AMA National Hare and Hound Championship presented by FMF round two win for Factory Beta’s Joe Wasson after a dramatic bomb run race start and 100-mile race-long battle in Murphy, Idaho.

Much-appreciated rain falling on Murphy made for prime conditions at round two of the 2024 AMA National Hare and Hound Championship. With minimal dust in the canyons, everyone was buzzing on the start line ahead of the 100-mile race set in scenic Idaho and hosted by Dirt Inc., an event which has been part of the series for over a decade, and a firm racer favourite.

As the banner went down and the long bomb run start procedure hit the ballistic button,  Pro class racer Clayton Roberts, aboard his 450 GASGAS, was ahead of the pack in the main fast line with only JCR Honda Racing’s Preston Campbell in front of him.

Mid-bomb run Roberts hit a compression, got thrown into a long endo before cartwheeling into the dirt. NHH Champion Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Dalton Shirey was directly behind and immediately threw his bike down to flag racers away from the grounded Roberts.

It was an admirable display of sportsmanship which left Dalton to remount dead last, continue to chase all day for a fifth overall finish. Although not on the podium, the NHH felt to need to highlight the defending champion’s actions in their press release and express gratitude also to the medics and staff who assisted, plus wish a speedy recovery to Clayton.  

Wasson: “Monkey off my back!”

At the front of the race, oblivious to all this, Factory Beta Racing and Idaho-local Joe Wasson found himself front of the pack, battling with Shirey’s teammate Austin Walton. After the first 60-mile loop, just a second separated the pair.

The two were not alone in the final 40 mile loop, with Factory Beta Racing’s Zane Roberts within seconds, the trio pressed on through the technical terrain, with Roberts and Walton swapping positions a handful of times.

Nearing the finish line the race, Walton made a pass Roberts on the very last turn which brought him into a second-place checker, only one second behind Wasson who took the win.

“I got the monkey off my back!” Wasson exclaimed, as he celebrated his hard-earned win with his team, family, and fans.  

Two from two for Rachel Stout

Returning two-time Pro Women’s champion Rachel Stout came prepared to defend her number one plate aboard her KTM 350 XC-F sponsored by Innteck. The round one winner knew she would not be given any breaks by Factory Beta-supported Britney Gallegos.

The women lined up against the usual suspects, plus a first time Hare & Hound racer Meg Griffith eager to try NHH.

Stout got out in front early on and held her lead for the 100 miles but Gallegos, Ashlee Gage, Ty Woolslayer and Griffith would swap positions nearly every mile and dug deep for more than three hours to the finish.

Checkered flags showed Stout claiming the victory, with newcomer Griffith 14 seconds behind, both inside the top 30 overall, with Gallegos rounding out the podium.  

The Pro 250 class has had an exciting and unexpected start to the season, with Australian Sam Pretscherer going two for two for the first two rounds. The Aussie has proven to be a natural, despite the fact he had never trained nor ridden in such conditions before coming to the United States.

Following him into the finish was Arizona-native DJ Weber, who in stark contrast grew up riding the deep desert canyons and hitting high speed sandy berms. Weber was all smiles on the podium, having worked his way up through the classes and finding himself consistently finishing on the podium in the Pro 250 class. Securing the third-place podium position was Matthew Combs, aboard his 250 Yamaha. 

NHH Rnd2 Results:

Round three of the NHH is April 6, in Jericho Utah.

More information including full results: www.nationalhareandhound.com

Words Credit: Mary Rinell

Photo Credit: Mark Kariya