The blazing sun and brutal course greeted the riders with teeth bared for the third round of the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC World Off Road Championship Series in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Gary Jones Racing/Yoshimura pilot Casey Johnson shot past a full gate of pros to yet again power through the first turn and grab the holeshot paycheck from Walt’s Motor sports. Hot on Johnson’s heels was the hard charging FMF/ factory Suzuki rider Ryan Hughes. By the time the duo reached the ZipTy Racing triple doubles on the back straight away, Hughes took the lead away and never let go. GP Husqvarna rider Lance Smail, Johnson, and Redbull factory KTM rider Kurt Caselli then all took turns fighting for the second place position. The three were engaged in a fierce battle through out the first half of the race but the 100-degree weather and tough course took its toll on the riders and Caselli pulled away to lock down second for good. Robbie Bell aboard his Precision Concepts/American Honda CRF 450 used a smooth and consistent riding style that allowed him to surge through the pack and pass the fading Johnson and Smail for a solid third place finish on the day.
Hughes in post race interviews stated that he had changed his training regime so that he can win the WORCS Championship. It was definitely noticeable, with his 50-second lead throughout the race, that his training is working to its optimum level. Caselli not carded another solid day of racing, he pocketed a cool $5,000 cash bonus for being the first GPR Stabilizers support rider across the finish line. Caselli's only complaint was that he was still one step away from the top of the box. It's been quite a week for young Bell after last weekend Baja 250 win and now his first WORCS podium. Bell only stopped smiling long enough to say that he didn’t know what to say, because he was still so excited about the WORCS podium finish that he has been craving for so long.
The WORCS racers will challenge each other again at round four in Payette, Idaho March 30 through April 1. Will Ryan’s new training keep him a top the leader boards, will Kurt finally get the break that he needs for the top podium, or is Robbie going to get used to being on the podium, only the fourth round will tell. Be there and watch the fastest racer on the planet do battle.
