Storms in the days leading up to round two of the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC World Off-Road Championship Series turned the Mesquite MotoX Park in Mesquite, Nevada, extremely muddy and rough, but it didn’t diminish the quality of racing. After two hours and probably a half-dozen leaders (with at least twice that many lead changes), defending series champion Nathan Woods emerged the victor on his Montclair Yamaha/Zip-Ty Racing/Moose-sponsored YZ450F. It didn’t appear headed that way a few laps from the finish, however. KTM’s Kurt Caselli, who’d been involved in a third-turn melee and restarted at the back of the pack, had passed Woods and seemed destined for a certain win-at least until he got stuck in a mudhole.”I just kind of went a different way than I [had been] going, which was stupid,” Caselli admitted. “I should’ve just kept doing what I was doing. I ended up getting in a hole stuck in the mud and went over the bars and landed in the mud.”
Remarkably, Caselli caught back up to Woods again, though he pitted to get fresh goggles and conceded ground again. After leaving the pits, though, he discovered his bike suffered a severe power deficit, possibly from losing the end cap on his muffler. Gamely, he pressed on in the remaining couple laps, but having to overcome the handicap apparently wreaked havoc on his fuel economy. He ran dry shortly before the finish, which he reached by literally pushing his FMF/Michelin/Moose-backed 450 MXC.
Motocrosser Tim Wiegand was the third racer to the checkered flag, but officials disqualified him, saying he’d cut the course after crashing with Caselli on the first lap and gained an unfair advantage when rejoining the race. That moved Russell Pearson, Woods’ teammate, to the final podium spot, though he admitted that arm pump, as well as a nagging ankle injury, prevented him from charging the entire race.Afterwards, Woods appeared satisfied with the win, which also gave him the young series’ unofficial points lead.”I went home, and I trained my butt off [after round one],” he revealed. “I was really disappointed in my third-place finish [in Phoenix], which I probably shouldn’t have been—all my teammates and everybody said I did great—but once you win a couple races, you want to just keep winning. That’s how I am. I’m really determined, and I want to win another championship, but first thing’s first; go race by race.”I didn’t get a holeshot like I normally do—I was a little disappointed in that—but I rode a smart race, and that’s how I won, by being smart,” concluded Woods.Mesquite was not kind to several top racers. Round-one winner Mike Kiedrowski of Team Suzuki Off-Road DNFed; he reportedly dislocated his elbow in a first-turn crash. Round-one runner-up Lance Smail fared a bit better and led for a while on his bored and stroked (two millimeters each) Team Green KX250 (making it an estimated 280cc), but he retired on lap 10 with a drive train failure. He was credited with 27th place, the final official finisher.Pro Results
1. Nathan Woods, Yamaha
2. Kurt Caselli, KTM
3. Russell Pearson, Yamaha
4. Destry Abbott, Kawasaki
5. Ty Davis, Yamaha
6. Ryan Dudek, Yamaha
7. David Pearson, Kawasaki
8. Bobby Bonds, KTM
9. Mickey Griffin, Yamaha
10. Kellon Walch, KTM
11. Matt Karlsen, Hon
12. Matt Gosnell, KTM
13. Eric Rhoten, Honda
14. Nicholas Burson, KTM
15. Dylan Murdock, Honda
16. Mark Tilley, Honda
17. Jesse Barstow, Honda
18. Ryan Orr, Honda
19. Adam Dehner, Suzuki
20. Craig Wesner, Kawasaki
21. Reece Honea, Honda
22. Ricky Dietrich, Kawasaki
23. Kyle Beshaw, Kawasaki
24. Monte Montague, Yamaha
25. Beau Judge, Honda
26. Nick Pearson, Kawasaki
27. Lance Smail, Kawasaki
Remarkably, Caselli caught back up to Woods again, though he pitted to get fresh goggles and conceded ground again. After leaving the pits, though, he discovered his bike suffered a severe power deficit, possibly from losing the end cap on his muffler. Gamely, he pressed on in the remaining couple laps, but having to overcome the handicap apparently wreaked havoc on his fuel economy. He ran dry shortly before the finish, which he reached by literally pushing his FMF/Michelin/Moose-backed 450 MXC.
Motocrosser Tim Wiegand was the third racer to the checkered flag, but officials disqualified him, saying he’d cut the course after crashing with Caselli on the first lap and gained an unfair advantage when rejoining the race. That moved Russell Pearson, Woods’ teammate, to the final podium spot, though he admitted that arm pump, as well as a nagging ankle injury, prevented him from charging the entire race.Afterwards, Woods appeared satisfied with the win, which also gave him the young series’ unofficial points lead.”I went home, and I trained my butt off [after round one],” he revealed. “I was really disappointed in my third-place finish [in Phoenix], which I probably shouldn’t have been—all my teammates and everybody said I did great—but once you win a couple races, you want to just keep winning. That’s how I am. I’m really determined, and I want to win another championship, but first thing’s first; go race by race.”I didn’t get a holeshot like I normally do—I was a little disappointed in that—but I rode a smart race, and that’s how I won, by being smart,” concluded Woods.Mesquite was not kind to several top racers. Round-one winner Mike Kiedrowski of Team Suzuki Off-Road DNFed; he reportedly dislocated his elbow in a first-turn crash. Round-one runner-up Lance Smail fared a bit better and led for a while on his bored and stroked (two millimeters each) Team Green KX250 (making it an estimated 280cc), but he retired on lap 10 with a drive train failure. He was credited with 27th place, the final official finisher.Pro Results
1. Nathan Woods, Yamaha
2. Kurt Caselli, KTM
3. Russell Pearson, Yamaha
4. Destry Abbott, Kawasaki
5. Ty Davis, Yamaha
6. Ryan Dudek, Yamaha
7. David Pearson, Kawasaki
8. Bobby Bonds, KTM
9. Mickey Griffin, Yamaha
10. Kellon Walch, KTM
11. Matt Karlsen, Hon
12. Matt Gosnell, KTM
13. Eric Rhoten, Honda
14. Nicholas Burson, KTM
15. Dylan Murdock, Honda
16. Mark Tilley, Honda
17. Jesse Barstow, Honda
18. Ryan Orr, Honda
19. Adam Dehner, Suzuki
20. Craig Wesner, Kawasaki
21. Reece Honea, Honda
22. Ricky Dietrich, Kawasaki
23. Kyle Beshaw, Kawasaki
24. Monte Montague, Yamaha
25. Beau Judge, Honda
26. Nick Pearson, Kawasaki
27. Lance Smail, Kawasaki
