and those two went back and forth on the second loop until Abbott clipped a rock and crashed hard, injuring his left wrist. He would limp across the finish line in ninth.

That left Pearson in control until his bike broke, handing him a DNF.

Kamo took the lead at that point on his Michelin/Motorex/KTM Powerwear-backed 530 XC-W.

Zip-Ty Racing’s Nick Burson rebounded from his round-one problems to claim fourth on his Malcolm Smith Motorsports’ Husvarna TC510, followed by FMF/TBT KX450F-mounted Matt Henderson.

Morgan Crawford, Dylan Murdock, Zach Dodson, Abbott and Ryan Kudla rounded out the top 10.