Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

B B ! . . Duane Summers pilots his 125cc Cagiv8 through a deep section of the creek; Summers took the class win while finish!ng 12th overall. to have done," said Smith. "But 1 wouldn't inlentionally knock over the course markings. 1 overshot a turn in the sand dunes and t-boned one of the signs but that was all 1did all day." "Unbeatable Dan," who usually competes in the open, high-speed desert of Southern California, said he enjoyed Utah's tight, technical terrain and that he was most impressed with the first loop of the Cherry 'Creek course. "The first loop was the best light, gnarly, with trees everywhere. 1 think they should all have been like that;" he said. "I didn't like the sand dunes. I started the race with clear goggles and i didn't change them at the first pit because 1 didn't have any dust. The sand dunes in loop two were really white, and with clear goggles 1 couldn't see anything. It . was blinding. But overall, this course and the one at Searchlight (Nevada - round three of the championship series) are comparable. The were both reall y good courses." Ashcraft, looking as tired as his Husky teammate, cruised i!1 to take second overall. "I could've done without the fourth loop," he said. "I liked the whole course except for that. It .was just trash. It took you across fields that were wide open and there were ditches and all· sorts of things out there that weren'! marked. They should've Tun a'nother loop through the mountains. - that bit was great!" Third-placed Ge·rber, who has ridden every Cherry Creek Hare and Hound event since about 1978, described the course as one the toughest he's seen. "Losing my rear brake made it harder than ever," he said. "I lost a lot of time picking my bike up before 1lost the brake Smith was only about 20 yards ahead of me." When asked about the protest against Smith, Gerber told race oHi'cials there were so few course markings in the dunes area, that a few missing would not have made any difference.. "It's his - you should give it to him," Gerber said. "He rode a better race, that's aIL" Fourth overall was Brad Strong, who agreed that this was the'lOughest race yet at Cherry Creek. "I losl the course and had a couple of tip overs, bu~ nothing major," he said. "This wouLd've been my third in a row if I'd been able to puB it off. It makes me feel better to hear how tired Smith and Ashcraft are - I'm really beat." Mark Lundgreen's Open Class Honda crossed the finish line in fifth overall, followed by Paul Krause, ·taking first in the 250cc class, in sixth overall. "I rode on more different terrain today than 1ever did in my life," said the southern Californian, spon~ored by O'NeaIlIMS/Spectro/Allied Suzuki/U .S. Suzuki/Neal Enterprises. "The only time it ever looked !ike our desert was in the last loop when we got into some rocks, but even then they had grass that was wheel high. And those trees are sure neat, aren't they?" said Krause displaying a tornbeyond-repair riding jersey. Second in the 250cc class was Yamaha-mounted Joel Rucker, who finished hard on Krause's heels in seventh overall, and was one of the few riders who had anything nice to say about the sand dunes. "The sand was fun because I. passed five people in that part," said Rucker. "It was tiring, but I loved it." Summers took the honors in the l25cc das , .crossing the finish line 12th overall afte{ a blown shock slowed him down irt the final stages of loop four. "I droPP'ed four places in the last 20 miles," said ~e "C" class ace. "I was hopping and Nmping all over the place and 1 just took it easy because 1 was scared of crashing. I just wanted to finish so 1 could sew up my class championship." Taking the checkered flag.in the Over-30s Class was a veteran of many Cherry Creek events, Utah's KTMmounted Preston Gerber, father of third-placed Shawn Gerber, in 15th overall. "It was hot and it was continual pounding all the way - the club did a good job though," said Gerber. Second in the OYer-30's field was Lee Pearson, who finisbed just two - (Above) Dan Ashcraft. Dan Smith's Husky teammate. finished second. . eight minutes behind Smith. (Below) Shawn Gerber (KTM) took third. places behind Gerber. "Preston Gerber beat me - and he's an old, old man," said Pearson jokingly about 44-year-old Gerber, who refuses to graduate to Utah's Magnum (over age 44) class. Super Senior rider Rand Hooper of Southern California summed up the feelings of many of the' riders when he said. "As a desert course it was rougher and tougher than you'll ever find. What they should have done was to put some resets in there - the course would've made a great ISDE qualifier." • Unofficial Results OVERALL: 1. Dan Smith (Hus); 2. Dan Ashcraft (Hus); 3. Shawn Gerber (KTM); 4. Brad Strong (Hus); 5. Mark Lundgren (Hon); 6. Paul Krause (Suz); 7. Joel Rucker (Vam); B. Todd Henneman (Hus); 9. Barry Frehn.. (Suz); 10. Corky Maughan (Suzl; 11. Scott Morris (Hus); 12. Duane Summers (Cog); 13. Grogg Godfrev(Kaw); 14. Shane Neuger· bauer (Kaw); 15. Preston Gerber (KTM); 16. Bryan Folks (Cog); 17. Lee Pearson; 1B. Georga McQuis· ton (Suz); 19. Ron Purvin.. (Hon); 20. Greg Noland (Hon). OPEN: 1. Dan Smith (Hus); 2. Dan Ashcraft (Hus); 3. Shawn Gerber (KTM). 250: 1. Paul Krause (Suz); 2. Joel Ruckar (Vam); 3. Barry Frehner (Suz). 125: 1. Duane Summers ICagl; 2. Bryan Folks (Cog). OVER 30: 1. Preston Gerber (KTM); 2. Lee Pear· son; 3. Steve Pitts (C·A). 25

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