Round one of the 2015 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC WORCS Racing series kicked off this weekend at Honolulu Hills MX in Taft, California. Method Race Wheels drivers kicked off the season with SxS Pro 1000 podium finishes for David Haagsma and Ryan Piplic, and SxS 1000 podium finishes for Mike Gardner and Matt Hancock.



The weather for the weekend was interesting. Usually, the conditions for that area are dry and sunny, but this year, the track was socked in with thick fog for most of the weekend. For Saturday’s races, the fog stayed intact, but it did not have much of an impact on visibility and it did help to keep dust all but eliminated, which is normally an issue at Honolulu Hills MX.



David Haagsma stepped up to the Pro SxS class this year after claiming the 2014 WORCS SxS 1000 class championship, and he quickly made his presence know among the SxS Pro ranks as he claimed a second place finish at the season opener.

“I know finishing is a huge thing in this sport, I think Beau had issues and Mitch had issues, and those two honestly were a lot faster than me today, but I was able to bring it home in second and it’s nice to get a good start to the year. I’m pumped, it’s nice to show the sponsors that I could’ve done it, you know, that they believe in me, and now I’ve got to keep on the podium so we’ll see how it goes,” said Haagsma.

Despite having an issue with his steering wheel, Ryan Piplic was able to finish his first race of the season and claim the final spot on the Pro SxS podium.



“I just kind of rode my own race out there. After the first lap, I had an issue where my steering wheel kept popping off. I would have to slow way down to about 5MPH and it would pop back on. I started catching up at the end, but for the most part I was in my own field the entire race,” explained Piplic.

In the SxS 1000 class, Mike Gardner came out on top to take the first win of the season.

“I had a good start and thought I was going to be mid-pack with RJ Anderson and Ryan Piplic out there, but I lucked out. It was pretty awesome. We struggled a little last year, so to come out and win, was really great. I have to thank GMH Motorsports, DASA Racing, Walker Evans Racing and all of my sponsors,” said Gardner.



Matt Hancock made his debut in his new Can-Am Maverick in the SxS 1000 class. Hancock, who took second in SxS 1000 series points last season, claimed a second place finish “I got pushed to the back of the pack because of a pile up, but I knew I had to finish and I knew if I did, I would have a good shot at the podium. I couldn’t be happier to start the season off on the podium, especially with the Can-Am. I really means a lot to me to have the opportunity to drive for a factory team,” said Hancock.



The second round of the 2015 WORCS series will head to Buffalo Bills in Primm, NV on February 6-8th, where the battles will be fierce as Method’s David Haagsma will have an advantage to take over the points lead in the Pro SxS class with the absence of RJ Anderson.

For more results and photos, visit www.worcsracing.com or www.atvriders.com.

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