West Hare Scramble Round 3 Overview
Location: Ocotillo, California
Course Conditions: Sunny skies with loamy soil from rain the day before
Beta Factory Race Team Results:
-Mason Ottersberg placed 4th at round 3 of the WHS series aboard his 430RR Race Edition.
-Max Gerston caught a cold the night before the West Hare Scramble event and was unable to race at 100%, but still managed to gain some points for the series totals.
The next race event for Max Gerston will be at the 4th round of the AMA West Hare Scramble. For more information about the WHS go to: westharescramble.com
MASON OTTERSBERG
Series: West Hare Scramble
Bike: Beta 430 RR Race Edition
"On Wednesday morning I decided last minute to go race in Gorman after seeing pictures on social media about the upcoming rain. I was honestly just looking to show up to get some race seat time, and see where I stacked up. After struggling to find a flow from a dead last start, I was able to basically come from 16th all the way up to 4th place by the end of the 8 laps."
MAX GERSTON
Series: West Hare Scramble
Bike: Beta 390 RR Race Edition
"Gorman didn't exactly go as planned. I was hit with some sort of flu the day before with gnarly stomach pains. The next day it was all I could do to get geared up for the race. I was able to race the first two laps, but then I was hit with stomach pains super hard. I raced another few laps so I could at least card a finish. As of now I plan on resting up in preparation for the race in Idaho next weekend."
GNCC Round 3 Overview
Location: Washington, Georgia
Course Conditions: Scattered showers with occasional mud pits and loamy soil.
Beta Factory Race Team Results:
-Jordan Ashburn placed 6th in the XC1 class at round 3 of the GNCC and is currently in 12th place overall.
-Mike Witkowski finished in 17th in the XC2 class after a freak mechanical issue forced him to pit for a repair.
-Rachel Gutish placed 3rd in the WXC class at round 3 of the GNCC and is currently sitting in 3rd place for the season standings.
The next race for Ashburn, Witkowski, and Gutish will be Round 4 of the GNCC on April 7th in Morganton, North Carolina. For more information on the GNCC series go to: gnccracing.com
JORDAN ASHBURN
Series: GNCC
Bike: Beta 430 RR Race Edition
"The General GNCC started off pretty well for me. I was able to make a pass for 4th going into the 3rd lap. The track was very rough and had tons of lines. There were lots of lapped riders as well. I found myself in 5th place on the 4th lap just 21 seconds from the leader. We were all really close all day but the leaders were able to sneak away the last two laps. I finished 6th place for the day. I'm definitely gonna build on this and reach that podium!"
MIKE WITKOWSKI
Series: GNCC
Bike: Beta 250 RR Race Edition
"I got off to a near holeshot on my Beta 250 RR. I went into the woods 2nd. Then a little bit later my bike started to bog. I was trying to figure out the problem but couldn't diagnose it. Once I got back to the pits and we got the bike fixed I was about an hour down from the lead group and dead last overall. I charged on and didn't give up. I came back to 17th in my class."
RACHEL GUTISH
Series: GNCC
Bike: Beta 350 RR Race Edition
"I am happy to have repeated last round's performance, earning another WXC podium finish for Beta. I have always enjoyed The General, and I'm glad that the series returned to the property and reestablished the round. Despite a bad start and some issues throughout the day, I was able to quickly recover to a 4th place finish by the end of the first lap. From there I continued to charge and on the final lap moved into 3rd place. The course was a blast and I am looking forward to the next round in a few weeks!"
Photos by Kato and Ken Hill