Jarrett Tops OMA Ohio Battle

Mark Kariya | May 21, 2007

It doesn’t matter if you win by a mile or a millimeter as long as you win. At least that’s what Team FMF/Suzuki Off-road’s Jimmy Jarrett must’ve thought at the Sidi Coal Miner Cross-country, round three of the Parts Unlimited Off-road Motorcycle and ATV Nationals, in Rio Grande, Ohio.

After getting one of his usual excellent starts, the three-time and defending series champion tried to jackrabbit and run away from the talented field and managed to open up a sizeable gap.

But you don’t run away from guys like Am Pro Yamaha’s Barry Hawk and Charlie Mullins, Fun Mart Cycles Yamaha racer Jason Thomas or Parts Unlimited Honda-mounted Paul Whibley, and Jarrett gradually came back to the pack.

Jarrett, however, managed to stay in front, frustrating the best efforts of those chasing him by remaining about 10 seconds ahead as the laps wound down on the warm and dry, eight-mile-long course. He completed eight laps in two hours, 19 minutes and 41 seconds, 14 seconds faster than Hawk, who had 17 seconds on Mullins.

After DNFing the first two rounds, Whibley’s luck changed, and he found himself in the hunt all day, finally finishing fourth just 10 seconds behind Mullins. Thomas rounded out the top five in the race co-sanctioned by the American Woods Racing Championship Series.