Mark Kariya | January 24, 2023
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Dalton Shirey began his title defense by dominating the Desert Motorcycle Club’s 56th annual Winter Classic—the opening round of the AMA Hare & Hound National Championship Series, presented by FMF—finishing over two minutes ahead of the Liqui Moly Beta duo of Joe Wasson and Zane Roberts. The two-time series champ rocketed off the start on his Rockstar Husqvarna Racing-backed FX 450 to clearly seize the lead at the end of the bomb.
“I went off a little left and I hopped on the trail on a two-track road, basically,” he said. “I hopped off of it and hopped back on at certain points. It was a good line; I only had to check up probably two times on that whole bomb run, like, just a little bit.” He completed the 43-mile first loop in 57 minutes, 44 seconds, giving him a one minute and 10-second cushion over Wasson, with Roberts 19 seconds further back. “I just kept saying to myself, ‘smooth, smart and fast,’ ” Shirey said. He stretched his lead over the 41-mile second loop and took the checkered flag after 2:08:03 of racing.
Wasson was two minutes and five seconds back for second and Roberts was another one minute and twenty-six seconds behind to maintain third on the day. The 2021 champ, Wasson and his Beta 480 RR held a solid pace all morning, and he was satisfied with the outcome. “I didn’t get a good start and made it pretty tough on myself the first loop,” Wasson said. “By the time I got into second place, Dalton had already put a little bit of a gap on us. I kind of got close to him a little bit on the second loop, but then I kept making some navigational errors. Maybe some of the markings got blown down by the wind or something, but I had to make a couple circles out there so that cost me some time. But a second-place finish [and, more so, being] on the podium consistently is where we want to be, right?”
For the Beta 480 RR mounted teammate Zane Roberts, third place served to highlight an area in which he admitted he can improve. “Today was kind of a chance to see where we’re at,” said Roberts, who hails from the Reno, Nevada, area. “I don’t love it down here. I definitely need to get down here and do some more training in these conditions.”
After opening his 2023 campaign by winning the AMA District 37 Hare & Hound Series and the FMF AMA National Grand Prix Championship (NGPC) Series openers on the previous two weekends, Johnny Campbell Racing/ Honda’s Ryan Surratt claimed fourth in 2:14:01 in what was his first H&H National after being barely inside the top 20 at the bomb. In another first, 2022 Pro 250 champ Carter Klein earned fifth in 2:41:21 in his Open Pro debut aboard his Acerbis KTM.
He was followed by S.W. Roberts Construction/Blud Lubricants/ Fasthouse GasGas rider Clayton Roberts, the Pro 250 winner for the third time in his career. Beta Canada’s Kade TinklerWalker finished seventh overall and second Pro 250 in his H&H debut followed by 3 Bros./Hatch Racing Husqvarna rider Corbin McPherson, the former Pro 250 champ also moving up to Open Pro this year.
Carson City Motorsports GasGas-mounted Austin Serpa and Axel Pearson, on his Pearson Farms Yamaha, rounded out the top 10 overall. Simi Valley Cycles Yamaha’s Andrew Puckett took the Vet Pro 35+ victory after passing early leader Dan Capparelli on the second loop. Reno Motorsports Husqvarna-mounted Jason Alosi claimed second in his return to the H&H wars, with Capparelli and his Carson City Motorsports GasGas hanging on for third in class. In Pro Women’s, Britney Gallegos came from behind on her Bobby J’s/Motorex/Fly Racing Husqvarna to win, as she aims to retake the title she lost last year to Rachel Stout. For the 2022 champ, Stout, and her Full Factory Offroad KTM (the bike she raced last year, because she hasn’t received all the parts to outfit her new machine yet) settled for second, with Let’s Ride KTM-mounted Ashlee Gage in third. CN
OVERALL RESULTS
1. Dalton Shirey (Hus)
2. Joe Wasson (Bet)
3. Zane Roberts (Bet)
4. Ryan Surratt (Hon)
5. Carter Klein (KTM)
6. Clayton Roberts (GG)
7. Kade Tinkler-Walker (Bet)
8. Corbin McPherson (Hus)
9. Austin Serpa (GG)
10. Axel Pearson (GG)
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