Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Team Husqvarna's Dan Smith raced his way through treacherous bottlenecks, uphills and downhills to claim D-37's 27th Annual "Sissy Run." 27th Annual D-37 Dusters Sissy- Run Smith sails at Sissy Run HS Sy Anne and Tom Van Severen Photo by Tom Van Severen RED MOUNTAIN, CA, SEPT. 14 Team Husky's Dan Smith fought miles of tight, rocky terrain and numerous bottleneck uphills to take 'the overall win at the 27th Annual "Sissy Run" Hare Scrambles, held at Charlie's Place, near Red Mountain. The event sponsored by the , Dusters M.C., marked AMA 24 D-37's rerum to 10ng-dLstance desert racing after the short-course European scrambles events held dunng southern California's hot summer months. The large tumour of riders faced two 35-mile loops which covered a course plagued by light canyons, treacherous dowrthills, and steep, traetionless uphills that had many Expert riders pushing their bikes or retiring to the sidelines in frustration. The optimistic 8:30 a.m. starting time was delayed half an hour to allow practIce on the bomb run. Practice was banned Saturday due LO a lack of insurance coverage, and also LO accommodate a large number of late riders who were still lined up to enter at race rime. When the banner finally dropped, Ted Hunnicuu's open-class Yamaha got the holeshot and led the way ~nto the first of the boulenecks, a steep uphill that took most of the pack by surprise. It came so early in the race that iL caused mass confusion in the zero-visibility dust. Hunnicuu was off and running as chaos reigned supreme behind him. He held his lead through the special seven-mile starting .section and into check one. By the time Hunnicutt headed into the short mOLOcross section constructed especially for the race,250ExpertChffT~omas(Yamahal and Husky ace SmIlh had moved up and were snapping at his heels. They stayed on his heels as the trio headed into the first 35-mile loop. As the leaders flashed pa t the pits going inLO loop one, Hunnicutt was hard on the gas in a bid to catch the Duster's hare and the $75 "bag the hare money" offered in the Expert class. The Duster's "Buck's Bunny" Brian Harris, who sported white ears, whiskers and a fluffy tail for the event - stopped to wai t for the first riders about eight miles out on the course, having built up a large lead by combining his five minute head start with "an awful lot of cour e cutling on the way." Hunnicutt held onto the lead to take the "bunny money" with only seconds to spare over Thomas in second, and Smith who was charging hard in third. Less than half a minute back was a closely-packed string of 250s piloted by Charlie Morris, Jr., Kenny Parry, Eddie Ogden, Jr., Paul Kraus~, and Kenji Gauthier. The winner of this year's Check Chase, Mike McDonald, ridingan open class Yamaha, brought up the rear in ninth. The first veteran past the hare was Southern California M.C. '5 Jim Robinson. John Braasch's Kawasaki led the way in the 125cc class, running a high 24th overall. The $50 "hare money" in the Amateur class went to Jack Urich (Hus), who stormed into the first loop running 13th overall. The $50 prize for firs,t Novice went LO Jim Nelson of the Jackrabbits; the $25 for first Beginner was claimed by Brian Woodard. As the leaders paralleled Trona Road, then turned east to rWl into Spangler hills for a series of tough uphills and canyons, Hunnicutt's lead disappeared. Thomas took the front spot at the I O-mile mark, but his bid for the checkered flag was cut short barely two miles later, when Smith powered past to take over his customary role as leader of the pack. With Smith out in front, the riders followed the course across the Teagle Wash area and headed into the lava mountains, where the pink ribbon disappeared over the edge of a killer downhill. The course then turned north again, crossing some train tracks before heading back to camp via the motocross section and the water jump. Smith cleared most of the mud in the waterhole and raced into the pits a full minute ahead of Thomas; Morris was another half-minute back in third place. Barely 30 econds behind Morris was another 250 - a very sideways Husqvarna vaguely under the command of Dale Knapp. Hunnicutt was running fifth overall, holding ontO second in the Open class. Eddie Ogdef\, Jr. and Kenji Gauthier were next into the pits. Fellow 250 contender Paul Krause, who was running eighth overall, thrilled spectators by attempting to set a world record for "distance travelled on the front wheel of a Suzuki in foot-deep mud" when he landed out of shape off the water jump. Curt Crandall (KTM) was running - third in the Open class (II th overall) at the half way point, with John Braasch holding the "C-bike" lead in 12th. Thefirst Amateur riqers - Shaun Devlin (KTM) and Jack Urich went. into the pits neck-in-neck in 14th overall. with the first Vet riders battling it out for 19th overall. Bill Saltzman (KTM) held his usual lead in the Senior Open class at the halfway