Husqvarna's Argubright second at AMA West National Hare Scrambles Round 7

A podium at this weekend’s Round 7 of the AMA West National Hare Scrambles has brought Jacob Argubright a step closer to claiming the Championship. Argubright piloted his FC450 to a solid second place at the Funky Chicken in Elkton, Oregon, riding a consistent pace throughout the day.

"I had a good start and ran second for the first two laps," Argubright said. "Then I got around Brendan Ritzman and was leading it. I had a good pace going, but on the last lap, Rory Sullivan was behind me and I tried to pick it up. That's when I made a stupid mistake. I hit something and crashed – probably a stump – and he got by me for the lead."

While Argubright had to settle for second in the event he was still focused on the bigger picture, the championship. "I just knew I needed to finish on the podium," Argubright continued. "I still have a strong lead in the points and I'm hoping to wrap up the championship at the next round."

It was the first time that Argubright had contested the Funky Chicken Hare Scrambles, an event he admits has been on his "bucket list." "It was so much fun," Jacob said. "It was a little dusty in the open sections, but in the trees the ground was pretty moist. It was a really fun course – like, second and third gear through the trees. I had a great time today."

Photo by Tim Selander

Funky Chicken Hare Scrambles Results:
1. Rory Sullivan 2. Jacob Argubright (Husqvarna) 3. Brendan Ritzman

Fourth place for Jacob Argubright 
at AMA Hare and Hound

Jacob Argubright took on "The Sawmill Run" - round 7 of the AMA National Hare and Hound series in Caliente, Nevada on his factory Husqvarna and worked hard for his fourth place in the hills of Nevada.

Argubright got out to a poor start, and due to the short duration of the race, ran out of time to get his FC 450 on the podium, and had to settle for fourth. "I got a terrible start and after that, it was just a long day in the dust," Argubright said. "It was super silty the whole day. Through the trees, in the single track it was really bad. I tried to make as many passes as I could, but it was a short race – only two hours."

Jacob made it into the top-five by the end of the first loop, and continued to apply pressure and riders headed into the second loop. He soon found his way into fourth place, but ultimately ran out of time before he could make a run for the podium.

Sawmill Run National Hare & Hound Overall:
1, Ivan Ramirez
2, Ricky Brabec
3. Nick Burson
4, Jacob Argubright (Husqvarna)
5, Axel Pearson

First Hare and Hound win of the season for Husqvarna’s Argubright

Husqvarna’s factory rider Jacob Argubright scored his first win of the season this weekend when the US National Hare & Hound Championship took on the wet dirt and high winds in the Lucerne Valley for Rd. 5 of the competition.

Just as rain in the days before the race brought moisture to the parched landscape, Argubright's historic win was a fresh chapter in Husqvarna's desert racing history. "I'm really happy to get this win for Husqvarna," Argubright said. "Desert racing was a big part of Husky's legacy in the 60s, 70s and 80s. I'm proud to be on a Husky and put them back on the map in the National Hare & Hound Championship!"

Jacob got out to a modest start on his FC 450 and spent the first loop working his way into third place. By the time he reached the pits, the top-three riders were within a bike-length of each other. Argubright left the pits in a close third-place and then put his strategy to work.

"It was crazy windy again," Argubright explained. "Just like at the last round, some of the course markings were blown down so I knew I needed to focus on the course." Argubright stayed in a close third in the early part of the second loop. Then as the course began to get twisty, he made a pass when the second-place rider blew a turn then repeated the action to move into the lead. "I let them make the mistakes for me," Argubright said. "Actually taking it down a notch helped me win.” Once he had the lead he never looked back.