Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Four-Stroke rider Scott Summers, who has two overall wins under his belt this year, was the early leader, but faded back to third overall. well, and at the halfway point the three leaders went through the barrels within one half minute of each other. A lap later, however, Summers would suddenly extend his lead to 90 seconds on Plessinger with a breakaway of his own. Whitaker's Four-Stroke A win came as a result of a six minute lead on class runner-up Tracy Warrington. Maryland's Kevin Howser 4lJl third. Meyers picked up the Senior A win with a one minute cushion on second place Albert Swager. Kentucky's Paul Michels finished third. As the race entered the last hour Summers began making mistakes. "I had set my suspension up too stiff for the course and I began getting real tired in the last part of the race," admitted Summers. With Plessinger holding second Summers got too close to a tree and wrapped his rear brake pedal up around the foot peg. "Scott was .coming," said Summers, "and I didn't want to stop and fix it because I knew he would be gone. I was hoping to make it back to the pits." Summers didn't make it back, instead crashing his XR600 in a wooded section while trying to hold off his Team Green pursuer. The two made it to the hillclirnb together, both getting hung up on the nowbare tree roots, and before Summers could unstick his ride Plessinger was off and running for the finish. Summers took a moment to rectify his brake problem, and by the time he was back in the chase Team Yamaha's Smith/Arai/Tsubakibacked Lojak was arpund him as well. Two minutes further back McSwain had settled into fourth with Shephard next in line, followed by the 200cc A battle for first between Onail and Stan Lojak. Plessinger's run for the finish line was anti-climactic. With Lojak a minute back and Summers a tired third, the race was all but-over when the white flag fell for the lOth and final lap. Plessinger would eventually cross the line two minutes up on Lojak, with Summers another IS seconds back. McSwain and Shephard would retain their top five finishing positions ahead of Onail and Stan Lojak with Toole, Jenkins and Tim Coombs rounding out the top 10 on the day. For the second cross country National in a row North Carolina's Farrell Smith was the B class champion, chalking up another massive lead on the rest of the pack while r~stering nine laps. Sqlith was nine mmutes ahead of Open B class runner-up Michael Cornett of Kentucky with Ohio's Robert McClelland third in the 2O-rider division. Yamaha-mounted Ronald Palermo topped 51 250cc B class riders in scoring his first class win of the year. Kentucky's Mark Mehuron ran second with West Virginia's Gallie Ward third. In the 200cc B division Brian Patterson grabbed series win number two with a convincing nine lap effort. Pennsylvania's Michael Bova was second with Ralph Thorn a close third. Ohio's Mike Cluse put in a winning effort in tlie Senior B class, bettering Honda-mounted David Gillian and KTM rider Richard Scott in the 22 rider ~oup. Ohio KTM pilot Flip Jendre was the class winner in the Four-Stroke B 'class, bettering West Virginia's Mark Niggemyer and Todd Weimer. The Super Senior class was the property of another North Carolinian, Harry Greenlee, with Ned Greeneltch riding his KTM to second ahead of New Yorker Gary Doerr. West Virginia's Don Harless battered Delaware's Charles Stapleford for the Masters' win. In the one hour Youth race Mike McClellan took his second straight 85cc win aboard a KX8O. McClellan topped Ryan Miller and West Virginia's Jason Ward in the six lap event on a shortened course. Series points leader Josh Lojak got lost on the trail early and settled for seventh in the IS-rider race. • Results 0/A A: ,. Scott Plessinger; 2. Ed Lojek; 3. Scan Summers; 4. SteVe McSwein; 5. Tim Sheph.rd: 6. Gene Oneil; 7. Stenley Loj.k; 8. M.rIt Toole; 9. Joel Jenkins; , O. Tim Coombs; ". Cr.ig Jone.; , 2. Jeff l.euth; , 3. Ke~h Rodger.: '4. 8uren Hemrick; , 5. Mike Fr.....; , 6. Cerey Stump; 17. R.ymond Niebel: , 8. John Vincent; , 9. Tom H.rri.; 20. Jeff Austin. OPEN A; ,. Scott Summers (Han); 2. St..... McSwein (Hon~ 3. Tim Shepherd (V.m); 4. Joel Jenkins (KTM~ 5. TIm Coombs (HanI. 250 A: O/A. Scott Plessinger (K.I; ,. Ed Lojek (V.m); 2. Mike Toole (V.m); 3. Jeff Murvel (V.m); 4. M.nin O.uben (Hon); 5. Metthew Spigelmyer (Hon). 200 A; ,. G_ Oneil (V.m~ 2. Stenley Lojek Pennsylvania's seven-time National Cross Country Champion Ed Lojak finished second overall despite an ill-working rear shock. Plessinger finished out in front with two minutes on Lojak. Sixth overall finisher Gene Onail captured the 200cc class victory. (V.m); 3. Cr.!9 Jan.. (Vam~ 4. Jeff l.euth IKIW); 5. R.ymond N,_IIK.wl. . 4-STRK. A: ,. H.rvey Wh~ker (Han~ 2. Tr.cy W.rringtan (Han); 3. Kevin Howeer (Hanl; 4.J.ck Mullen.x (V.ml. SR A: 1. Tom Meyers (ATK); 2. Alben Sw.ger (Han); 3. P.ul Michel. (ATKI; 4. Joseph Hull (V.ml; 5. Joseph Loj.k (V.ml. JR: ,. Buren H.mrick (Honl; 2. Mike Fr.... (V.m~ 3. Tommy H.rri. (V.mt 4. Doneld 8igley (V.m); 5. Kun Bowmen (KTM). S/SR: ,. H.rry Greenlee (Hant 2. Ned Greeneltch (KTM); 3. G.ry Doerr (K.w); 4. Ken W.rrender (Hus~ 5. Deve Coombs (V.ml. MSTR: ,. Doneld Her_ (Hanl; 2. Cheri.. Stepleford (~ 3. Herb ~Imeier (KTMI; 4. Bill Henull (KIWI. OPEN B: ,. F.rrell Smith (V.mt 2. Micheel Cornett (Han); 3. Raben McCIeIl.nd (Hant 4. Kevin H.gedorn (Han); 5. Rick Nowek (KIwI. 250 B: ,. Ron.ld P.lerno (V.m); 2. M.rk Mehuron (V.m); 3. G.llie W.rd (V.m~ 4. Rey Owens (ATKI; 5. Dan Bohn (Suzl. 200 B: Bri.n Petterson (Hanl; 2. Mich.el IIovll (V.ml; 3. R.lph Thorn (V.m~ 4. Ran.1d Kersey . (Y.ml; 5. Calen Cempbell (KIWI. 4-STRK B: ,. Flip Jendre IKTMI; 2. M.rk Niggemyer (Hon~ 3. Todd Weimer (Han~ 4. John M.rini (Hon~ 5. Joseph l.eweon (Hon). SR B: ,. Mike Cluse (V.m); 2. Oevid Gillien (Hanl; 3. Richerd Scott (KTM~ 4. Devid Oeh_ (Kewl; 5. Tom ""rim (Vernl. YTH: ,. Mike McClellen (KIW~ 2. Ryen Min. (Honl; 3. Jeson Werd (Kew); 4. Raben Stock (SU%). 15

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