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Photos by Aaron McMahan/ATVRIDERS.com
Keith Little wins Texas Extreme Dirt Track
October
4, 2005 – Keith Little (#12) rode his Lonestar Racing Yamaha YFZ450 in
a battle with the best Extreme Dirt Track racers in the world and took the win
at Bullet Speedway in Brashear, Texas, October 1.
Hurricane Rita had raised cane a week earlier, dumping 3 inches of rain and blowing winds up to 60 mph, which forced promoter Terry Reynolds to reschedule the event from September 24 to October 1. Clear skies and warm, dry weather greeted the racers and fans.
Qualifying for the Pro main event was divided into two qualifiers. In the first qualifier, Tim Farr (#4) took the checkered flag, followed by Scott Morris (#43), Little, and Brad Covington (#22).
In the second Pro qualifier, it was Darryl Rath (#67) in first place and also with the fastest lap times. That gave Rath that all important first pick on the line for the main event.
Behind Rath were Darrell Ogden (#2), Shane Hitt (#5) and Eric Jennings (#38).
The tension was high as the Pro riders lined up for the main event. Who was going to win that night and the Extreme Dirt Track National Championship?
As the racers blasted down the front straight it was Hitt into turn one first, followed very closely by Farr, Little, Morris, Covington and Ogden.
As the race continued, fans were on their feet with excitement as Pro riders would choose one line or the other of the over-under split lane. The exciting part about split lanes is that you never know if one lane will be faster and who will make it first to the merge point.
When Hitt and Farr would go one way, Little would go the other trying to make the pass. After several attempts, Little made it stick and took over the lead.
Farr closed in on Hitts and made the pass when Hitt made a slight bobble.
Little pushed as hard as he could all the way to the finish, opening up a sizable lead over Farr in second, followed by Hitt in third.
The
suspense of who would earn the 2005 Extreme Dirt Track National Championship
was also answered this weekend. Tim Farr (#4) rode his Baldwin-prepped Honda
TRX450R fast and consistent all season to claim the No. 1 plate (right).
This season was a real cliff hanger all season long. At each of the previous five rounds there was a different winner. Farr’s mechanic and engine builder, Mark Baldwin, was a big part in winning the championship as Baldwin kept Farr’s Honda running flawlessly.