By Joe Colombero
WORCS round 2 is this weekend in Primm, Nevada and this may be the most interesting race of the season because…
Taylor Robert took round 1 at Glen Helen with a 1-2 showing over the weekend for the overall. Taylor is fast, strong and consistent, as in consistently up front. The most important thing to remember about the highly talented Robert is that he has no weaknesses – he is fast everywhere, on every surface and every obstacle, and he gets stronger as the race goes on. His only kryptonite has been injuries that sometimes come back to haunt him (Taylor missed a round last season with a stomach ailment so severe he was hospitalized). Injuries aside, a healthy Taylor Robert is almost unbeatable.

Mike Brown, like Robert has few weaknesses. Brown is the toughest man on the track and will race towards the front on a broken bike and a bleeding body – as he proved last season at Honey Lake when his mechanic had to build Mike a new bike over night as Brown went to the hospital to get stitched up after finishing third in race #1 with the bike leaking oil and Mike leaking blood. Primm is a sand course and Mike is very fast in the sand thanks to his years of experience in World Championship MX racing in Europe. Brown is highly intelligent and puts his experience to use, like a chess master he’ll stalk his opponents and wait for an opening. Then, he’ll strike and strike hard or if he gets a holeshot he may just disappear.

Bobby Garrison is the sand master of the WORCS Series. Even Bobby can’t explain why he is so fast on sand courses, he just is. Most of his major victories have come on the sand and a track like Primm gives him confidence in his ability to win. If Bobby G gets out front he will pull away.

Kyle Summers is always a big question mark. Summers is extremely talented on a motorcycle and can win almost anywhere. He took the 2nd race at the WORCS season opener on a bike he had barely ridden. Now, with more than a month of practice, training, and set-up under his belt he will be even faster. But Summers rides with his heart and is always willing to take big chances which sometimes lead to big crashes. I have fireman-carried him off the track myself more than once. The bet on Kyle is that he will run up front, but will he still be there at the finish line?

Justin Soule has finished 2nd at Primm and that is as close as he has come to winning a WORCS round. He has all the tools, talent, and drive and once he wins he’ll keep winning. Will Primm be that first win?

Josh Strang is a former GNCC Champion who lives and trains in California. Strang has speed, endurance, and experience in long races like the GNCC Series. This will be his first year in the WORCS Series and he will need time to get used to the pace of the races (wide open for 1 ½ hours), the tracks, and the other top pros. Plus, he is on a new bike for him (KTM) after years on a Suzuki, and he is still healing up from an injury. If he is healed and ready, he may show us something at Primm.

Then there are some dark horse candidates that can put in a brilliant ride and take the win or land on the podium – like Robby Bell who is great in the sand and Ryan Abbatoye, Ross Neely, Gary Sutherlin, and Brenden Ritzman.

That’s why Primm is going to be very interesting.