Dalton Shirley Starts Hare & Hound Title Defense with Lucerne Valley Victory

ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA RACERS CLAIM STRONG HAUL OF RESULTS ACROSS WEEKEND

MURRIETA, CA – January 22, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing was out in force this past weekend, as the offroad team earned a haul of strong results across multiple series. Defending champion Dalton Shirey topped the opening round of the 2024 AMA Hare & Hound Championship, as Austin Walton, Korie Steede, Craig DeLong, and Ryder LeBlond each raced to podium results in their respective outings.

Hare & Hound Championship – Round 1

Defending champion Dalton Shirey was fast from the outset at the 2024 AMA Hare & Hound Championship opener, as he launched his Husqvarna FX 450 to the holeshot and never looked back, earning a dominant victory in Lucerne Valley, California. Behind him in third place was teammate Austin Walton, which also marked a successful opening round.

“I’m still coming back from knee surgery, which really kept me down for two and a half months,” explained Shirey. “I had three weeks on the bike, which was just enough for me to get it done today, but I still feel like I need more seat time to feel completely comfortable. Today I ripped a great start, everytime I come to a desert race I feel at home, but just pulled a gap and managed it from there.”

“The track was sweet here for my first national Hare and Hound event,” commented Walton. “The first loop was super fun and flowy, then the next loop was more challenging and technical, with the rocks especially. But overall, I’m stoked, first race for me, we made a good push and came away with third place. I can’t thank the whole team enough, this was awesome.”

Pro Class Results

1. Dalton Shirey – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
2. Zane Roberts (Beta)
3. Austin Walton – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

U.S. Sprint Enduro Series – Round 1

Craig DeLong took a consistent 2-3 scorecard across both days of the AMA U.S. Sprint Enduro Series, contested in Hephzibah, Georgia, and that earned the Husqvarna Motorcycles FX 350 pilot third place overall. New signing Korie Steede also lined up and captured a convincing second place finish in the Pro Women’s category.

“Saturday was good,” reflected DeLong. “The track was smooth and anybody can go fast when it’s smooth – I just have to figure out these second days and kind of keep the same speed. Usually, at a GNCC, the track is rough and you just attack it and ride it differently, so I’m still figuring out the Sprint rounds.”

“I don’t have a whole lot of time on the new bike, so I just came in as a learning experience,” Steede added. “Yesterday, we made some improvements, and as the weekend went on I got more used to it. By today, I was feeling good, as the results showed.”

Pro 1 Class Results

1. Johnny Girroir (KTM)
2. Liam Draper (Yamaha)
3. Craig DeLong – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Pro Women Class Results

1. Brandy Richards (KTM)
2. Korie Steede – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
3. Rachel Gutish (Sherco)

U.S. Hard Enduro Series – Round 1

Also underway was the 2024 AMA U.S. Hard Enduro Series at King of the Motos in Johnson Valley, California, where Ryder LeBlond would race to a third-place finish in a hotly-contested outing amongst the top contenders in the Pro Class, while teammate Colton Haaker came home in P6.

“I’m definitely going to sleep well tonight!” commented LeBlond. “I’m stoked with how the race played out and that we were right up there the whole time and in a position to win if the opportunity came. But Cody [Webb] was on it the last lap and we were really pushing at the end, so it was good. Thank you to the whole Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, they’ve been killing it getting the bikes all dialed in, so thank you guys.”

Pro Class Results

1. Cody Webb (Sherco)
2. Trystan Hart (KTM)
3. Ryder LeBlond – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
…
6. Colton Haaker – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

Upcoming Offroad Races – February 2024

• 2/5: National Grand Prix Championship – Round 2
• 2/5: U.S. Sprint Enduro Championship – Round 2
• 2/12: National Enduro Championship – Round 1
• 2/19: Grand National Cross Country Series – Round 1

Husqvarna Motorcycles North America, Inc.

Husqvarna Motorcycles has continued to expand its professional race team to compete in AMA Supercross, AMA Pro Motocross, AMA National Enduro, GNCC, AMA EnduroCross, and AMA National Hare & Hound championships. Husqvarna team riders are competing aboard Husqvarna FC 450, FC 350, FC 250, FE 350, TC 250 and TE 300 models.

Rockstar Energy Drink

Rockstar Energy Drink is designed for those who lead active lifestyles – from Athletes to Rockstars. Available in over 20 flavors at convenience and grocery outlets in over 30 countries, Rockstar supports the Rockstar lifestyle across the globe through Action Sports, Motor Sports, and Live Music. For more information visit: www.RockstarEnergy.com

Source: Husqvarna Motorcycles North America, Inc.

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