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/127155
The start of 'the Expe rt wave saw defending National ch amp Ed Lojak (1) take t he holeshot, but he ret ired after the first lap with a knee injury. Tony Hendon lost the lead after having to repair a flat front t ire. but he was able to overcome the problem and capture the overall victory. Hendon (3N) and Hyde (5) battled for the lead most of the race. Hendon has a commanding points lead with two rounds left in the series. Cag iva rider Mark Hyde enters the pits en route to a second overall finish . Hyde led the race going into the final lap but Hendon got him. AMA National Championship Hare Scrambles Series: Round 10 Hendon hangs 'em hlghatJohn Zink Ranch National By Fred and A lice Tobin Photos by Alice Tobin SAND SPRINGS, OK, OCT. 2 Once again, ATK'sTony Hendon proved to everyon e that he 's the-one to beat in the 1988 National Championship Hare Scrambles points chase. For the fifth time this 14 season, H endon p ilo ted his Du n lop Ti res/Sm i th Gog - I gles/Tsu ba kia rkCha in/ An/B elswer P rodu cts/B Bu ster Ra y-sponsored ATK 506cc tw ostroke to th e overa ll victory in th e l 2-race seri es. With hi s victory, a nd co m bined with Ed Lojak un ab le to fini sh tod ay 's event, H endon unof ficiall y tied th e knot tow ards c1 aim inghis first Nat ion al Ch ampionship titl e with just two rounds in the series left to go . Second overall fell to H usq varn amounted Mark H yde, who captu red the 250cc Expert class win , wh ile Tim Newell cla imed thi rd overa ll for second in th e 250cc class. Taking th e O pen class vic tory was Torn Eh m ke who was followed by Steve Van zant a nd Ch arl es HoegeI. In the l25cc Ex pert bou t, Ka wa sak i- m ounted Ro bby Neeley scored the class victory over J im Singleto n, Manny Gana and Marty J ones. T he Four-Strok e class win went to a Husqvarna rider from Washington, David Rhodes. Approx im at e ly 60 0 specta to rs came o u t to th e J ohn Zink Ranch in Sa nd Spri ngs to wat ch th e event tha t was hosted by the T u lsa T rail . Riders. The race feat ured a 14-m ile loop a nd was sched uled to last for three hours plus one lap . T he leaders completed th e even t in six la ps. The first wave of rid ers included the 250cc and Open Experts, and th e first rider to take the lead was th e defending Nation al Champ ion, Loj ak. However, Lojak's lead lasted for less than a lap before he twea ked his knee; which caused the Husky rider to drop out of the ra ce. Lojak was the on ly rider who had a chance of beati ng Hen don o u t of the 1988 title, but by scoring a DNF, ' Lojak ha s a lmos t no cha nce o f ca tch ing th e high-flying H endon. With Lojak ou t of th e race, Hendon took 'o ver the lead. But H yde wasn ' t" a bo u t to let H endon run aw ay without a figh t. . The former Nat ional Ch ampion, H yde, push ed hi s Husky into second place unti l H endon succ u m bed to a flat fro nt tire. H endon mad e th e best o f a bad si tua tio n b y try ing to ma intain hi s qui ck pace, but H yde managed to slip past th e cr ip pled ATK rider for the lead . Hendon pitted a nd repa ired hi s flat front tir e · a nd cha rged a fter th e lead er H yde. H endon slow ly bu t su rely closed the gap o n H yde as the race reached the th ree-hour mark. On th e fina l lap, Hendon moved to within eyesig h t o f H yde a nd eventua lly slipped by th e Husky ride r, ove rta ki ng th e lead , once again. Once into th e lead , Hendon mot ored a head and a imed for th e checkered flag , fini shing a head of H yde and Newell. • Results O/A: 1. Tony Hendon (ATK); 2. Mark Hyde (Hus); 3. Tim Newell (Hon). 201 -2 50 : 1. Ma rk Hyd e; 2. Tim Newell ; 3. J im Sta nfi eld; 4. Pat Smith. 251 -0PE N: 1. Tom Ehmk e; 2. Steve Vanzant; 3 . Charles Hoegel. B6 -125: 1. Robby Neele y; 2. J im Sin gleton ; 3 . M an ny Garza; 4 . M any Jo nes.. SR 3 5-44 : 1. Tom Hall er; 2. Terry M ealer; 3. Rick Hillhouse; 4. Dane M arable. S /SR 4 5 PLUS: 1. Den ney Beitl er; 2. Larry Hayes ; 3 . Raben Barton; 4 . Cat hy Ni elsen ; 5. Dou glas Drullin ger . 4·STRK: 1. David Rhodes; 2. Donn ie Dunbar ; 3. Dav id Grah am . SPTSMN B: 25 1-0 PEN: 1. Tom Kra g; 2. Rod Thu r ley; 3 . Bill Harrison; 4. M ich ael Cramsey. SPTSMN B 20 1· 250 : 1. Kenny Wi lliams; 2. Bob Sou tha rd; 3. Ran dy Brian ; 4. Kevin Olangbl in. SPTSMN B 86 -200: 1. St eve Leivan; 2. Wi lliam Barkle y; 3 . Danny Barkley; 4. Kevin Young .