Just a week after clinching the 2021 AMA NGPC Pro II title and two days after his SLR Honda team topped the Baja 1000, Tallon LaFountaine wrapped up the 2021 WORCS Pro 250 Championship with a win during the season finale held just east of the California-Nevada border at Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino. LaFountaine rode his CRF250RX well over the course of the 10-race series, particularly in the second half, during which he notched a pair of wins and two second-place results.
“It was an up-and-down season,” LaFountaine said. “I wasn’t 100% coming into the opener at Havasu, which is a really brutal, physical track, especially if you’re under the weather. I struggled in the beginning and also at round two in Arizona in a technical section. After that race, I realized I really needed to focus on the technical stuff. My speed is fine when the courses are more open like motocross, but I needed to make improvements in the off-road stuff. I was stoked at this last round, because they had a pretty good technical Pro section, and I was one of the only ones to hit it clean every lap.”
According to SLR Honda team owner Mark Samuels, the plan is for LaFountaine to move up to the 450 class for 2022. “I’m a little bit of a bigger guy for a 250, so I’m excited to get on the 450 and have a little extra power,” LaFountaine said. “I’ll be able to ride the tracks a little differently.”
On the same day that LaFountaine sewed up the Pro 250 crown, his SLR teammate Cole Martinez notched his second win of the season in the Pro 450 class, finishing third in the final points standings aboard a CRF450RX.
“What an incredible year for Tallon, Mark and everyone at SLR,” said Brandon Wilson, manager of sports and experiential at American Honda. “Few things tax a bike like off-road racing, and Tallon’s accomplishments this season show that Honda’s CRF Performance family is competitive and dependable. We look forward to seeing what he and his team can do in 2022.”
