The AMA National Hare & Hound, presented by FMF, returned from its summer break with the Muley Run, hosted by Silver State Trailblazers MC in sunny Caliente, Nevada. The event included a parade to the start area, kicking off the iconic bomb run in a sandwash that seemed designed with NHH racers in mind. The 85-mile course featured two loops that took racers through water crossings, many sandy washes, and around dusty, flowing single-track sections to the finish.
Story & Photos by Mary Rinell/mjsmotophotos
It is a close fight in points for Pro class racers Dante Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and defending champion Zane Roberts (Liqui-Moly Beta USA). Only 10 points separated them going in, and with just three rounds remaining, all eyes were on the pair. However, no one predicted that neither of them would cross the finish line first. Instead, it turned into a fierce battle between Oliveira and Daemon Woolslayer (Norman Racing Husqvarna), with Woolslayer ultimately claiming his first-ever Pro class NHH win. Adding to this achievement, Woolslayer was coming off a rib injury he sustained just before the summer break.
“I got a pretty decent start; I was up front, maybe fourth or fifth, for the first couple of miles,” Woolslayer said. “I worked my way up into second behind Dante and ended up passing him after just a few more miles, leading pretty much the whole first loop until the very end, when he got back past me. We pitted at the same time, and when we were leaving the pits, it was pretty much just a full-blown drag race all the way through the wash. He edged me out a little and was in front when I noticed we were taking a pretty decent left onto a four-wheeler trail. When he slowed down for the turn a bit, I swung wide and went for it! We ended up locking bars, which wasn’t intentional, but ended up happening. Just glad we both rode it out and are okay. Then from there, just tried to ride a smooth race with no mistakes and bring it home.
“I broke some cartilage off my ribs at the start of summer and had to take about a month off, so I was actually a little worried coming into the race. Fortunately, we spent two weeks in Baja for the 400, riding 150-170 miles a day in the heat, which helped me get back into race shape. I got new suspension from Precision Concepts just before heading to Mexico, and I absolutely loved it. It gave me a lot of confidence on the bike, and I feel like I can go wherever I want right now—the bike feels so good! After spending two weeks on that in Mexico, I came here super confident in my bike and ready to go! I’m stoked on the win and want to thank my sponsors and everyone who supports me.”
With Woolslayer taking the big points for the week, this leaves Roberts and Oliveira just seven points apart heading into next weekend’s round eight. Woolslayer moved up in points and is just 23 points back in third. This means it’s a three-way race for the championship, and anyone could claim the title come October.
With two rounds left and barely a week before the penultimate round in Ridgecrest, California, Oliveira’s hoping to get some seat time this week in between after taking on a new responsibility: parenthood.
“Truth be told, as of now, I am stuck on diaper duty,” Oliveira said.
He and his partner, Carly, welcomed a new baby just two days before the race. “I feel blessed,” he said. “I couldn’t be more stoked; it is a crazy experience, and I feel gifted to be able to be a father and start a new journey. The next generation of racers, our little Vinny.”
Unlike his competitors, who got off to a pretty good start, Roberts decided to wait a bit and see how quickly he could catch up in the dust.
“I was like, you know what, how about I just go off on the A line, and we will just start my time back here with them,” Roberts said. “Bad start, but with the creek, I knew there would be some time to make passes with the water, and you could see, kind of. I got to fifth by the end of the creek and then passed up to third within about five minutes after that. I got up there pretty quickly; those guys already had about 20 seconds on me. I would yo-yo back and forth, but it wasn’t a whole lot of technical riding. It was just fast and flowy, so there wasn’t much opportunity to catch up and pass. I was trying to find anywhere I could gain an advantage, and I could close up when we hit some short, technical sections, but it wouldn’t last long enough, and I’d just end up getting dusted out.
“I am hoping next week is more difficult—I tend to excel in the technical stuff—so the harder the better.”
The Pro Women were wheel-to-wheel through loop one after defending champion Rachel Stout (RPM KTM Racing) and Ava Silvestri (395 Motorsports GasGas) both got a jump on the start, riding a clean lap into the pit before things took a turn in loop two.
“I felt like I was riding so good; I was having so much fun out there,” Stout said. “But then I clipped a rock in one of the washes and sent my bike under a tree. So, it was backwards under the tree when Ava came by. I was still trying to get it out. I hoped she would stop and help me get it out, but I guess she had other priorities [laughs]. It was everything I had to catch back up to her, but I wasn’t able to get back around her. But I felt like my riding was good, so I am not too disappointed with a second-place finish today.”
“It was a pretty flowy course, and I felt like it went by very fast,” Silvestri said. “I kept crashing in the dust, just making stupid mistakes and catching up again before crashing again, which was pretty frustrating. I feel like I have the speed; I just need to stay off the ground. So, it was a frustrating first loop, but when I left the pits, I thought I had thrown it all away because my bike vapor-locked, and it cost me a lot of time. Then, when I was entering the wash, leaving the pit, I felt like I hadn’t crashed enough and took a pretty hard fall, almost knocking myself out. But at that point, I thought I had lost it. I came into the remote pit, and they told me I was only 20 seconds behind. I was like, ‘Alright, I’m just going to hammer down!’ which I did. So, yeah, with all the crashes, I’m happy to come out with the win.”
Heading into the final two rounds, the points race in the Pro Women’s class is now very tight, as the win gives Silvestri just a five-point lead over Stout.The final podium position went to Catalina Springstroh aboard her Manic Moto Beta.
The Pro 250 class points leader, Sam Pretscherer (3Bros Hatch Husqvarna Racing), had a big crash within the first 10 miles or so, setting him off pace for the entire race. “Just one of those days,” he said. “I couldn’t seem to make anything stick. I had a decent crash early on and just tried to battle as best as I could. I got vapor locked in the pits, so it was not a great day, but second overall, I can’t complain much.”
Ryder Thomaselli, on the other hand, had his best finish yet, securing his first win in the Pro 250 class and finishing fourth overall. “I’ve been trying to get closer to Sam every race, so it’s good to finally put it together,” Thomaselli said. “This summer I have been training hard, and I came in confident. I know this terrain pretty well; it’s close to where I live, so I just knew if I rode a clean race, I could win.” And that’s exactly what he did.
Rounding out the Pro 250 podium was Malcom Pearson, who finished less than five minutes behind Pretscherer.CN
AMA National Hare & Hound Round 7 Results
OVERALL (Top 10)
- Daemon Woolslayer (Hus) 2:33:30
- Dante Oliveira (KTM) 2:34:02
- Zane Roberts (Bet) 2:34:10
- Ryder Thomaselli (Hus) 2:37:32
- Sam Pretscherer (Hus) 2:37:34
- Malcolm Pearson (Hus) 2:42:14
- Axel Pearson (Hus) 2:42:46
- David Kamo (KTM) 2:42:57
- Nolan Cate (Hon) 2:44:28
- Chance Fullerton (Kaw) 2:46:33
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