Caselli and Kamo Top Podium at Lucerne

KTM Race Report: Round 1 – Hare and Hound

Lucerne, CA – FMF/KTM Factory riders Kurt Caselli and David Kamo finished 1st and 2nd respectively at the opening round of the AMA Hare & Hound Series.

Caselli, whose primary focus will be the 2010 WORCS Championship, decided to make an appearance at the first round of the Hare & Hound Series to use the race as a warm-up for the opening round of the WORCS. “I knew the conditions at this round will be similar to the first round of the WORCS so I decided to come out and practice,” commented Caselli.

The racing conditions were perfect after last weeks rain storm. There were clear skies above and the soil was moist enough the riders did not have to worry about the dust factor. The course was comprised of two 40 mile loops. The first loop was fast-paced while the second was more technical and took the riders into the hills where they rode through snow.

Caselli took the holeshot at the end of the bomb with his teammate Kamo in 2nd position. Kendall Norman was close behind the two KTM riders and soon took the lead. The KTM duo stayed close to Norman the first loop. After the first gas the top three riders got to a confusing section of the track. Norman and Caselli chose to go one way while Kamo went another. Fortunately for Norman and Caselli they stayed on track and Caselli soon made the pass on Norman for the lead. Kamo followed the wrong path and lost time. The third KTM team rider, David Pearson, started inside the top twenty but struggled to make his way through the pack as a back injury from earlier in the week gave him pain the duration of the race.

Once Caselli passed for the lead he remained out front to take the win with a three minute lead over Kamo who eventually charged back up to 2nd position. RPM/KTM rider Brenden Ritzman finished 6th overall while Pearson finished the day in 8th place.

“There is no better way to start the season than with a win. There were four KTM riders inside the top ten and we are very pleased with the results. Our goal is to continue to remain on top of the podium each race this season,” commented FMF/KTM Team Manager Antti Kallonen.

Overall Results:
1.Kurt Caselli
2.David Kamo
3.Destry Abbott
4.Kendall Norman
5.Jacob Argubright
6.Brenden Ritzman
7.Quinn Cody
8.David Pearson
9.Robert Underwood
10.Colton Udal

Next Race: Round 2 – Ridgecrest, CA – February 14, 2010