First ever win for Burson and a first Elsinore win for Husky in decades.
November 13, 2009 - Woodcliff Lake, NJ - With a championship almost in hand and the last race of the season just days away, most racers would be content to find a quiet place and hunker down before the final showdown. Not so for Zip-Ty Racing Husqvarna rider Nick Burson who's zen was interrupted by a call from his boss Ty Davis, the owner and manager of Zip-Ty Racing.
"Ty suggested I race the Elsinore Grand Prix. I'd never entered the event before so I said 'Why not?' I hadn't planned to race 'til the USDR final but Elsinore is close to home and it'd be good training if nothing else," said Burson. "Now that it's all over I'm glad that Ty called and proud to be able to list an Elsinore Grand Prix victory on my resume!"
Burson's Elsinore race day began with a couple of Expert class laps that allowed he and Davis to prep Burson's Husqvarna TXC 510 for the weekend's main event The Harvey Mushman 100, which borrows its name from Steve McQueen who entered the 1970 Elsinore Grand Prix using the pseudonym. McQueen raced the event at the urging of then winner Malcolm Smith. The pair rode Husqvarna motorcycles and they both figured prominently in Bruce Brown's 1970 epic film documentary "On Any Sunday".
"I thought it'd be good for Nick to enter a special race like the Elsinore Grand Prix. Events like this are good publicity opportunities for our team and for Husqvarna. The course is a lot different than the desert races Nick rides with fans lining the entire course which he never sees at a desert race," offered Davis. "The Elsinore Grand Prix has so much history and so many great riders have raced and won here. Not sure how long it's been since a Husky rider won here but it's been a lot of years and today was a good day for Nick Burson and Husqvarna to win it!"
Since joining Zip-Ty Racing, Burson has been a dominant desert racing force. His string of wins and top finishes have done a lot to shine a spotlight on the Husqvarna motorcycles he and the Zip-Ty Racing team compete on. Throughout the 1970s and '80s Husqvarna was the bike of choice for desert and Baja racers and with the success of modern day riders like Burson, the brand is rekindling its past glory.
With Elsinore behind him Burson's focus is back to the high desert and the USDR (U.S. Desert Racing) finale. He'll enter the Nov. 15th event as both the defending 2008 Pro class #1 plate holder as well as the 2009 season points leader. Through 4 rounds Burson posted three overall wins and a runner up finish but by his own admission the 2009 title is not an absolute a slam-dunk until he suits up this weekend. "I still have to complete three laps on Sunday to clinch the title," said Burson. "Once that's done I'm hoping that I'll be in a position to finish my season with another race win."