Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ ~ . ~ '- Winnner of the National Hare Scrambles Series Round 1 , ATK-mounted Tony Hendon (3Nlleads Cagiva rider Kevin Foley early in t he ra ce. Kawasaki's Larry Roeseler took second overall, two weeks after w inn ing t he Nationa l Enduro Series opener in Califom ia. Defending Champion Ed Lojak was running second overall before blowing his rea r shock on his Husky, putting him o ut of the race. AMA National Championship Hare Scramble Series: Round 1 Hendon wrangles at Rocking V Ranch By Mike and Anne Adair PLANT CITY, FL, FEB. 28 AT K-m ou n ted Tony Hendon topped a premier field of more th an 200 riders to earn the overall victory in the season's opener of the National Hare Scramble -Series, held 22 at Rocking V Ranch . "T h is was a li ttl e fast for me," said Hendo n. " I' m just used to dodging trees in the Kentucky woods. I' ve been close before, bu t this is my first National win. It's a good way to start off a new seaso n." Kawasak i's Larr y Roeseler and ATK's Allen Scott were second and third overall, respectively. The event was marred by the death of Misso ur i rider Tim Lee. Lee was the defendi ng 250cc B Champion and was ridi ng hi s first A event. Bu ck y Loj ak , whi le ru n n ing in fou rth position , stopped to attend th e falle n rid er, who apparen tly struc k a tree. Florida 's Kenny Keylon also stop ped, rode back to th e start and led emergency personnel back to help, but Lee's injuries were too serio us. Keylon and Lojak with drew from the event after th e incident: T he Su n Coast T rail Blazers laid om a well -ma rked, l 3.2-mile cou rse, which featu red fast-open' pastures, palmetto scrub land and some tig h t woods sections. In one special series of esses, specta tors were treated to a series of motocross type jumps, the most popu lar bei ng a water crossing wit h th ree alternate ro utes. The fast la ne was over the water via a ra mp jump, second was a charge through the knee -deep water and third was a slower br idge ride over th e hazard. Most selected the aerial ro ute. T he start of the event was a fiasco, wit h ma ny contenders co mplai ni ng that it got off severa l m in u tes ahea d of th e sched uled II :00 a.m. starting time. Man y riders were ca ug h t off guard and some were not even on th e line. " T hey d ropped th e flag early whi le th er e were sti ll sp ecta tors crossing th e track, H usky's Mark H yde said. " I had a 'head on' with a guy on a p it bike as he was trying to ge t across." Senior Barry H iggin s said, " I mi ssed the start and had to eat dust. Then I tried to play berserko on th e first lap. I stuck the bik e in a deep rut and bai led ." The battl e for the lead in the earl y la p s wa s between Hen don an d Cagiva-backed Kevin Foley. Foley was on H endon 's fender as the pair entered the scoring barrels on lap two, but rei~ ing National Ch ampion Ed LOJak en tered the co ntes t and too k over th e lead. " I caught Tony in a tight.section and passed him ," said Lojak . " He passed me back in a gas stop and I was reeli ng him in whe n my rear shock blew in some whoops." . Lojak was o ut of the race, but Foley was sti ll in the hunt, th en on la p fou r he had to pit with a blown rear tire. ' " Virgil Young changed it just like a Dayton a Speedway pi t crew ," Foley sai d. " In on ly six minu tes I was back ou t th ere in actio n. T on y was too fast for me, however, to make up his lead ." Offi cial scori ng pl aced Foley l l th in th e class, but scores were posted so la te in the day th at Fol ey and hi s crew ha d left and there was no one to pro test the resu lts. H onda -m ounted Kevin Brown moved into the second spot o nly to lose h is rea r br ake stator and was forced to retire. Kawasak i-moun ted Je ff Fredette was another casua lty to mechanical problems . " I was do ing good until I bl ew all the water in my radiator and seized," said Fredette. After wi nn ing the 250cc A' cla ss, La rry Roeseler said, " What a da y. First th at screwy sta rt, th en I crashed in th e dust and hurt my shou lder. Mark J ohnson told me to hang in th ere. I was surprised when th ey told me I was in second p lace." At th e midway point th e am i tion ra te started to build. Bru ce Buerk, who had been at th e fro nt of the 250cc A class, dropped o u t wi th cramps in hi s lower back. National Enduro Ch am p io n Kevin Hines lost his brakes, bailed h ar d, injured his sh o u lder a n d withdrew to see k medical attention. Bu t H endon 's Dunlop/Answer/ Smith/Bark Buster s-backed ATK ro lled on . " After Lojak and I had a good d uel , I tried to set a fast pace an d

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