WORRA 2024 Kicks off in Riverton
The snow is thawing in Wyoming and its time to gear up for racing in the least populated state in the Union. WORRA or Wyoming Off-Road Racing Association started in 2017 and has been gathering both new and seasoned racers ever since. The first race on the docket happened this last weekend in Riverton, WY and it could not have been a better start to the year. The landowner that hosted the event was none other than professional motocross racer Justin Hill on his land he has appropriately named Compound 46, giving reference to his AMA race number. This is the third year Justin has allowed and held this race on his property and does so by greeting all of his guests with a smile.
As I pulled into the pits, none other than Justin himself is working the gate and directing racers and spectators where to park. Racers began to form a line at registration where lots of familiar faces all got to meet again for the first time since the final race of 2023. As riders work their way through the line, they scan and activate their RFID tag for the transponder system and collect their 2024 membership swag. This WORRA community appears friendly and very conversational in the pits, but that first wave of riders will be heading into the first turn soon enough and each riders line selection may just compromise those pre race pleasantries.
Lets get down to the racing. The hare scramble style course was put together by the WORRA affiliated club out of Riverton named the Riverton Dirt Hogs. Club members Tony, Kirk and Kevin put together an awesome layout that had a little something for everyone from high speed, sagebrush dodging desert sections, to man-made motocross style jumps, to technical off camber course routing through the rocks. All ability of adult racers are active on the same course at the same time. That means even a first time off road racer gets to experience the same conditions as the top level pro. This years course layout resulted in a 7.5 mile loop where riders would compete each lap by going under the WORRA score trailer canopy equipped with a Mototally scoring system. The trailer is outfitted with a monitor that allows riders to see their class position as they come through. This comes in handy since its hard to know in the middle of the race with a hundred other riders, who of those riders are you actually racing against.
The pro racers take off first with waves of riders of every discipline following just as soon as the dust settles in front. The race went on for 1.5 hours plus an additional lap for the leader. This lead ultimately to my personal experience on the track lasting 1 hour and 50 minutes. The length of time on the course plays a part in the race outside of just attrition. With many of the riders racing a typical motorcross bike, the tank size is not large enough to complete the race without stopping to fuel up with gas along the way. Pit strategy or equipping your bike with an oversized tank could mean the difference of one or more positions at the end of the race. While I’d like to think a better pit on my end would have allowed me to make the pass for another position, I can more realistically say that the extra time I took to swig down some water and regroup was probably the difference in me not losing more positions as barely held it together on the final lap.
The conditions of the course were predictable, but not necessarily ideal. The classes in WORRA have continued to grow every year, and this means on a desert course you can expect a fair amount of dust if you’re not the leader. Mix the poor visibility with the increasingly bumpy track as the laps went on and just about every rider will tell you there was no time to get any relief, at least until you saw the checkered flag.
As the race concluded, all the racers returned to their pits to dismount their bikes and attempt to feel human again, whether that means finding the first cold beverage or cranking the AC in their car to cool off. Walking past every group of riders you can overhear all the stories of all the pucker moments and excuses being made before the race results are even posted. Once scoring was finished, all the riders are gathered for awards presentation. 1st through 3rd of every race class were presented trophies as all the rest of the racers congratulate their efforts. All the sponsors were thanked and the next event was announced.
Just as quickly as all the riders showed up to the middle of the desert south of Riverton, WY, they all packed up and returned to their homes, leaving Justin Hill to refocus on training for The Pro Motocross Championship. The off-road race scene in Wyoming feels like motorcycle racing of yesteryear, everyone is friendly and has a motivation more directed at riding rather than just winning. We at NEVRA hope to attend most of the WORRA schedule this year and bring you improved content as summer goes on.
Gas On!
WORRA Sponsors: NEVRA App, Winslow Photography, Dialed-In Suspension, Blud Lubricants, Tucker Trucking and Equipment, Oneal