Defending champ Beau Baron started the season on a winning note with a victory at Round 1, held January 17-19 in Taft, California. Baron was joined on the ATV Pro podium by fellow Maxxis-sponsored rider Josh Row, who took second place.

Baron spent much of the race making his way from the middle of the pack to second, with a pause to deal with a mechanical issue. He made a pass to the front spot in the ninth lap, and held the lead through to the finish line. Baron counted on Razr Xc rears and Razr 2 fronts for the WORCS opener. “The tires were good,” he said. “Good control and traction all the way from the silt to the wet hardpack.” Baron’s teammate David Haagsma took fifth place.  

The Pro race wasn’t Haagsma’s only good performance of the weekend: he also took the holeshot and the victory in the Side x Side Production class, with fellow Maxxis-sponsored rider Matt Hancock in third place. Hancock took two turns on the podium at Round 1, taking second place in Pro Am as well. Grant Mitchell took the Pro Am holeshot. Ryan Piplic made the podium in third place in the Side x Side Pro race. Donna Ellsworth won both the Women A and the Sport 15-29A classes for Maxxis, and Rick Ellsworth won the 50A class and took second place in 30+.

The weekend also went well for Maxxis-sponsored motorcycle racers, with a second-place Pro finish for Justin Jones. In the lead for much of the race, Bobby Bonds took fourth place due to a mechanical problem. Ty Tremaine made the top ten in sixth place, while Eric Yorba took the holeshot as well as seventh place.

In other good news for Maxxis, Steven Gibson topped the Pro 2 motorcycle podium, and took second place in 450A. Michael Del Fante grabbed the holeshot and took second place in 250A, and took second in Pro 2 Lights as well.

Maxxis congratulates Beau Baron, David Haagsma, Donna Ellsworth, Rick Ellsworth and Steven Gibson on their victories, and thanks all of its riders for their fine performances.