2017 WORCS #2 | Primm

Riverside, CA (January 31, 2017) –

Both Rocky Mountain ATV/MC, Precision Concepts Race Team riders were looking to build off of their solid showings at the first round of the WORCS series as the championship moved into Primm for round two. Justin Seeds has become somewhat of a dead-engine-start specialist, especially at Primm, and when the green flag waved to signal the start of the two-hour pro race, Justin grabbed the holeshot and lead the field onto the course. Justin would suffer from the combination of arm pump and a thumb injury that he was carrying into this race, which he sustained at the Big 6 GP opener two weeks’ prior, and fell back early in the race. Once he was able to loosen up, Justin put on a charge back up through the field, passing into fourth place late in the race to keep his consistent string of top-five finishes going.

Photos courtesy of Harlen Foley

Robby Bell, didn’t quite get the jump of his teammate at the start of the race, but he was able to slot in just at the edge of the top five early on. Bell seemed to build into the race, working his way up to second position by the halfway point before suffering a lengthy fall in one of the technical rock sections the WORCS crew added for the pro main event. The time lost in the fall allowed Gary Sutherlin a clean pass back by and the two began a heated battle for the runner-up position that came down to the final lap with both riders just seconds apart, only for Robby’s bike to suffer a freak failure, forcing him to pull out of the race.

“It took me a couple laps to build into the race,” said Bell after the finish, “but once I found my pace I felt like I was getting consistently quicker. I felt fantastic by the time I got into second [position], but then I fell in the side-hill rock section and it took me forever to get going again! After that Gary [Sutherlin] and I were going at for that second spot. It was going to be one epic battle on the final lap, but unfortunately my bike let go. I could feel that something wasn’t quite right earlier in the race, but I was hoping it was just my imagination. I’m so bummed for my team, and for Gary too, I feel like we were both looking forward to that last lap battle! Overall it was still a positive weekend. We made some strides with the bike set-up for me and I’m getting more comfortable out there. I’ll be back even stronger at the next one.”

Justin was very happy with his start, and pleased with his charge back through the field to claim his third top-five finish in as many races. “It seems like one of my specialties for the Primm WORCS races [getting the hole shot], which is weird because [the dead-engine start] never works out for me in practice. I was able to hold the lead into the pro section, but unfortunately Taylor [Robert]’s factory KTM with that sixth gear was able to pull me right at the very end [of the high-speed straight] so I had to follow him through the [rocky part of the] pro section. Then the wonderful Justin Seeds’ arm pump kicked in, and I was also fighting a thumb injury that I picked up at Adelanto [Big 6 GP race], so that slowed me down early. After I struggled those first few laps, everything started to loosen and I started to flow, but unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to catch up to the lead guys, but I was able to get up into fifth [which became fourth after Bell dropped out]. We still have some work to do, but I think we’re getting there, I just need to dial in my worm up so the arm pump doesn’t kick in so early.”

Results

Justin Seeds – 4th place
Robby Bell – 9th place

GoPro Footage