All Robbie Mitchell needed to do this past weekend in Primm, Nev. was to finish the race and he would wrap up an overall third place finish in the World Off-Road Championship Series. Despite breaking a wheel bearing in the middle of the quad race, Mitchell was still able to grab a fourth-place finish and complete the nine-round WORCS season strong.
After a dead-engine start, the Price resident quickly raced out to the holeshot before falling to third after couple of laps. Just behind the leaders, Mitchell needed a pit stop for fuel when he decided to go one more lap, knowing he would make it to pit row with fuel to spare. On that lap, though, is when he hit a rock buried in a deep rut, which ultimately broke one of his wheel bearings.
“All that hard work and I was just parked there losing positions,” Mitchell said of his situation in the pit.
His crew was able to fix the bearing in just five minutes and Mitchell, now three-and-a-half minutes behind third in fifth place and without front brakes, charged back onto the course hoping to make up ground.
“I charged as hard as I could and got into fourth place again,” he said. “I kept charging just hoping I could get third place back.”
Mitchell was unable to get his pre pit stop position back but was still greeted excitedly by his wife BreAnn who rushed to him following the race.
“I was upset about the race and a little confused about why she was excited,” he said. “She told me that I just barely missed getting on the podium. That’s when I found out that I had finished only 25-30 seconds behind third place. It’s been a while since I finished a race this strong!”
Mitchell finished the year with multiple holeshots and found the podium after six of the nine rounds on the season.
“I can’t help but look forward to next year,” he said. “I’m ready to go out there and get some wins.”