2013 WORCS ATV Racing Round #1 - Canyon MX January 27, 2013 Peoria, Arizona

Peoria, AZ -The 2013 Rocky Mountain ATV WORCS Racing Series kicked off at Canyon MX in Peoria, Arizona for a mud fest after over an inch of rain fell on the area leading up to Sunday’s Pro ATV Main event. The muddy conditions didn’t slow down Maxxis / H&M Motorsports’ David Haagsma as he overcame the conditions to secure his first ever WORCS Pro ATV win. LMR’s Robbie Mitchell also matched his career best finish in the second spot followed by the 2012 WORCS Pro ATV Champion, Beau Baron.

Over an inch of rain fell over the Canyon MX track over the weekend, which turned the normally dry desert into muddy mess, which forced the WORCS crew to remove the majority of the MX track from the race along with many of the off-road sections, which were under water

Heavy rain moved in Friday night after practice, and heavy rain continued into Sunday morning with scattered showers lingering into the afternoon, which left most of the original track under water and forced the WORCS crew to reroute many sections of the course and remove most of the motocross track, which was under water.

Despite the wet weather, 11 Pro ATV racers lined up for the dead engine start along with 21 Pro-Am racers

With the starting gate buried in the mud, the start of the Pro Main was a dead engine start, and Pro Rookie, #116 Keith Johnson, would grab the holeshot, but he was quickly passed in turn two by Yamaha’s #417 Josh Row.

WORCS Pro ATV Rookie, #116 Keith Johnson, grabbed the holeshot, but he was quickly passed in turn two by Yamaha's #417 Josh Row

There were several lead changes early on in lap one, but #5 Robbie Mitchell gained control of the lead by the end of the lap followed by Can-Am’s #49 Dillon Zimmerman and Row. Mitchell would maintain the lead for the first half of the race, but he wasn’t alone with Haagsma in hot pursuit. The pair would swap the lead after pits stop, but Mitchell would regain the lead once again, which he held until lap thirteen.

Sparks Racing's #422 David Haagsma spent most the race chasing after LMR's #5 Robbie Mitchell but Haagsma made the pass stick on lap thirteen

Maxxis / H&M Motorsports' David Haagsma secured his first WORCS Pro ATV Win for a great start to the 2013 racing season

Finally, Sparks Racing’s Haagsma would take over the lead near the end of lap 13 when he was able to take the inside line on Mitchell to make the pass, and Haagsma extended his lead to eight seconds by the checkered flag.

“Without my Maxxis Tires and Tireblocks, there’s no way I would be up here. They just hooked up awesome,” regarded Haagsma from the center of the podium.