Though he no longer considers himself a full-time racer, Lynwood Motoplex Kawasaki’s Ricky Russell is still a threat to win whenever he lines up at a race of his choosing.
His latest choice: the 6C Motorcycle Club’s Timber Beast Hare Scrambles, a brand-new addition and the fifth round of the AMA West Hare Scrambles (WHS) Regional Championship Series, presented by FMF, on June 7 in Orofino, Idaho.
Photos by Mark Kariya
And while it’s been two years since he last dropped into the series, he proved that working a “real” job hasn’t diminished his formidable speed, forcing defending series champ Mateo Oliveira to accept second place after nearly two and a half hours. Though fourth physically behind Russell, Oliveira and Liqui Moly Beta’s Zane Roberts, Canyon Excavation/Let’s Ride Kawasaki’s Layton Smail came from row two (for Pro 250s) to post the third-quickest time overall, with Roberts still pleased that his improved woods riding gave him third Pro/AA and fourth overall.
Though Russell grabbed the holeshot aboard his Americool/TBT Racing/FXR-backed KX450, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Oliveira quickly slipped past to lead the first two laps of the approximately eight-mile-long loop, which featured abundant challenges in a beautiful setting.
“I was maybe a little too cautious in the beginning,” Oliveira said. “In the woods, he definitely had me covered for the first couple laps. He’d always reel me in.”
But Oliveira and his FMF/Dunlop/Fly Racing FE 450 managed to stay in front until Russell found a better line through one section and grabbed the lead. Oliveira lost the front shortly afterward, forfeiting even more ground he was unable to retake. The champ ended up 28 seconds behind Russell’s finishing time of two hours, 28 minutes and three seconds.
“I feel like I can still show up and be competitive, as I did today, so I’m happy with how I’m still performing,” Russell said. “Honestly, I didn’t realize it was a new venue. I thought that was kind of cool; that makes it even more even for me. I just came here like any other race: came on Saturday, pedaled the track, went to sleep, and raced on Sunday.”
As for Smail and his Team Green/JMR Suspension/FXR KX250, he took little time to lead the Pro 250 field and set out after the 450s, which had started about a minute ahead. He was actually second-fastest on adjusted time early on, then slipped slightly to third-fastest for almost two hours.
“I was super-excited to get back in the woods—it’s kind of my secret weapon, so it was awesome,” Smail said. “Not the best start, but I managed to get into second pretty early and follow [defending Pro 250 champ] Ryder [Thomaselli] for a bit. I tucked the front end, got back up, and ran him down pretty quick again. Then he fell, and I ran into him. After that, I got by him and was able to ride my own race pretty smooth and try to catch those [Open Pro] guys in the front—that’s my main goal with this race series.”
And he did so successfully, extending his season win streak to a perfect five-for-five. His 150 points are now a lofty 33 ahead of FMF RPM Racing KTM’s Jaden Dahners (who was second in class and fifth overall) and 37 ahead of 395 Motorsports Husqvarna-mounted Thomaselli.
While Roberts is best known as a desert racer and his FMF/Bridgestone/Moose Racing 480 RR is the largest bike in the Pro/AA class, recent setup changes have made him more comfortable as the series heads north into tighter woods.
“I’m normally not a woods guy, but I was enjoying them quite a bit today,” he said. “Honestly, I was struggling more [today] in the dry, silty stuff than in the woods, I felt like. I’m still not fully a woods guy, I would say, but I was much happier with how I was riding today in the woods than I’ve been. It was a blast, and I’m happy with the [setup] direction we’re kind of headed.”
After Dahners and Thomaselli, Johnny Campbell Racing Honda’s Nolan Cate made the relatively short trip from Montana to see how he’d fare after a recent hard crash. He felt well enough to take fourth in Pro/AA and seventh overall, followed by FMF RPM Racing KTM rider JJ Concannon (fourth in Pro 250). Six Days-bound Maverick Alaway on his Banks Glass KTM and Matthew Lee Construction Kawasaki-mounted Ruhne Lee were the first two 250cc A riders and rounded out the top 10 overall.
A couple minutes behind them was Pro Vet 35+ winner Monte McGrath, who was 11th overall on his MotoSport Hillsborough Kawasaki.
The 90-minute morning race belonged entirely to Norman Racing Husqvarna’s Ava Silvestri, who had quite the weekend. On Friday, she placed a solid ninth in moto one of the WMX series opener at Hangtown, then got on the road to Orofino, arriving Saturday afternoon in hopes of keeping her win streak going. Despite the travel—plus switching from a 19-inch rear wheel with tubes as well as riding with the small MX tank on her FC 250 at Hangtown—Silvestri dominated from start to finish on her Precision Concepts/Dunlop/Troy Lee Designs FC 250 off-road racer.
Ashlee Gage enjoyed a strong start on her Canyon Excavation/Let’s Ride KX250 after bumping reigning Pro Women champ Rachel Stout in the first turn and ended up running second most of the way for a season-best finish. Stout took third and remains second in points, 29 behind Silvestri, with Gage third, 44 in arrears.CN
2026 AMA West Hare Scrambles Round 5 Results
OVERALL (Top 10)
- Ricky Russell (Kaw) 2:28:03
- Mateo Oliveira (Hus) 2:28:31
- Layton Smail (Kaw) 2:29:06
- Zane Roberts (Bet) 2:29:52
- Jason Dahners (KTM) 2:35:24
- Ryder Thomaselli (Hus) 2:36:41
- Nolan Cate (Hon) 2:39:39
- JJ Concannon (KTM) 2:43:03
- Maverick Alaway (KTM) 2:45:15
- Ruhne Lee (Hon) 2:47:24
Click here to read the Timber Beast Hare Scramble Story in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
