Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126947
Charlie Morris. Jr. rode a Suzuki RM250 to the overall win at the Winter Classic Hare and Hound in Soggy Dry Lake. california.' Morris tops Ashcraft at the Winter Classic By Anne and Tom Van Beveren Photos by Tom Van Beveren SOGGY DRY LAKE, CA..JAN. 25 Suzuki-mounted Charlie Morris, Jr. conquered 80 miles of tough, demanding desert terrain to take the win at the 20th Annual D-37 Win ter Classic Hare and Hound hosted by Desert M.e. at Bessemer Mine Road. . Almost 500 racers hned up on the northeast edge of Soggy Dry Lake for the start of the race, and when the banner dropped for the 1.0 a.m. kick-off, it was Darren Cartwright on a 250cc Yamaha grabbing the holeshot. Cartwright made short work of the bomb run and was out in front as the leaders funneled through the rocks. just past the bomb and headed out towards Victor Pass. Hard on Cartwright's heels going out into the 36-mile first loop was Duane Summers, who traded his customary 125cc Cagiva for a hybrid Husky consisting of a HOcc motor bolted into a 250 frame. Summers was followed by Open Experts Tom Willis and Mike McDonald, with the first Vet - Dan Dawson, on a 500cc Kawasaki, hard on their heels. Morris, who recently swapped last year's Husky for a new 250cc Suzuki, was sixth overall at the bomb with Open class rider Dan Smith in seventh. Dan Ashcraft, who now rides a Honda, had his CR500 up in eighth, with Kenny Parry and Ron Shuler, both on open class Yamahas, rounding out the top 10. Loop one was described by Open Expert Dave Chase as "real tough, and you had to work your butt off. They'd have a tight section where you would work like crazy until you thought your arms were going to fall 0[£, but then they would drop you down to a fast section where you could rest. It was fun, bot challenging and very demanding." Some of the riders, like Gene Saraceno whoo:,eralled the Begmner c1~ss, came up with novel ways of negouating the tougher obstacles on the course. "They had a rock waterfall out there that was about six or seven feet high, only we were supposed to ride up it," said Saraceno. As the riders headed out across the first valley floor on their way to tackle the killer loop, Cartwright soon found his number-one position challenged by Summers. Summers' mongrel Husky was fast and nimble in the tricky cross grain, and was soon hard on Cartwright's tail. Summers wrung the 430cc engine out and finally managed to slip past Cartwright to take over the lead. But the Husky wasn't in front for long: "I got a Hat rear tire," said Summers. "I rode about 10 miles on the flat then the tire just locked upand that was it. I had a good lead then too - I might've won it." With Summers out of the running, the lead was up for grabs as the course started to turn towards home and ended up back in Cartwright's hands. But after just a few miles, it turned over again when the hard-charging Morris made his move. After a sluggish start that left him back in sixth at the bomb, Morris wasted no' time in launching his attack on the leaders and had his RM250 on the gas in the wide-open sections and pushed to the limit in the tight, technical sections that made up much of the loop. Morrjs' determination and consistent riding soon made up ground on the front runners and, after taking him past Cartwright and into the Honda CR500-mounted Dan Ashcraft captured second overall and,the Open Expert class win. finishing close behind Morris. . lead, kept him out in front as the riders started their run back towards home check. Also pushing hard in the early stages of the rdce were Smith and Ashcraft. Both Dans were hard on the gas in the early running trying to make up for their slow.start . One of thefastestdimbs up through the ranks in loop one was made by Team Husky's Larry Roeseler. "I got a terrible start," Roeseler said. "I tried to start the bike in gear, but it just wasn't right and I ended up kick:. ing it three or four times before I got it going. I was about 30th at the bomb, so I had a lot of catching up to do." Also having tocateh