Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

(Above) Dan A.hcraft won the Lost Angel. Hare Scramble., riding a 500CC Hu.ky in tight, technical terrain. (Below) Confu.ion in canyon. Donnie Griawe and hi. Kawasaki KX500 have been 8 factor in recent desert....ce. but fini.hed down in 14th at Red Mountain. Ashcraft claims Red Mountain HS By Anne and Tom Van Beveren Photos by Tom Van Beveren RED MOUNTAIN, CA, MAY 1\ Team Husky's Dan Ashcraft came back from a string. of second-place finishes and two recent DNFs to take the overall win at the AMA District 37 Lost· Angels M.e. Hare Scrambles held at Charlie's Place, near Red Mountain. On a course that consisted almost entirely of the technical, enduro-like terrain that Ashcraft excels in, D-37's Number Three plate holder led the race from stan lO finish, building up a lead of almost four minutes over second place Ted Hun_ nicun at the checkered flag. Ashcrah, riding a 500 Husky instead of the 400 he has piloted in most of this year's evems, screamed imo the lead on the bomb run, which ran nonh from Stephens Mine Road toward Charlie's Place. As the riders reached the first downhill canyon, only a mile past the bomb, the Team Husky ace had already opened up a lead of about 20 seconds. Ashcraft handled the first of the race's tight.. rocky canyons with ease, picking his way quickly through slippery, off-camber terrain, linered with loose rocks. When he powered _ off imo the upcoming hilly seClion. Paul Krause's RM250 Suzuki followed him through; Open-class racer Ted Hunnicuu slithered his Yamaha down the canyon close behind. Sean Bradley of the Rovers M.C. negOliated the canyon in founh over· all, with Yamaha-mounted Ron Shuler and 250cc class Number One plate holder Kenny Parry hard on his heels. Duane Summers was leading in the I25cc Class, with Wayne Carl· ton and So. Cal. M.C.'s Jim Robinson fighting it out for the lead in the Vet Class. With Husky teammate Dan Smith taking the weekend o£( lO celebrate his first wedding anniversary, there was litlle competition for Ashcraft, who was back in lOp form and had finally shaken the run of bad luck that has plagued his recem effons. Ashcrafl continued lO build his lead as the 35-mile loop headed out from the Spangler Hills, lUrned sOUlh to run across the valley through the Teagle Wash area, and then headed for the Lava Hills, into anOlher tight, technical section, including one of the steepest downhills in recent memory. Ashcraft was still building his lead when the course turned back toward the home check at Charlie's Place, and was out in from by a substamial margin as the race reached the pits at the end of the first loop. Hunnicull had batlled his way up to second overall at the halfway poim, with Krause holding first in the 250cc class, in third overall. Don Griewe's Open Class Kawasaki thundered through the pits in founh overall, with Schuler and Parry in tow. Cagiva's I25cc ace, Summers, was leading in his class in seventh overall at the pits, and with the next nearest "C"·Class expen, John Braasch, ba~ in 21st overall. already had the race sewn up. Summers was followed imo the pits by 250cc Husky-pilot Charlie Morris, Jr., with Mike "Downhill" Alexander tucked in behind. The second lap of the course was even trickier than the first lap for the from runners. The already challenging terrain was staning to get choppy from all the traffic, and the leaders also had to comend with lapped riders, who were starting to cause botlIenecks in some of the tight canyon sections. Ashcraflcominued his trouble-free ride, drawing even funher away from the pack, and increased his lead to over 3~ minUles. He powered across the finish line looking fresh enough to ride another Lap on the 35-mile course. "I wish Dan (Smith) would've come out here," said ajubilam Ashcraft. "I would've beaten him today. The course is perfect for me - tight and technical, 10lS of turns and stu£(. And the thing that was neat was that they kept us on new trails. We were o£( the old SlU£( and out of the deep whoops - it was bitchin!" Ashcrafl, sponsored by Husqvarnal Bel RaylAUlOlite/Hi-Point Racingl Scon USA/Dunlop/KSIIGoldbell, said the enduro-like terrain used by the Lost Angels M.e. had made picking o£( lapped riders a lot easier. "This is the fust Hare Scrambles we"ve done (this season), and I thought I was going to have problems with the lapped riders; but it was tight and technical," he said. "You could get off the trail and pass people easily· no one was going flat out. Il wasn't wide-open like it usually is." One of the trickiest spots on the course, according lO the Husky ace, was the downhill about halfway around the loop. "The first time on the downhill was bad because there weren't any trails," said Ashcraft, "but the second time it was beuer because trails had been worn in it. "I had a good ride - the best in a long time, and the bike worked so well. Il's the best it's worked yet," Ashcraft said. "I've been racing a 400 all last year and this year, and it's great to be on a 500 again - especially o£( the stan. It's so imponant to be out in from and away from the dust. The 400 just doesn't have the power of the 500. "I led the whole way -- and it'S about time. In the last two races, I've been winning and broke. I just wish Dan (Smith) was here - without him there's really no competition." Hunnicull, who had passed Krause to take over second position about six miles imo the first loop, held onto his position in loop two, and crossed the (Continued to page 42)

• Cover