Lake Elsinore, CA- This previous weekend, Southern California's Jacob Argubright loaded up his Chidester Transport Racing Yamaha to venture north to the AMA West Hare Scramble finale at Donner Ski Ranch. Hosted by District 36 and Garrahan Off-road Training, a 9-mile course inclusive of boulders, elevation changes, silt and tight wooded trails awaited Argubright and his competition.
Lined up alongside some of the best hare scramble talent in the west, Argubright found himself boxed out by the end of the long run into the first turn. For a race where the start would be key, he knew it would be an all out battle against the dust to move up in position. On lap one, Argubright lost bolts to his front brake perch and lever assembly that would force him to finish the lap and head straight into the pits. Losing valuable time, he was able to get the issue resolved and get back out on course; now in the 12th running position.
Over the next three laps, Argubright put his head down and focused on picking off riders to make up time. Riders weren't his only challenge though, as the once fresh course was now completely demolished. Deep silt ruts, roots and chewed up rock gardens only tested his ability aboard his Yamaha YZ450 FX. Argubright's endurance ability came to good use as he quickly moved from 12th, then 10th and then 4th overall heading out onto the final lap.
On the final lap, Argubright's 4th place running looked to be set in stone coming into the finish. But the brutal course claimed the running position of the 3rd place rider, leaving the door wide open for him to capitalize on securing the final podium position. Charging to the finish with every last bit of energy left after the nearly three hour race, Argubright successfully claimed 3rd overall.
Argubright- “Today was so gnarly! When I lost my front brake perch and lever assembly on lap one, I knew it was going to be a long day and I would have to make the best use of the time I had left in the race. The dust and course were brutal, and the intense level of competition only amplified everything. Kudos to Brian Garrahan and District 36 for putting together a REAL off-road course. I had a poor start so I really just rode my own race today. Huge thank you to my sponsors, friends and family for helping me get on the podium today."
Top 5 Official Results:
1. Cody Webb (KTM)
2. Dalton Shirey (HQV)
3. Jacob Argubright (YAM)
4. Max Gerston (BET)
5. Justin Bonita