up was Yamaha 125cc-mounted Eri.c Hallgath. Hallgath was well back in the pack as the field swept pas I the bomb but gradually fought his way up into sixth overall. As the leaders reached pit row for the first time, it was Morris in front with Cartwright, Smith, Tom Willis and Ashcraft close behind. About. half a minute back was Hallgath aboard the first 125 to complete the course. Roeseler was close behind Hallgath going into the pits with Kenny Parry's open class Yamaha in eighth overall followed by Mike Alexander, Mike McDonald and Team Honda's Chuck Miller. Running at the head of the pack at the start of the second loop was Morris. Behind Morris, things were not going well for some of the other front runners. Cartwright was still holding· onto second overall when his badly blistered hands forced him to drop out of the running about 10 miles into loop two. Cartwright, whose gloves were soaked with blood, said he just couldn't hold onto the handlebars any longer. Smith wem into the loop in third overall but was forced back to the pi ts with mechanical problems, But out in front was smooth sailing for Morris, as he cruised home for the win ahead of Ashcraft. "It was a fun course - really excellent," said Morris. "There was a really bad rocky downhill on the second loop, and the start of the second loop was confusing, but apart from that it was great." Ashuaft said, :'They had some tight stuff that was really neat - I wish they'd run a whole course like that. The only problem I had was that the clutch on the' Honda is really touchy compared to the old Husky and I kept stalling it in the tight stuff." Third overall went to Tom Willis on his 500cc M-Star. "I got a good start and had a good race," said Willis. "I only gOt passed by two people the whole race. The bike wasn't handlingquiteas well today, and I think the tranny is going away, but I still enjoyed it." Roeseler recovered from his bad start to take fourth overall. Eric Hallgath finished fifth overall and the 125ccclasswin-21 places ahead of his nearest rival Michael Heyler. "It was just too fast," said Hallgath, "and there was too much sand - a 125 doesn't like that slUff." Sixth overall went to Kenny Parry, with Downhill Alexander close behind.' Ron Shuler took eighth overall, despite running into some thick dust that made catching up difficult, and nimh overdll went to Gram Palenske on a 250cc Honda, with Mike McDonald and Tom Elias hot on his heels. The first Amateur to cross the finish line was Dave WeSt (12th overall) who ran out of gas about two feet past the checkered flag with second Amateur going to Kirk Kovaleff of the Prairie Dogs M.e. (17th overall). _ Results OVERAll: 1. Charlie Morris, Jr. (Suz): 2. Dan Ashcraft (Honl; 3. Tom Willis (M·SI; 4. Larry Roeseier (Hus); 5. Eric Hallgath (Yam); 6. Kenny Parry (Yam): 7. Mike Alexander (Yam); 8. Ron Shuler (Yam); 9. Grant Palenske (Han); 10. Mike McDonald (Kaw): 11. Tom Elisas (KTM); 12. Dave West (Hon);13. Phil Gorgone (KTM): 14. Tom Gorgone (KTM); 15. Dan Dawson (Kaw); 16. Craig Rimlinger (Yam); 17. Kirk Kovaleff(Hon); 18. Jim Eveland (Varni; 19, Paul Palmer. OPEN· EX: 1. Dan Ashcraft (Honl: 2. Tom Willis (M-SI; 3. Larry Roeseler (Hus), 250 EX: 1. Charlie Morris (Suzl; 2. Mike Alexander (Yaml: 3. Grant Palenske (HanI. 125 EX: 1. Eric Hallgath (Varni; 2. Michael Heyler (Yam). VET OPEN EX: 1. Dan Dawson (Kawl. VET 250 EX: 1. Jim Eveland (Vam). SR OPEN EX: 1, Don 8urch (Yaml. SR 250 EX: 1. Ron Hall (Suz); 2. Earl Shuler (Varni: 3, AI Guzman (Kaw), SUP SR EX: 1. Earl Roeseler (Hus). OPEN AM: 1. Dave West (HanI: 2. Kirk Kovaleff (Han): 3. Abe 8aumann. 250 AM: 1. Andy Nelson: 2. Sean Johnson (Han); 3. Jeff Jeckson. 125 AM: 1. Joseph Krait (Yam); 2. Mike Koncur (Varni: 3. Van Bogardus (Varni. veT 250 AM: 1, Dan Bernardino (Vam). SUP SR AM: 1. J.T. Clark (Honl. OPEN NOV: 1. Chris Hodges (Hus). 250 NOV: 1. David Sharp (Han); 2. Steve Morris (KTMI. OPEN VET NOV: 1. Charlie Spellman. OPEN BEG: 1. Bob Clifton (Han): 2. Brent Mad· dish (Hon); 3. Jerry SChumann. 125 BEG: 1. Klinton Karch (CogI. VET OPEN BEG: 1. Nelson Knapp.