| May 24, 2021
2021 World Championship Hare & Hound Results. Remember the Whiskey Pete’s World Championship Hare & Hound? You might recall that in 1984, it was the race that launched the Best in the Desert (BITD) organization, and until 1996, the organization promoted only motorcycle races. After being dormant for more than three decades, the race is back but now known as the Rocky Mountain ATV-MC World Hare & Hound Championship, presented by GPR Stabilizers. BITD said it resurrected its crown jewel event to renew its commitment to the two-wheeled crowd.
Joe Wasson rode a masterful 105 miles across a variety of terrain that hasn’t been raced on for at least 15 years to win, leading another Beta 1-2 with teammate Zane Roberts the runner-up and Kilmartin Racing/3 Bros. KTM’s Hayden Hintz third.
Though it served as round three of BITD’s American Off-road Racing Series, dubbing it the World Championship made the Rocky Mountain race feel almost like a standalone event, and the winner treated it as such.
“It was really important to me,” Wasson said. “Even though there wasn’t a ton of people here, just the sheer name of it, the people who put it on, the legends who were involved, regardless of who was here—I take it as a huge feat to add my name to the list of the people who’ve won it before.
“When I was a little kid, I used to dream of being in magazines and now I’m at that point,” he added. “This is living the dream! It was an incredible thing to win.”
Wasson’s win stopped the Nic Garvin win streak at two and since Wasson (and Roberts) missed round two due to a conflicting event, Liebelt Inc. Honda’s Garvin still remains the series points leader.
Still recovering from injuries received after hitting a cow near the end of his winning Silver State 300 ride a few weeks ago, Garvin got the holeshot on his City Service Paving/Champion Adventures/Vic’s Bobcat-backed Honda CRF450X. However, Garvin knew this race was more about salvaging points rather than battling for the win. “I was in a lot of pain,” he said. “It was more than I expected.”
So, he couldn’t put up much of a fight as first Nic Colangelli then Wasson, Roberts and Hintz worked their way past.
Wasson and Roberts went to the front before pit one at 17 miles followed by Colangelli, Garvin, Skaggs Racing KTM rider Jarett Megla (the lead 399cc Pro) and the rest of the field.
Wasson and his Kenda/Motul/Fly Racing-sponsored 480 RR earned a $500 bonus for catching Russell Pearson—the three-time AMA National Hare & Hound Champ serving as the hare—before pit two at 52 miles in the town of Goldfield. He sailed to the finish in two hours, 25 minutes and 1.8 seconds, and besides the $500 bonus, took home $4000.
Roberts dropped back slightly on his FMF/Nuetech Nitromousse/Klim 480 RR over the last half, saying, “I’ve had a lot happening lately. I just graduated college last week and moved out. Honestly, just coming out here and having a solid ride is all I could ask for. It was a cool event; the terrain was pretty cool. I had a lot of fun so overall I can’t really complain.”
He stopped the clock at 2:26:07.6.
Defending series champ Hintz added another third place at the finish, his record now 5-3-3 aboard the Kenda/Pro Circuit/FXR KTM 450 XC-F he normally shares with Trevor Hunter. After hitting the finish line in 2:30:44.9, Hintz said, “I made myself work hard today with a bad start, so I never really got a chance to see Wasson and Roberts, but it’s all right; it’s good to be on the podium.
“It was completely different [than the usual BITD course],” Hintz said. “It was so fun! From single-track to two-track that’s all overgrown and you can’t even see where you’re going, really. Rocks, rock waterfalls, everything. We got up into the hills and it was hailing; it was such good dirt up there!”
Garvin accomplished his goal of salvaging points with fourth place followed by a slightly outgunned Hunter on his 1-800-DENT-DOC/Kilmartin Racing/DirtBikeTest YZ250FX (entered in Open Pro). 3 Bros./DT Racing KTM-mounted Colangelli claimed fifth followed by Stevens Erectors Husqvarna’s Taylor Stevens, the unofficial 399cc Pro winner. Over 30 Pro winner Bryce Stavron, Colangelli, Open Expert winner Brandon Krause and 3 Bros./DT Racing KTM’s Jeff Trulove rounded out the top 10 overall.
By Mark Kariya
2021 Best In The Desert Series
Rocky Mountain ATV-MC World Hare & Hound Championship, presented by GPR Stabilizers
RESULTS (May 22, 2021)
OVERALL (Top 10)
1. |
Joe Wasson |
(Bet) |
2. |
Zane Roberts |
(Bet) |
3. |
Hayden Hintz |
(KTM) |
4. |
Nic Garvin |
(Hon) |
5. |
Trevor Hunter |
(Yam) |
6. |
Taylor Stevens |
(Hus) |
7. |
Bryce Strabron |
N/A |
8. |
Nic Colongeli |
(KTM) |
9. |
Brandon Krause |
(KTM) |
10. |
Jeff Trulove |
(KTM) |
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