Ben Kelley: “It feels really good to put in a solid ride and get a win after a frustrating first round. Three hours of sand whoops is insane and it’s been two years since I’ve done it so I just wanted to play it smart. I got into a rhythm and I feel like I just rode steady the whole race. My bike was awesome and I felt like I was in really good shape, just blitzing the whoops. I felt super strong, I’ve been down in Florida for two months training at Ranch Russell with Charlie Mullins and the boys and it feels good. I’m looking forward to battling this season.”

It was a great day of progression for Josh Toth, who continues to race his way back to normal after undergoing hand surgery last month prior to the opening round. Toth got off to a top-five start in the XC1 Open Pro class and he took some time to get into his groove early on, riding just outside the top-five throughthe first hour. He picked up some momentum as the race wore on and he finally broke into the top-five on lap four. He diced back-and-forth in the final two laps but he was able to assert himself on the final lap to solidify the fifth-place position. 

Josh Toth: “I got off to a pretty good start and rode with the top guys for a little while. I felt pretty good up there but the lack of riding from the injury kind of showed in the beginning and I got tight and pumped up so I had to back it down and loosen up, find my flow and pick my way back through the race. I got back up to the top five and was battling with the guys up there and ended up fifth, so I’m pretty stoked on that. It’s definitely something to build on. I’m feeling better every round so I’m happy.”