Lake Elsinore, CA- Chidester Transport Racing/TBT-backed Jacob Argubright kicked off the 2018 AMA National Hare & Hound season with momentum this weekend in southern California at round one of the series. Located near Spangler Hills OHV just outside of Ridgecrest, California, Desert Motorcycle Club hosted an 80-mile course packed with high-speed sections, technical rock trails, sand washes and genuine desert terrain.
Off the start, Argubright quickly lit his Yamaha YZ450 FX to race his way to the end of the bomb run and onto the race course. Coming out third at the end of the bomb run, Argubright assessed his position and began to chase down the front runners. Soon after making the pass on second place, he was unexpectedly stopped by course workers for a short 6-car train that cost him valuable time as the leader was able to continue on. Just seconds later, Argubright opened up the throttle and regained his pace. Coming into the pits from loop one, Argubright indicated a loss of radiator fluid. A quick fix and fuel in the pit had Argubright taking off in 4th overall leaving the pits.
Over the course of loop two, Argubright chased his way back to 2nd overall with the leader in sight. With third place hot on his rear wheel, the two chased each other to the finish line to finish exactly 30-seconds apart. Argubright successfully held onto his 2nd overall position, claiming valuable points and confidence heading into round two.
Argubright- “To start off the season 2nd place on the podium is a great place to be. I've worked really hard to prepare for this race and I think it paid off today. My YZ450 FX worked really well today in the California desert. Of course, there is always progress to be made, and I look forward to showcasing my improvements at round two.”
Argubright and the Chidester Transport Racing team will take on their first AMA West Hare Scramble of the season at round two in Prescott, Arizona; where Argubright looks to try his hand against the West Coast's best Hare Scramble racers.
Top 5 Official Results:
1. Taylor Robert (KTM)
2. Jacob Argubright (Yam)
3. Kendall Norman (Hon)
