Photography by Mark Kariya
FMF/KTM Factory Off-Road Racing Team’s Kurt Caselli finally picked up his first win of the season, as he came from well behind after a poor start to finish first at the Rabbit Creek 100, presented by Dirt Inc. and Dan Wiebold Ford at the Idaho Auto Center Mall, Sunday, March 24, near Murphy, Idaho.
The drop of the banner caught Caselli by surprise, unlike Blais Racing Services KTM rider Skyler Howes, who rocketed into the early lead ahead of Off-Road Support Kawasaki’s Jacob Argubright. But Caselli methodically worked his way through the pack, later saying, “I just took my time and was able to get around quite a few guys the [42-mile-long] first loop, and I knew the [63-mile] second loop was going to be a little bit longer and tighter, so I waited ’til then.”
Caselli would finish in three hours, one minute and 59 seconds, while local favorite David Kamo (who’d also had a less-than-stellar start) finished second in 3:05:07, which unofficially moves him into the series points lead.
Argubright, who led for a while until missing a turn, held on for third in 3:06:11, unofficially putting him second in points. (Former points leader Kendall Norman, who won the first two rounds, didn’t attend.) After losing time on the first loop while getting into his rhythm, Western Design Racing TM’s Tuffy Pearson rallied back to fourth overall and the Open A win followed by Purvines Racing Beta’s Justin Morrow.
