Mark Kariya | June 23, 2021
Serpa Wins Bark Buster Hare Scrambles
For much of the inaugural Bark Buster Hare Scramble hosted by the National Hare & Hound Association (NHHA), it appeared that JT Baker might make his return from a broken hand and neck injury a winning one as he led most of the way in the race serving as round four of the AMA West Hare Scrambles Regional Championship Series, Presented by MojoMotoSports.
It was not to be, however. The final lap saw him overshoot a turn—just the opportunity Austin Serpa was hoping for—and by the time he’d turned around to get back on the 7.5-mile course, Serpa was headed for his second win in a row. Baker held on for a strong runner-up finish with Cole Conatser—who’d also led for a bit in the hotly contested race—rounding out the podium.
The two-and-a-half-hour race at Hannegan Speedway was widely considered the first “typical” hare scramble this season in that it featured plenty of tight woods with ruts, roots and even a little mud—but no dust to speak of. At the green flag, points leader Chase Larson got the holeshot on his Watachi Racing/PDR Suspension Technologies/Fly Racing 450 XC-F followed by Baker, Kreft/DeVol/Fly Racing 350 XC-F-mounted Blake Best, ISDE-bound Joel Tonsgard on his Cycle Barn Racing KX450, Johnny Campbell Racing (JCR) Honda’s Preston Campbell (aboard a CRF250RX as he preps for Six Days) and the rest of the Pro line.
It didn’t take long for Baker to make his way to the front. As the race progressed, though, the two guys he couldn’t shake were Serpa and Conatser.
“I haven’t really had the best training program lately—just kind of messing around and not really riding,” Baker admitted. “I’ve probably ridden four times since I got hurt. I had no clue what to expect when I came out here.” (He also switched brands, buying a new GasGas MC 450F, sponsored in part by Mom & Dad, Shoe and Fast House, though he hadn’t done so much as even set suspension sag.)
En route to his eventual third place aboard his Kenda/Motul/Moose Racing-backed 480 RR, Conatser said, “I was in the lead for, I think, a little bit over a lap, maybe a lap and a half or so, and I felt like we had a three-way battle going, just back-to-back for a good part of the race. It was fun!”
After Baker passed him back, Conatser then tangled with Serpa, and they bobbled with Serpa recovering first. “I was so pumped up after that short little break, I started making a few little mistakes here and there so I kind of slowed down,” Conatser said.
“I thought I wasn’t going to be able to catch up to J.T. after that, but I think he got wrapped up with some lappers,” Serpa said. That allowed him and his Kenda/Carson City Motorsports/Moose Racing 450 XC-F to close the gap.
“I had a tip-over with maybe a mile left to go,” Baker said. “Serpa was right on me, and I high-sided and the bike landed on me, and he had enough room to go around me. It kind of sucks to lead the whole thing and crash the last lap but whatever.”
“This is the first time I’ve gone two [wins] in a row, it’s probably been three or four years,” Serpa said. “I’m pretty happy with it—it feels pretty good! I think the points leader [Larson] going in got fourth or fifth, so it gives me a pretty decent cushion, so I’m pretty happy with it.”
Serpa now has 85 points, Larson slipping to second with 73 and Best third at 70. Best was less than a minute away from a podium with his fourth-place finish for the day followed by Larson, 3 Bros./Kilmartin Racing KTM’s Shane Logan (the Pro 250 winner for the fourth straight round) and Open A winner Ashton Oudman on his YZ250.
Modesto Kawasaki’s Zach Kerling (Pro 250 runner-up), Americool Heating & Air KTM-mounted Zach Burrell and 707 Racing Yamaha rider Dillon Sheppard (third Pro 250) rounded out the top 10.
FMF/Maxxis/RPM Racing KTM’s Maria (Forsberg) Hahn took a popular win in the morning race over teammate Kaitlyn Jacobs with Tacoma Motorsports KTM rider Olivia Pugh third. This marked Hahn’s first major race since returning from a broken femur and subsequent surgery.
“This was huge for me, personally, to know that I still kind of have it, this old gal!” she said.
- Austin Serpa (KTM)
- JT Baker (GG)
- Cole Conatser (Bet)
- Blake Best (KTM)
- Chase Larson (KTM)
- Shane Logan (KTM)
- Ashton Oudman (Yam)
- Zach Kerling (Kaw)
- Zach Burrell (KTM)
- Dillon Sheppard (Yam)