Sometimes, people overlook the fact that rest is an important component of the training cycle, and it’s not until you’re forced by illness or injury that you realize it.
 
We’re not saying that you need to take a week off and stay in bed, but sometimes, having a little break in the schedule is just what’s needed to see improvement.
 
Or maybe not.
 
But in Nick Burson’s case, a little time off the bike didn’t seem to hurt as he won the Four Aces Motorcycle Club’s 64th Annual Moose Run, round two of the AMA/SRT Hare & Hound National Championship Series.

 
The week before, he was so sick with the flu that he couldn’t drag himself out of bed for the Big 6 GP. This week, he spent all day fighting for the lead, ultimately coming out on top for his first-ever National H&H victory by a scant five seconds over round-one winner Ivan Ramirez with Ricky Brabec third for his first National podium finish.

 
And just as significantly, it also marked Beta’s first visit to the top step of a National, with the rest of the Purvines Racing Beta squad solidly backing up Burson to go 1-4-5-11 at the Spangler Hills Off-Highway Vehicle Area near Ridgecrest, California, on a very windy weekend.
 
Burson got to the bomb first and spent most of the 85 race miles in front, but he had a number of challenges. Bel-Ray/FMF/Moose Racing Husqvarna’s Jacob Argubright tucked in right behind off the start and got into the lead when Burson lost the course momentarily, but with some course markers missing due to the wind, it wasn’t long before he also forfeited the lead. (Unfortunately for Argubright, his race ended about 30 miles in with an engine problem, making for two DNFs to start his H&H season.)

 
At that point, Precision Concepts/THR Motorsport/O’Neal Racing Kawasaki’s Brabec and Ramirez of the FMF/KTM Factory Off-road Racing Team began their attacks on Burson.
 
Brabec made his pass in a top-gear sand wash but could only lead for a couple miles. After that, he lost ground in the rockier, more technical second loop and settled for third.

 
Ramirez, on the other hand, got faster as the race wore on and closed the gap significantly, having lost time on the first loop to refasten a loose radiator shroud. But try as he might, he couldn’t force Burson into an error and he crossed the finish line five seconds back, 2:14:52 to 2:14:57. (Brabec crossed the line in 2:16:15.)

Hare & Hound Round 1 Coverage

 
Afterwards, Burson said, “I started racing in the desert about nine years ago and only started racing [the full series] three years ago. [This win] feels great!”