Still feeling the effects of a crash from the previous week, FMF/AmPro Yamaha’s Paul Whibley, who wasn’t sure he’d even be able to ride the day before the race, won the Smith Goggles High Line Cross-Country National, round nine of the Parts Unlimited Off-Road Motorcycle and ATV Nationals, in Mendora, Indiana, October 16.
Even though he had little to gain by racing hurt, since he had already clinched the OMA Championship, Whibley decided to line up and ended up keeping his eight-win streak alive on his GYTR/MSR/Monster Energy-sponsored YZ450F.
Obermeyer Yamaha’s Jordan Ashburn led for several laps, longer than he has to date, but once Whibley got rolling, there was no stopping him – hurt leg or not.
Whibley went on to win by almost two and a half minutes over Ashburn.
American Honda/GEICO Powersports/JG Off-Road’s Scott Watkins fended off FMF/KTM’s Russell Bobbitt by six seconds at the finish to claim third for the third straight time.
Obermeyer Yamaha’s Morgan Moss made his first OMA start of the year and took a solid fifth over K Motorsports Kawasaki’s Adam Bonneur, privateer Suzuki RM250 racer Shane Klimek and Lite A riders Jake Fiddle, Kyleer Vance and Derek Spangler.
The series wraps up in two weeks with the Moose Run in Fenton, Illinois.
