From Ohio to California the FMF/RPM/KTM Racing Team Maxxis crew has ventured  nationwide over the past two weeks with an abundance of news to share. Josh Strang and I went to the Ohio GNCC two weeks ago, and were fortunate enough to have the support of Bart Hayes of RidePG.com, Genuine Dirt Racer and WP USA. Aside from our great trip, it was over 100 degrees most of the weekend in Ohio, not to mention humid. We both were able to meet and greet most of the great people from WMR/Nihilo, who have helped us a bunch this year with their exceptional product.

After Josh and I left Ohio feeling great from the races, we went home our separate ways to prepare for the next weekend in Pala, California for WORCS. Again, the team regrouped and came out on top. We now have a few weeks off, and while we will all enjoy the break in this great season, the team will be back for round 9 of WORCS in Cahuilla, California ready to conquer.

Kacy Martinez 2nd Consecutive Win

The inaugural round at Pala Raceway clearly turned out to be a favorite for Kacy Martinez who not only grabbed the holeshot, but also lead the race from start to finish over both Tatum Sik and Nicole Madsen. "The course was fast, fun and my bike was set up perfectly. I am glad to be able to walk away with the win and I am going to continue to build on my training program," stated Martinez.

In what has been one of the more intense season's in the WORCS Women Pro class, Kacy Martinez has been on each and every podium in the series and currently sits 2nd in points, by just 7 points. Martinez also has heat coming from 3rd in points, Nicole Madsen, who sits  just 5 points behind her. 

Ivan Ramirez Stays in the Lead 

Coming off of a 2nd place finish from the WORCS race in Central, Utah, Ivan Ramirez was motivated and ready to take on the Pro 2 race at Pala. A new format on the starting gate welcomed the racers, as the Pro 2 racers began on the same line as the Pro's for the weekend's final race.

Off the start, Ramirez got caught up in the clutter of the crowded gate and was forced to work his way through the pack to catch Honda rider Justin Jones. Moving his way into 2nd on the first lap, Ramirez set the pace for Cory Graffunder, who was desperately searching for the #450. Suddenly, Ramirez came into the pits 1:34+ ahead of Graffunder with a rear mousse that needed to be changed. The pit crew had Ramirez in and out with a fresh tire in under 1:30 seconds, and he took off to once again pass Graffunder. Successfully moving back into 2nd, Ramirez was able to keep his place to the finish. Maintaining his points lead by 7, Ramirez will look to take the win at Cahuilla, one of his favorite venues on the circuit. 

Josh Strang Journeys From East to West 

After a win at WORCS in Central, Utah and his 2nd overall finish, Josh Strang visited his first GNCC event of the year in Ohio for the John Penton round. Strang really used this race to get back in the GNCC groove, challenge himself and test his KTM for the first time in the tight-style of racing. He and the team gained a lot of knowledge to better the next GNCC performance, and we look forward to making another round after the break. 

Journeying back to sunny Southern California from the hot and humid Ohio, Strang put in some practice laps at his local track, which so happened to be Pala where WORCS would be. Day one of the races came around and it kicked off with a holeshot from Strang, settling in 2nd for a couple laps, before fading to 7th. "We missed the set up," said team owner Mike Hurlbert. "We thought the Utah set up would be close. It wasn't. We now know for next time."

Starting fresh on Day two, Strang raced a different bike that was set up for moto, which is really what Pala had to offer. Coming into the first turn in 2nd, Strang was passed by Bobby Garrison and Colton Udall, but hung onto the pace. Like a turbo charge, Strang pinned it past Udall and inched his way towards Garrison. Running out of time, Strang finished a solid 4th overall, taking 5th overall for the weekend.

Travis Coy Earns 2nd overall at Fireworks Extreme

Heading just a few hours East of Travis Coy's Northern California home, he parked it in Reno, Nevada for the inaugural Fireworks Extreme Endurance race. Lining up alongside Jacob Argubright, Ty Tremaine, Irving Powers and Jordan Brandt, Coy put his head down and battled throughout the rocky, 12-mile course for a duration of 4 hours. After battling the terrain, his bike and exhaustion, Coy came through the checkers at a well-deserved 2nd place behind Argubright. Check out his helmet cam here courtesy of VIE Apparel. 

Prochnau & Bykerk Take on Canada

Bobby Prochnau and Chantelle Bykerk trekked back home to Canada after X Games in Los Angeles, California to compete in the Canadian National Enduro Championship. Prochnau won both round one and two in Vernon, B.C. and Bykerk took a 1st and 2nd in the Women's class. The Canadian natives want to thank all of their sponsors here in the states and in Canada including KTM Canada and RTR Performance.