WORCS Mesquite: SLR Honda Sweeps Pro Classes in a Rain-Soaked Sand Slog

Mason Semmens had one lap last Sunday that took close to an hour. Nobody was sightseeing. He was pushing a broken bike through wet sand, and he still left Mesquite, Nevada, with the points lead.

That's the flavor of round nine of WORCS, where Tropical Storm Rachel brought steady rain on Sunday and, per Dirt Bike Magazine's report, turned a deep-sand course into a race of survival as much as speed.

Pro 450: Lynn runs away with it

Tyler Lynn won Pro 450 on an SLR Honda. He ran second on the opening lap, then took the lead and kept it for the rest of the 12 laps. He also set the class fastest lap, a 9:14, on lap two. At the flag he was nearly five minutes clear.

• Second: Dare Demartile
• Third: Giacomo Redondi
• Fourth: Tristun Alvarez, on a Kawasaki

Semmens: the hour-long lap

Semmens led lap one, then ran second for several laps, less than a minute off the lead through lap 5. A mechanical issue on lap 6 stopped him. Pushing the bike through wet sand turned his seventh lap into a near-hour ordeal. He still finished fifth and kept the Pro 450 points lead.

The cushion behind him has shrunk, though. With one round to go, the top three are in range of the title.

250 Pro: Pretscherer takes over

Cole Zeller led lap one on his KTM. Then a mistake in the Pro Section on lap three let Sam Pretscherer by. Pretscherer, also on an SLR Honda, set the class fastest lap, a 9:22, and won by more than two minutes.

• Second: Cole Zeller
• Third: Colton Aeck
• Fourth: David Fry
• Fifth: Noah Gordon

Woods wraps up the Women's Pro title

Lauren Woods of Mission Viejo clinched the 2026 Women's Pro title with a round still to run. It's her second straight. She rode a GasGas, led all five laps and posted the class's quickest lap, a 10:37. Rachel Burton took second on a Kawasaki after completing four laps.

What it means for the final round

Two classes are effectively settled on the day, with SLR Honda owning the Pro podium's top step in both. The Pro 450 title fight is the one still open. Semmens made it to the finish with a broken bike and a lap that ate most of an hour, and that grit is why he still holds the lead. The gap behind him is smaller now, so the finale has real stakes.

For anyone who rides or races sand, the lesson from Mesquite is simple. Rain and deep sand reward the rider who keeps the bike moving, even if the bike has other ideas. Sometimes the best strategy is to refuse to quit, and to push.

Source: Dirt Bike Magazine. Photo by April Walker on Unsplash.