By lap four Hicks was starting to open a gap at the front. Clarke’s pace seemed similar in the whoops and turns, but Hicks was using the power of his CRF450R to good effect whenever there was a cadence section and kept adding air miles with each jump. Peters would eventually catch up to Clarke and chase for a few laps before executing a slick block pass on Clarke. Peters got his head down to take the lead, but Hicks was able to successfully keep the gap in check to take the win. Peters, Clarke, Bitterman and Curler rounded out the top five.
The intense action slammed the door on anyone thinking racing could be a little less exciting without the inclusion of the riders from the Monster Energy AMA Supercross featured in the final round. Oklahoma put on some of the best racing of the season so far! Hicks showed dominance, but the race was full of drama, passing and excitement. Clarke was also a source of interest—the Storm Lake Honda rider turned the previous round’s kryptonite into diamond by being the consistent fastest rider in the Whoops all night. If things continue at this pace, we are in for a barnburner in round six.
