The Crazy Horse GP WORCS Side by Side & ATV Race Report
Lake Havasu City, Arizona, March 19-20, 2011
National Guard Polaris Coastal DragonFire Yokley Racing Team driver William Yokley finished 6th in the Side by Side 1 Class in Round 3 of the 2011 WORCS Series, and National Guard Polaris Coastal Yokley Racing Team driver Scott Kiger finished 3rd in the same Class. National Guard Coastal Yokley Racing ATV Team rider Jarrod McClure finished 9th in the Pro ATV Class.
Summary – Side by Side Race
The National Guard Coastal Yokley Racing team traveled to the Crazy Horse Campgrounds in Lake Havusu Arizona for Round 3 of the 2011 WORCS series. The team had a short turnaround since racing in the Georgia GNCC only last week. The crew had to hustle to get the race machines prepped and transported out west. The course consisted of the normal moto cross sections with big jumps, and desert sections with deep ruts, lots of sandy whoops and loose rocks everywhere. The weather was perfect, clear and 65 degrees.
The 45 minute Side by Side race began with the National Guard Polaris RZR EP-900s running 2nd & 4th through lap 1 of the 6 lap race. William Yokley was right on the leader and was running a smooth pace. Scott Kiger was comfortably running right behind in 4th. Both drivers wanted to take care of their equipment and try to improve their positions toward the end. On lap 3, Yokley’s radiator began clogging up with sand, dirt and gravel from running right behind the leader. His machine went into “safe mode,” meaning the machine cuts the fuel flow so as not to overheat the engine and cause any type of failure. This is a great safety feature, but it came at an inopportune time. Yokley dropped back to 7th, and finally finished out the race in 6th position. Kiger, on the other hand, was running a smooth race and finished a strong 3rd position.
The new Polaris RZRs performed well today; Yokley is still leading the WORCS season points, and Scott Kiger holds down 5th. The Side by Side Team now looks forward to the next GNCC race in Union, South Carolina on April 9.
Summary – Pro ATV Race
The National Guard Coastal Yokley Racing ATV Team Rider Jarrod McClure was looking forward to returning to the WORCS Series after last week’s GNCC race in Georgia. He made the long drive out to Arizona, and was prepared for the conditions. Jarrod got a great start in this 90 minute race, getting the holeshot and running in 2nd position at the end of lap 1. He was running strong and the bike was working great; this was looking like a good points day.
Problems began on lap 2 when Jarrod and Dustin Nelson collided in a turn, causing Jarrod to flip his machine over. He was able to get it turned back over, reposition his handlebar controls, and continue on. About a half lap later, a rock got into his sprocket and caused the chain to derail. Unfortunately, the chain was jammed into the cases and was stuck really tight! Jarrod used one of the course marker stakes, and began poking and prying the chain in hopes of getting it untangled. He finally had success, reinstalled the chain, and was on his way again. The crash and the derailed chain cost him 12 minutes, so he was quite a way behind at this point. He went from 2nd place to 14th on that lap.
The bike ran flawlessly the rest of the race, and Jarrod finished 9th place in the Pro Class. He is 8th in WORCS season points, and was happy to finish where he did under the circumstances. Jarrod now makes the long drive back to Pennsylvania where he will get his bike prepped for the GNCC ATV race next Saturday in Morganton, North Carolina. No rest for the weary, see you there!
Yokley Racing Team Sponsors
The Army National Guard, Polaris Industries, Coastal Racing, DragonFire Racing, Kenda Tires, Monavie, EXIT Suspension, Roll Design, XC Bobs.com, Douglas Wheel Technology, HMF Exhaust Systems, Moto Pro Training, SHIFT Riding Gear, Tsubaki Chains, IMS/Roll, CV4 Hoses, ATVRiders.com, Tireballs, Precision Racing Products, G-4 Graphics, SCOTT USA Goggles, IMS, Hygh Octane Designs, Bowers Motorsports, TanTerra Wines, Tusk Off-Road, Baldwin Motorsports, K&N Filters, RPM Axles, KG Clutches and PowerMadd.