Over the weekend Beta Factor riders Zane Roberts & Joe Wasson competed in the most grueling Best in the Desert races on the calendar, the Vegas to Reno. A combination of recent thunderstorms, route selection, and the notoriously grueling final section made this year’s race extremely challenging. Both Zane and Joe did solo ride for the 500-mile race in the Open Pro division. Both endured being in the saddle for over 8 hours and finished well, especially considering their solo efforts. Zane finished just off the podium in 4th place, and Joe two spots back in 6th place.
Results:
Zane Roberts – 4th Place – Open Pro
Joe Wasson – 6th Place – Open Pro
Photos by: Kato
Zane Roberts
Factory 480 RR
“Vegas to Reno was a really cool experience for me this year. I originally was pretty hesitant to ride solo the entire race but after doing so I’m happy I gave it a go. I feel like we made a lot of great improvements from last year, regardless of whether the result shows it or not. Overall I’m happy with my performance. It was definitely the longest and hardest race I’ve ever done!”
Joe Wasson
Factory 480 RR
“Vegas 2 Reno was bittersweet this year. I had a bad qualifying position so I had a lot of work cut out for me. Started the race Friday morning and had a lot of work ahead of me. I was finally able to make some passes 250 miles in and was really settling into my groove. Soon after those passes I had a little issue but was able to get resolved at the next pit which enabled me to finish the race. It cost me some crucial time but overall I was really happy with doing it solo and proud of what I accomplished!”
The Tennessee Knock-Out (TKO)
Sequatchie, TN
The TKO features a multi-round knockout format that is unlike any other Hard Enduro. The course and racing format differ round to round as well. This event serves as Round 5 for the FIM Hard Enduro series as well as the AMA Grand Championship for the Extreme Off-Road Series. Racing for Beta was Jonny Walker, who competes in the FIM Hard Enduro Series. Walker rode well and was able to survive to the last round, but a mistake on the first lap ending up being the difference as he went on to finish in 7th place.
Photos by: MJ Moto Photos
Results
Jonny Walker – 7th Place
Jonny Walker
Factory 300 RR
“I finished in 7th at the TKO. I messed up the 1st lap and it cost me. I gave it my all to try and catch up but everyone was on fire. Massive thanks to all the Beta USA guys for the hard work. Four weeks until the next round so I better get some work in.”
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