Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Charlie Morris. Jr.• powered his RM250 Suzuki to second overall. first 250. at the Moapa-to-Vegas Camel Race National. Winner Paul Krause stayed on the gas from start to finish at round three of the National Hare & Hound Series. held near Las Vegas. Nevada. AMAINational Championship Hare & Hound Series: Round 3 Krause upsets Smith at Moapa-to-Vegas H&H By Anne and Tom Van Beveren Photos by Tom Van Beveren LAS VEGAS, NV, MAR. 29 Honda privateer Paul Krause took an upset win today in the Nevada desert near Oveiton, claiming the first National Hare & Hound victory of his career. Krause grabbed the lead at the start and stayed out in front '1 f or a II b ut a b out. 10 ml es 0 f the tough, 114-mlle event. He took the checkered flag with a fiveminute margin over the nearest of competitors, which included oddson pre-race favorite Dan Smith of Team Husqvarna, winner of the first two rounds in the series. "I feel great," said the jubilant 22year-old from Laguna Beach, California. "This is probably the biggest thing I've ever won and I'm just so happy. It feels so good to overall .something this important." The Moapa-to-Vegas Camel Race, as the event is known, provided some of the most challenging terrain yet seen in a National event. The Groundshakers M.e. laid out a tight, demanding, point-to-point course that consisted solely of virgin terrain. Krause launched his CR500 off the line at the 9 a.m. start, leading 120 riders in the drag race to the bomb. Af!er a quick ~oop around the starun~ area, the nders had s~cely settled mto a race pace when It was time to get off and push at the first of many paved road crossings. Krause swept across the pavement at the five-mile mark and headed out into the 36-mile first stage. Only two bike lengths back in second overall was ex-pro motocrosser Ed McCoy. Team Husky entry Garth Sweetland was hard on his heels in third. Cagiva desert-ace-turnedroadracer Duane Summers had pushed his 250 Husky into fourth overall, and reigning series champ, Smith, was back in seven~h overall. Section One saw some of the closest racing yet in this year's National series. McCoy made the first move, powering his Open class KTM past Krause to grab the lead, but his bike developed mechanical problems immediately afterward and he was forced to drop out of the running only 20 miles into the race. Summers rocketed into second overall at the half-way point of the section and Smith launched a determined effort to take over the lead from back in seventh. Smith, who was named AMA Amateur Athlete of the Year for his domination of last year's National Hare Be Hound Series, was presented with his trophy in a short ceremony just before the race. Determined to maintain his perfect record in this year's series, Team Husky's golden boy had his 510 thumper in full cry in the early running, elbowing his way into fourth overall after just 20 miles of racing. The tough and ever-changing terrain of the first section kept the racers on their toes ·all the way to the first gas pit. Deep sand alternated with rolling mud hills and highspeed open desert. As the racers made their second paved road crossing about 10 miles from the first pit, Krause was still out front. but his margin had been cut to fiv.e seconds. The hardcharging Smith had broken through to take over second overall, and Husky teammate Sweetland was two bike lengths back in third. "Garth and I were racing for a long time," Smith said. "He kept me behind him forever. I couldn't get past so I was trying like mad to make him screw up. I would leave the throttle wide open on the comers and just pull in the clutch, hoping it'd get him worried." . Smith's tactics had the desired effect. ·"1 knew he was there. You couldn't miss him," said Sweetland. "That thing was just howling right on my butt the whole time and I was all tensed up waiting for him to run into the back of me. I was pretty glad when he finally went by." Fourth overall, one minute behind the leader. was Charlie Morris Jr., riding the leading 250cc motorcycle. Only seconds behind Morris was arch 250-rival Dale Knapp, with Barry Frehner of Las Vegas in sixth overall. Yamaha-mounted Scot Harden was out in front of the Vet division in seventh overall, just ahead of 250cc Husky pilot Scott Morris. Local 125cc hotshot Mike Palmer had the lead in the C-bike division in ninth overall. A flat front tire had robbed Duane Summers of his shot at the lead and relegated him to 10th overall at the second road crossing. The final sprint into Pit I was a nerve-racking one for Krause. "I was giving it everything I had and I kept waiting to hear that stupid thumper of Smith's behind me," said Krause, who is sponsOred. by Hallman/Escondido Honda/Answer/ Metzler/Shoei/Spectro/FBeL Racing Fuel/Neal Enterprise. Smith was on Krause's tail by the time the frontrunners reached the pits and a record-setting pit by the Smith family put the four-stroke Husky into the lead as the 43-mile second section of the race got underway. Section two made a large loop to the north of U5 and used a number of obstacles seldom seen by desert racers, including cows. a cement dam, and a submarine section where the trail. disappeared into a six-inchdeep river for more than a mile. Smith got a back flat tire five miles out of the pits anti fell off the pace. letting Krause slip past to retake the lead. Krause was soon followed by Charlie Morris, Jr., whose persistent high-speed drive had worked' him into second overall, and Sweetland. After hanging onto third for the first half of the race. Sweetland's luck ran out about 12 miles from the end of the second stage when he hit- a ditch "a bit too fast," and broke the linkage out of the Husky's swing arm. Sweetland's bad luck turned out to be a godsend for teammate Smith. "I found Garth broken down by a road crossing and he obviously wasn't going anywhere, so we switched back wheels out there in the field," Smith said. "I took the good wheel and gave him my flat." . Out in front of the pack, Krause was making the most of Smith's problems. The big red Hon.da left the second pit a full three minutes ahead of the nearest competition, which was still coming from Charlie Morris's RM250. There was a long, five-minute wait before Scott Morris raced through pit two in third overall, and another minute back to Scot Harden in fourth. Harden was followed into section three by RM250 pilot Barry Frehner. Smith, a full eight minutes behind Krause, entered the section in sixth overall. Husky 250cc pilots Dale Knapp and Danny Anderson, Mike Palmer,

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