Capping off a successful double-header weekend in Preston, Idaho, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Austin Walton secured his first victory of the 2022 World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) at the eighth round. Pairing that with a third-place finish at Round 7 on Saturday, Walton aims to finish the series strong with two rounds remaining in 2022.
Following an outstanding performance representing the U.S. Junior World Trophy at the 96th running of the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in France, Walton returned to his native soil with a few more tools in his belt. On Saturday, he ran into an issue during the dead engine start that set him back early on but he quickly worked his way toward the front. He lost his footing when he came together with another rider, followed by a small crash, but he put in a big charge late in the race to work his way back to a third-place finish.
Determined to end the weekend on a high note, Walton put all the pieces together on Sunday to ultimately secure his first win of the season.
“I felt good out there,” Walton said. “To be able to get the start and do what I know I can do – that’s the real Austin and that’s how I expect myself to perform every weekend. I’m very happy with my performance, overall. I’m bummed about the start on Saturday but we were able to turn things around today. The track was gnarly and it had some challenges to it, like today in the Pro section I ended up having a little fall but I got back up and made it happen all the way to the finish.”
Next Round: Mesquite, Nevada – October 14-16, 2022
Pro (MC) Round 7 Results
1. Dante Oliveira (KTM)
2. Cole Martinez (Honda)
3. Austin Walton – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
Pro (MC) Round 8 Results
1. Austin Walton – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
2. Dante Oliveira (KTM)
3. Dare Demartile (Beta)
