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/127186
O"l 00 O"l In his first National since breaking his collarbone. the defending Hare & Hound champ. Dan Smith. captured his first victory of the year. Larry Roeseler is now the sole leader in the overall championship points standings after finishing second overall. He was tied with Chuck Miller. Team Green's Ted Hunnicutt claimed the 250cc class win with a third overall finish. He is currently leading the 250cc division in points. AMA National Championship Hare & Hound Series: Round 3 Smith storms back to Boise victory By Anne and Tom Van Beveren Photos by Tom Van Beveren and Grace Logan MURPHY. 10, APR. 2 KTM's Dan Smith overcame the best in the desert racing business to take a much-needed win in round three of the National Championship Series near Boise, Idaho. After a 12 slow start in this year's seven . h h t' race. senes: t e t ree- Ime N~tlOnal title holder came alIve at the Darren Obend?rf Mem~rial .Hare &: Hound hosted ~y Idaho s Dut M.C., and was out In front almost all the way on a demanding 88-mile course. "I missed one race this year because of a broken collarbone and got seventh overall in the other one, so I wasn't doing too well in Championship points," Smith told Cycle News. "It feels good to win one again and I really have to start hauling now. I want to make it four (National titles) in a row." The weather was cold with occasional snow flurries as the I37-strong field lined up for the start of the event. Two weeks of rain meant no dust with perfect traction and spirits ran high as the out-of-town racers looked forward to a typical Dirt M.C.-style course. "Everybody has always commented on how much fun our races are and we want to keep them smiling when they're riding," said Dirt M.C. President Wayne Kinglien. "We try to keep the course as tight and technical as possible and we put in as many fun things as we can." The race got off to a late start as riders who had forgotten to set their clocks forward for the start of daylight savings time straggled in to sign up, but no one was dragging their feet when the barmer finally dropped just after II a.m. Smith was hard on the gas ri~ht from the start and a good hne through the bomb-run brush had him out in front as he picked up the pink ribbon and headed out into the 4O-mile first loop. Local racer Curtis Dice had his Open class Honda in full cry and Kawasaki's Ted Hunnicutt was pushing his KX250 to the limit in fourth. "I got a good start but I had some problems reading the terrain and some local guys came flying past me and Hunnicutt," said Smith. "We followed them for a while and then I think they got tired and we got the lead again." Tucked in behind Smith, Hunnicutt spent the first few miles trying to sort out the course markings. "The markings are all different here and that made the first I0 miles pretty scarX'" said Hunnicutt. "Everything here is marked with ribbon. The turn signals are blue ribbon, the dangers are yellow and the course is marked in pink. I was pretty busy trying to get all that down and trying to stay on the bike at the same time." Further back in the pack, Kawasaki's Larry Roeseler was pushing to make every mile count. "This is a pretty important race for me because Chuck Miller and I both have one first and one second and we're tied for the (series) lead," said Roeseler. "Chuck isn't here for the race. so whatever I can get today will put me out in front." • But Roeseler was not anywhere near the front as the racers hit the first sandwash. "I had a good ~t but I got too far to the right and I got cut off. I was about 10th or 12th at the bomb," said Roese1er. "The first part of the course was really choppy and rocky and I was surprised at how fast it was." Even further back off the start was Idaho's Dan Richardson. "I had a .really bad start. The bike didn't start at all," said the CR250 rider. "It was great once I got going though - a real kicking-butt course. I loved it." Smith and Hunnicutt were locked in a handlebar-to-handlebar contest for the lead with hard-charging Roger Hurd making his presence felt in third, as the racers pa~ the halfway point in loop one. Roeseler was pushing bard to make up for lost time and had elbowed his way past a number of the faster starters and Mickell Brix had blasted through to take the lead in the 125cc division. The front-runners were still neckin-neck as loop one drew to a close. Smith was only a few feet ahead of Hunnicutt's KX250 as the frontrunners rocketed into pit row with Hurd and Boise entry Derrick Personette less than half a minute behind. Roeseler had elbowed his way up to fifth and Kelly Sorenson was pushing hard in sixth. Palo Alto's Phil Douglas brought his YZ250 out of the first loop in seventh and Scott Davis of Tucson, Arizona, Richardson and Dice rounded out the top 10. Kerry Fowler led the Over 30 racers into the pits in II th overall but Kawasaki's Kenny Parry was catching up fast. "I didn't have a good