Ty Davis powers through sand whoops in the World Off Road Championship Series.
Ty Davis on his First WORCS Win of the Season at Taft
Guys like Ty Davis are dangerous because you never know when they might go off. After suffering through one of his worst starts to a season ever, the Montclair Yamaha/Zip-Ty Racing/Moose team leader had exactly zero wins in the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC World Off Road Championship Series—kind of embarrassing considering he was the 2003 series champ.
"You get frustrated," Davis admitted. "You get used to winning and everything, then all of a sudden you can't win any more and you're like, `What the heck's going on here?'" But Davis' luck is turning around. The former WORCS Champ let us in on season so far, and taking his first win of the year at Taft.
"I think everybody goes through it. You can't win all the time. It's hard to be on your game that much. And I've got a lot of other distractions this year—not really any more than I had last year, but there's a lot to running the team and trying to get everything done. It's been really tough to stay on top of everything."
But don't think Davis is giving up just yet on his goal of racing while also managing one of the most successful teams in the series. "It's important for me to have the team. That helps Zip-Ty Racing, and it all kind of helps each other [facet]. But you've still got to go and win races. Obviously, that's my main focus, is winning races. It gets tough."
At round six of the series, presented by Zip-Ty Racing, held at Honolulu Hills Raceway in Taft, California, Davis took advantage of a great start on his YZ450F to tuck in behind teammate Nathan Woods and KTM's Kurt Caselli. Before long, though, it came down to Davis and Woods, with defending series champ Woods leading for almost half the race.
Just before halfway, Davis passed his younger teammate and successfully kept him at bay for the last part of the two-hour duel before pulling out a comfortable margin in the last two laps. Woods was a minute and a half back at the finish, and Team Green's Lance Smail claimed third on his KX250.
Suzuki's Mike Kiedrowski held third for much of the race before running out of gas. Kiedrowski's pit crew saw him come to a stop, and immediately began running over to him with gas. Kiedrowski pulled off the course, rolled down to meet them and re-fueled his RM-Z. But on his way back to the course (at a modest pace), a freak incident happened; Kiedrowski's front end suddenly dropped and sent him over the bars, slamming himself and the bike to the ground. Kiedrowski wasn't injured, but it was enough to knock the MX Kied off his pace for the rest of the day. He ended up finishing 12th.
Privateer Honda racer Matt Karlsen on his CRF450R and Team Green's David Pearson on his KX250 rounded out the top five.
Afterwards, a relieved Davis said, "If I can still compete with those guys—and beat those guys—I feel good. I'm not that old yet, but I am old!"
Even better, Davis' first win of the series vaulted him to fifth in points behind Woods, Caselli, Kiedrowski and Russell Pearson, another Montclair teammate (though he had a horrible day at Taft.) His goal, of course, is higher: "That's my goal; I would like to fight back and get number two [again]."
Results
1. Ty Davis, Yamaha
2. Nathan Woods, Yamaha
3. Lance Smail, Kawasaki
4. Matt Karlsen, Honda
5. David Pearson, Kawasaki
6. Glenn Kearney, Suzuki
7. Ricky Dietrich, Kawasaki
8. Eric Rhoten, Honda
9. Nicholas Burson, KTM
10. Destry Abbott, Kawasaki
11. Jim Bryant, Honda
12. Mike Kiedrowski, Suzuki
13. Monte Montague, Yamaha
14. Russell Pearson, Yamaha
15. Bobby Bonds, KTM
16. Kyle Beshaw, Kawasaki
17. Jesse Barstow, Honda
18. Damien Galford, Kawasaki
19. Rob Flagler, KTM
20. Kurt Caselli, KTM
The WORCS resumes after a three week hiatus this weekend in Washougal. Watch Dirtrider.com for results and photos!