Lucerne, CA (4/17/2014) - Round 4 was going to be one full of nerves and anticipation. In 2013 So Cal was my only DNF of the season; I ended up breaking my frame in half and ending my day only 20 some odd miles in. I was madder than a one legged Ethiopian watching a donut roll down a hill, but I was pumped to tackle the So Cal round this season.

Defending National Hare & Hound Champion Colt Brinkerhoff earned his second consecutive win at round 4 on his Fasst Co. Flexx handlebars equip Honda 450R

The night before I ended up ripping my shorts while lifting the quad in the back of my Ford, we were off to a grand start to the weekend already! It must be all of those bum busters I’ve been doing in the gym, getting those glutes tight. We got everything loaded up in Skylers van and eagerly awaited for noon on Saturday to arrive. Saturday we got rolling around 12:30 PM and rocketed down the freeway like a gut shot panther. A little past Mesquite, NV we were stuck in a traffic delay because of the Bundy/BLM showdown. I was hanging out the window screaming “Team Bundy” to show my support ;).

We got through without incident and jetted across Nevada to California. We arrived after ruining our kidneys down Bessemer Mine Road around 5 PM . We unloaded to start prepping the bikes for a quick tuning before the sun went down. The wind was crazy as we were parked on a salt flat, it would play a big roll in the performance of the machines. I have to give Chris Blais of Blais Racing Services a big shout out for helping me dial my quad in with the jetting. It ran like a champ after some adjustments. I dialed my shocks in for the high speed sections and found a great line on the start. Satisfied, I headed back to have dinner. The course workers also had mentioned that they thought it would take us 3 hours to complete the 40 mile course. I wanted to prove them wrong.

Race Day:

Sunday greeted us with some great temps but the wind didn’t calm down much from the day before. I had some breakfast and had my go fast juice, Precision Nutrition Plus Protein, Glyco Fueler and Cardio Surge Pills, to make me feel fresher than a summer’s eve. After checking the “tank” over and fueling it up, we were ready for battle. At the start I found that my line had been taken so I moved to the right as it looked pretty open. At the rider’s meeting; they explained to us how gnarly it would be with 3-4 quad alternates in the first ten miles. I knew I had to be on my toes and pay attention.

They called out the two minute warning, so I started warming up the “tank”. It was starting much better now so I was stoked to try and get the hole shot. The banner rose and I shut off the quad and rested my foot on the kick starter. The wind was pushing the banner towards us, it was very windy and all I could hear was it whipping in the wind. They lowered the banner at the same time I was kicking the starter downwards, first kick start! I clicked it into gear and I was off! I knew with my fire breathing Moto Xperts engine and LSR exhaust I would start pulling away from the competition down the bomb. It was very fast for the first 4 miles and then it turned into the nastiest rocks I’ve ever ridden. It was rougher than the Healthcare.gov website but my Exit Shocks, Flexx Handlebars and A’ME Grips were giving me a very comfortable ride.  I ended up getting side aches shortly after we hit the rocks, it was tough to sit or stand with that going on.

I was paying close attention to the quad alternates making it through each one with care. Survival mode kicked in as I was trying not to destroy my quad and get a win. Around mile 15 I had Jace Penney catch up to me as I gave him a head nod to congratulate him for being in 2nd. I knew I had to put my head down and charge as we came to one of the few valleys of the race. I was passing dirt bikes left and right through rock and high speed sections. At this point my side ache had worsened but I kept pushing past the pain just thinking about the “W”. I knew we had been riding for a long time but didn’t see any mile markers at all during the race. We came across a flat area once again and I could see the salt flats so I held it wide to the finish coming in 1st Overall ATV and 1st in class. I did end up proving The SoCal club wrong, finishing the race in 2 hours and 44 minutes, that seems crazy to me with a 40 mile race but I know I pushed as hard as I could. It was the toughest race that I’ve done so far. This would be my 2nd win in a row and I now have a substantial points lead in the championship points chase.

I want to give another big shout out to Woody and Cheryl Taylor owners of Western Designs, they have helped me tremendously and I couldn’t be where I am today without their help. Thanks to everyone that sticks behind me through the good times and bad, 2014 is already turning out to be a great year. I plan on keeping the momentum going into the next round on April 26th when we go back to Lucerne Valley.

-Colt Brinkerhoff

Colt Brinkerhoff Sponsors:
Fasst Co./Flexx Handlebars, Exit Shocks/ARS-FX A Arms, Western Designs, Maxxis, Hot Rod Cranks/Vertex Pistons/Pivot Works/Hot Cams,IMS, MyPakage Underwear, Reel Cameras, Four Werx Carbon, Moto X-Perts, Lonestar Racing, Tire Blocks, Goldspeed Wheels, Rad MFG, Sprocket Specialists, Fastway Stabilizers, VGR, Klim Technical Riding Gear, Sidi Boots,  EKS Brand Goggles, Maier Plastics, DFR Racing, Precision Nutrition Plus,  Streamline Industries, A’ME Grips, Rath Racing, Static Flow Media, Campbell Racing Skid Plates, DT1 Filters, Endevr , Hinson, Works Connection, Geralds MC, PitTraffic.com, Leatt, Val Brinkerhoff Racing Stables

About Fasst Company:
Fasst Company is a rider driven company, made up of racers stemming 3 generations. Our mission is to provide customers with 100% American Made products that add value to their racing programs, while offering the best customer service in the industry. Period. For more info on Fasst Company check our web page out a www.fasstco.com