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I passed Chuck [Woodford) on the last lap
and was able to pull away."
Being passed on the last lap of a twohour-long race is a tough pill to swallow,
but Woodford was able to keep a positive
outlook on the whole situation.
"I got a good start and rode well ,"
Woodford said. "I let the race come to
me , and then as the white flag came out,
Shane came up on a fast section where I
was tapped out. He was riding well all
day. I didn't have any more for him, but I
just pinned it. I thought I could get a lead
on him, but I got into a few lappers in the
wrong places. One mistake snowballed
into more, and he was able to get past me
in the end."
Woodford was disappointed not to get
the win, of course, but he kept everything
in perspective. "1 feel like I rode well and
stayed safe," he said. "I am hoping to win
the championship this year, so staying
co nsiste nt is important. I have the points
lead, and that's what mattered most to
me today. "
Woodford and Watts weren't the only
two riders who had a shot at t he win : so
did Brian Garrahan. The KTM ride r was
able to take the lead position for a lap or
two before cras hes re leg ated him to
third place .
"The race went okay for me ," Garrahan
said. "I got a good third- or fourth-place
start, then I started to catc h the lead ers
and got out in front, but then I pumped up
a little and dropped back. I tried to charge
and catch up, but I crashed, and they start-
ed to pull away; I wasn't able to handle the
pace they were at. I think I crashed four or
frve times. I had too many crashes to win
the race. I came here to win, but you can't
win with crashes."
But the important t hing for Garrahan is
that he 's still very much in the po ints race.
"I am st ill second in the points with
Chuck Woodford in the lead, " Garrahan
said. "We were tied, but he has four
points on me now."
While the top three riders swapped
positions all day loog, Am-Pro Yamaha's
Raines was able to ride coosistently and
remained in fourth for the entire race.
Raines, the defending champ, didn't like his
chances going into the race, 50 he played it
safe, keeping the championship in the back
of his mind. Raines, who lives back East,
said he is looking forward for the series to
return to the tighter, more technical
rounds found in his part of the country.
"It was good that I finished , but I was n't comfortable at the pace everyone was
going," Raines said. "Th is track wasn 't my
style; I like more te chnical tracks . I could n't get into a groove and now. The speed
was 50 fast , I didn't want to push it. WIst
yea r, I did [push it] and knocked myself
out . I got a fourth overall today, and I feel
good abo ut that. It is a lot different on the
West Coast than the East Coast; look
where everyone on the podium today finished at the last GNCC. I like the more
technical or rough terrain on the East
Co ast. One section was two miles, and
you co uld go as fast as you wanted. I let
Garrahan go by because I didn 't feel comfortable on that section. He was really
going fast . I just decided to focus on finishing, not trying to w in, I am happy to walk
away and can't wait to get back to the
East Coast races."
Uke Raines pointed out, riders from
the West indeed ruled this one . One of
those was Arizona 's Abbott. He had a
good race and felt that he was able to
learn a lot abo ut hare scram bles racing.
"The race was good for me," he said.
"I got a not-so -good start and was able to
work up to fifth, but then I had to pit o n
the second lap, 50 they got aw ay from me
after that. I tried to catch up, but I landed
upside down and decided to settle into
fifth for the rest of the race. It was a lot of
fun, and I came he re to learn, 50 I am
happy with that. I am th inking about doing
a few more hare scram bles races this
year. I t hink next time I'm going to key off
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the leaders instead of trying to pass them
at the start of the race."
eN
BIG K IlANcH
ELKTON, OREGoN
RuuLTS: MAy 29-30, 2004
(ROUND 4 OF 10j
OIA: I. Shane Woot" (KrH); 2. Chuck Woodford
(Kaw); l . Brian Garrahan (KTN) ; 4. J""'" Ra;"", (Yom); 5 .
D..try Abbott (Kaw) ; 6 . Patrick GMrahan (KrH); 7. N athan
Kanney (Yom); 8 . 8rian Brown (Kaw); ��� . John Ileal (Kaw);
10. Ro')' N . 5011Mn(Hon); II. Brenden Rotzman (Hon); 12.
Ru>setl (KrH); 13. Eric Mashbi, (Hon); 14. Dove
Neome6t... (Kaw) ; 15. 5t eve 5i1Yestri (KrH); 16. Jesse E.
Ilarnow (Hon); 17. Nason Harrison (Yom); 18. J""'" R
Dahners (KTM); 19. Phil Stevens (Suz) : 20. Brandon
Johnson (50,).
Billy
AHA NATIONAL HARE SCRAMBLES CHAMPI��
ONSHIP SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (Alter 4 of
10 ...... nels) : I. Chuck Woodford (77) ; 2. Brian Gamv..n
(73/1 win) ; l . Rodney Smith (6(412 wins) ; 4 . Jason Roine>
(43) ; 5 . (TIE) Patrick Garraha