BIG 6 GP, 29 PALMS

“I knew the start was important,” said Eric Yorba, “Because it was going to be fast and dusty. The best strategy would be to get out front and open a gap.”

That’s exactly what the RPM KTM rider did at round 4 for the MSR Big 6 GP Series. The Hilltoppers MC always has a course that’s oriented toward the District 37 purest, with lots of classic desert terrain. That means it was fast and demanding. Yorba led the entire race, at times with a very large gap over second place. It marked his return to the top of the podium after earning the number one plate back in 2014. “Since then it’s become a lot more competitive,” he said. “Honestly, I would have been happy with a podium, so this is awesome.”

Second place in the end was Precision Concepts’ Robby Bell, who made up a lot of time in the final laps after following John Burr’s Jeff Loop for most of the race. Fast House’s Blayne Thompson was third, holding off a hard charge by Justin Seeds, who in turn held of another hard charge by number one plate holder Colton Udall. It made for a very exciting finish. “This race always comes down to the last 30 minutes,” said Udall earlier. That’s exactly how it worked out for him. He was ninth for much of the race, but passed his OX Motorsports teammate Mark Samuels on the last lap for fifth. Justin Jones, who won the last Big 6 round for Ox, was seventh.

The winner of the 250 class was CSR’s Mitch Anderson, who benefited from Jeremy McCool’s flat rear tire. McCool still got a podium finish.