Indeed, Pearson did seem to have trouble adapting to his new ride last year until the end.

“Getting a head start last year before Six Days (the ISDE which was held in November in New Zealand), I went down to [California] to train with Kurt [Caselli] and got in really good shape. We were riding pretty much every day. I got in really good shape, and that was kind of just prep for this year. We went over to Six Days and did really good over there (Pearson, Caselli, Russell Bobbitt and Ricky Dietrich teamed up to win the Junior World Trophy category for the United States). That gave me a boost of confidence, I guess.”

That newfound confidence—as well as new works suspension and a new motor man, Mike Chavez—seems to have paid off in the AMA/FMF Racing National Hare & Hound Series, as Pearson has gotten off to his best start ever, going 2-1-1 through the first three rounds. The latest event—the Threat Racing King of the Desert National at the Superstition Mountain OHV Area near El Centro, California—found Pearson getting a good start and quickly moving into the lead on his Michelin/Motorex/Arai-sponsored 540 XC. His most determined competitor turned out to be his cousin, Russell Pearson, who dogged his every move aboard his trusty Montclair Yamaha/Pro Circuit/Moose YZ450F. Neither could make a pass stick for very long, partly because the terrain is so difficult to read for those who aren’t locals.

“I got behind Russ and David, and I saw David miss the course. Russ was leading, and I was just kind of following their dust,” defending series champion Destry Abbott said. The Team Green ace continued, “Going out on the second loop I lost the course a little bit in the ravine and had a couple close calls with little drop-offs that I didn’t even expect it to be a drop-off.

“That second loop, I could never ride 100 percent because I was nervous the whole time. I had a really tough time reading the terrain. It’s hard to read. You can’t tell the dips, you can’t tell anything.”

When Russell Pearson dropped out with a smoked clutch—temperatures in the 90s combined with the sand dunes and extremely technical, rocky canyons of the second loop to overheat more than a few bike fatally — David Pearson became the sole owner of first, with Abbott slotting into second. A planned charge for the lead, though, didn’t come off since Abbott’s Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/THOR KX450F started leaking coolant and clattering away like someone threw ball bearings into the milk shake blender at Baskin Robbins. Opting on the side of caution, Abbott backed it down in order to salvage second place for the second race in a row—after starting the season with a DNF.

Honda’s Kendall Norman ended up battling with training partner Quinn Cody, their two Precision Concepts/Pro Honda Oils/O’Neal CRF450Xs never very far apart. Cody seemed to have the edge in the rocky sections, but Norman finally pulled out enough of a gap to get away for third place. Cody would hold onto fourth ahead of a charging David Kamo of RPM Racing, the Idaho privateer aboard his Precision Concepts/Maxxis/Fly 525 XC.

Afterwards, David Pearson compared last year and this, saying, “The best way to describe it: Last year was just a learning year. This year, it’s going good so far. I mean, knock on wood, but it’s never over ‘til it’s over. I just take it one race at a time.”
And if he takes a couple more wins, he’ll earn his first AMA championship.

Though he clearly leads here early in the race, David Pearson had his hands full for most of the day with cousin Russell Pearson before Russell's bike broke, leaving David basically a free run to the finish from there.

After colliding with David about five miles out on a powerline road in top gear, Russell Pearson kept a little more distance from his cousin and led his share of the way. Unfortunately for him, his clutch wasn't up to it on the second loop, and he DNFed.

Destry Abbott isn't thrilled racing at Superstition, but he usually does well, and he gladly accepted second place. Unofficially, it moves him up to fourth in points.

Kendall Norman led briefly off the start, then settled into a near race-long battle with training partner Quinn Cody. In the end, Norman managed to pull a little gap and claim third.

Quinn Cody finished fourth, but he's unofficially third in series points.

Carl Maassberg didn't have one of his better days; he crashed at a rocky waterfall and lost a lot of time, settling for sixth place, though he remains second in series points, unofficially.

David Kamo got a decent start and stayed at the front of the field, ending up just out of fourth place. His fifth-place finish matches his unofficial series points standings.

Give it up for Reece Honea, who took top two-stroke honors--and second 250cc A--at ninth overall.

With Mexico on the horizon, Josh Morros flogs his KX250F to seventh overall and first 250cc A, keeping his series win streak intact.