point. Curt Horst was out in from of the Super Seniors, and Ken Rieger had bauled his way through to the lead in the Novice class. As the riders headed into the second loop, the rugged uphills that had caused problem bottlenecks in the first loop were littered with bikes and bodies from the Novice/Beginner start, making them doubly difficult the second time around. Krause, who dropped out of the race half way through loop twO with "bike problems - aU the way," said, "It's a pity it was a hare scramble and we had to ride the same loop twice. We had LO ride over people who were stuck to get through and I feel bad riding over people all the time." Many riders said they thought the Dusters had gone out of their way to use every bottleneck uphill and canyon in the area, making the course almost impossible to negotiate in the second loop. There was even a suggestion to start a petition to protest the layout of the race. Husky hotshot Smith, however who crossed the finish line in just over two hours and with about four minutes to spare over his nearest rival - had only praise for the course. "It was a bitch in' course," he said. "It was super tight, rocky and gnarly. It was· a rider's course, and I had a great time. "I gota good start, but I just didn't have a fast trail on the bomb, so Hunnicuu and Cliff (Thomas) got through. Hunnicutt started slowing down and then I bagged Thomas and took over the lead - and that was it." Smith, D-37's Number one plate holder, said his only problem was a fla t tire in the second loop. "I got a back flat about five miles out on the second loop and had 10 ride all the way with that," he said. "Coming 'round the second time there were a lot of bottlenecks in the canyons too. You can't wait in line when you're leading the race - you have to knock people out of the way. But apart from that, I had a great ride and I thought it was a good course." Second overall, taking first in the 250cc Expert class, was Morris, who is backed by Grand Sport Tires, Answer Products and Duralube. Despite his strong showing, Morris said he was "pretty unimpressed" with the course. "They used the same stuff we go over all the time," he said. "It' just all whooped out. And that downhill was something else. The first loop I just gassed down it, but the second time I had to almost walk my bike down because there were so many Novices all over it. "The bomb was lousy too," he said. "I got a good start, but I ended up about 20th at the bomb because the whole thing came together and I gOI forced out. But I had a good race. 'Can I thank Mom and Dad?" Finishinl{third overall, and second 250cc Expert, was Cliff Thomas, who said he lost the race to Morris in the pits. "They gave me the worse pit ever," he said. "But apart from that it was great. The onJy real problem was the tight bit just before the pits. We got back from the firsl loop and had to ride through all the dust with the ovices and Beginners :-. that part was laid out terribly." The string of 250 finishers continued with a trio of Yamahas piloted by Eddie Ogden, Jr. in fourth overall, Kenny Parry in fifth, and Kenji Gauthier in sixth. Hunnicutt (sponsored by Scou/ AXO Sports/Du'rdlube/Dunlop) held on to take second Open Expert, seventh overall, despite not riding since May. "I've been -healing up from injuries," hesaid at the finish line. "I feel great now. I didn't expect to do anywhere near this good. It's kind of boosted my morale." Derrick Paiement, who wamed to thank "Team Dad," took fifth in the 250cc Expert class, and claimed eighth overall, finishing just ahead of third place Open Expert Curt Crandall (Cyde-Am/Pro-Cycle KTM/Scou USA/Duralube/Z Racing). The urstAmateur to take the checkered flag was Shaun Devlin in 12th over:;l.lI; the first "C-bike" across the finish line was the Yamaha piloted by Mike Heyler; Wayne Carlton took LOp honors in the Vet class, finishing 18th overall; Bill Saltzman won the Senior division, claiming 20th overaU; and Curt Horst topped the Super Senior class. • Results OVERALL: 1. Dan Smith (Hus); 2. Charlie Morris Jr. (Hus); 3. Cliff Thomas (Vam); 4. Eddie Ogden. Jr. (Yam); 5. Kenny Parry (Yam); 6. Kenji Gauthier (Yam); 7. Ted Hunnicun {Yam I; 8. Derrick Paiement (Han); 9. Curt Crandall (KTM). 125 AM: 1. Robert Baehr (Kaw); 2. Ron Jennings (Han). 125 EX: 1. Mike Heyler (Vam). 250 AM: 1. Andy Nelson (Han); 2. Kevin Miles (Vam); 3. Kelly Pate (Vam). 250 EX: 1. Charlie Morris Jr. (Hus); 2. Cliff Thomas (Vam); 3. Eddie Ogden. Jr. (Vam). OPEN NOV: 1. Ken Rieger (Han). OPEN AM: 1. Shoun Devlin (KTM); 2. Jeffery Maas (Hus); 3. Jack Urich (Hus). OPEN EX: 1. Dan Smith (Hus); 2. Ted Hunnicutt (Vam); 3. Curt Crandall (KTM). VET 250 AM: 1. Steve Harman (Hus). VET 250 EX: 1. Russ Jones (Hon). VET OPEN EX: 1. Wayne Carlton (M-S); 2. Tom Martin (Yam); 3. Andrew Rocco (Hon). SR 250 EX: 1. Larry Gordon; 2. AI Guzman; 3. Ron Hall. SR. OPEN EX: 1. Bill Sallzman (KTM). SS EX: 1. Curt Horst.

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