MORGAN CHARGES TO EIGTH IN PANACA

Panaca, NV (August 27, 2016) –

After a lengthy summer break, the National Hare and Hound championship kicked off the season run-in in Panaca, NV this weekend where Rocky Mountain ATV/MC, Precision Concepts, Maxxis Racing’s Justin Morgan overcame early adversity to finish in eighth place on the day.

Morgan’s race didn’t get off to the best start as his bike failed to fire on the dead-engine-style start, leaving him with a lot of ground to make up early-on. Said Morgan after the race, “My start was horrible! I practice starts all the time – I was ten-for-ten on practice starts – but I must have done it a little wrong on the actual start.”

Photo Credits to Mark Kariya

Justin quickly began making passes through the field, but ran into trouble at the second creek crossing on the first loop of the course. “I chucked that thing [the creek crossing] and just drowned my bike.” said Justin, “It didn’t want to start for a couple minutes and I had to kick it [what felt like] a hundred times to get it to finally go, plus my goggles were all wet so I had to ride the first loop without goggles.”

After falling to quite literally dead last, Justin found fortune in what turned out to be a very technical first loop, even by Hare and Hound standards, and he was able to make a lot of passes, finishing the first of three loops just outside of the top twenty. Progress proved tougher on the second loop, as Justin started to catch the faster riders, but he still managed to climb to twelfth place as the second loop came to a close.

“The last two loops, I felt really good,” commented Morgan, “I didn’t get tired, so I just charged all the way to the end. It seems like in every race I do, that the last half a lap, or ten miles, stuff happens to people, and if you can be strong at that point then you’ll advance right at the end. It never fails.” It proved true once more as Justin was able to pass a few riders late on to move into eighth place as the third loop finished, marking an impressive comeback after the early-race issues. Even Justin was surprised at the progress he was able to make through the field, stating, “I can’t believe I got back inside the top ten at the finish; I would have thought for sure I wasn’t even going to get to twentieth with as far back as I was [after drowning the bike]. It was crazy.”

Justin will be back in action this weekend (September 3/4) at the sixth round of the West Hare Scrambles Championship in Lucerne Valley, CA.

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