Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Dan Smith (N1 ) scored the overall victory and moved to within six points of series points leader Larry Roeseler. Danny Hamel moved up from a midpack start to take the lead. but a broken rear brake and clutch dropped him to second overall behind Smith . AMA National Championship Hare &Hound Series: Round 4 Wells-to-J ackpot victory to Smith By A n ne and Tom Van Beveren Photos by Tom Van Beveren WELI..:S, NV, JULY 30 KTM 's Dan Smith held off the competi tion in an 85-mile dash across northern Nevada to score the overall win in the fourth round of the National Hare & Hound Series. 14 After battling with L a s Vegas hotshot Dan ny Hamel . ' . in the early stages of the pomtto-point event from We lls to jackpot, Smith came on strong in the second half of the race an.d opened up a one-rnmute lead on his way to the checkered flag . " I had a lot of fun," said Smith. "It was a pretty fast course, but that's all they have to use out here and I had a good time. No problems with th e bike o~, anything - just a good clean race. ~ Smith 's win at the USA Race Promotions event put the three-time National Hare & Hound title holder just six points behind the current series points leader , Kawasaki 's Larry Roeseler, with just three rounds to go in this year's series. Roeseler did not compete in this event , as he is still recovering from injuries suffered in june during the Idaho ISDE Qualifier. " I'd love to win the championship four times in a row. That would be great," said Smith. ''I'll be pushing for it, that 's for sure." "The Croak of Doom," as the Smith Goggles-sponsored race was billed, drew a top class field of 159 racers and an enthusiastic response from loca l residents. " T he people up here are behind us all the way ," said Ron Dillon of the promoting group. " A lo t of local businesses are supporting us everyone from the Ranch House Casino to Donna's Ranch, which is th e local (legal ) brothel. Donna's girls will be running a check at the next National, which is up here in August. " When the banner dropped just before 8 a.m . on race da y, the Amateur (B)/ Expert (A) starting wav e powered across the valley towards the smoke bomb and disappeared into a thick cloud of dust. " I don't think I've ever ridden a race that was that dusty before," said Team Green's Vet contender Kenny Parry. "There was no breeze at all at the ' start, so the dust just hung in the air and you couldn't ride nearly as fast as you wanted to." Out in front, Smith and Utah's Kelly Sorenson were battling neckand-neck for the dust-free numberone spot. "I was first to the bo mb bu t Smith passed me right after that and we went bac k and forth a few times but then he got away from me," said Kawasaki-mounted Sorenson. Team Green's Ted Hunnicutt was pushi ng hard off the start also, tryi ng to hold on to secon d overall in the series points race. " I go t a fair ly good start but some guy on an O pen (class) bike cu t me off right at the ditch before the bomb and I went end-over-end," said H unn icu tt. "I got passed by 20 guys or so there and from then on I couldn't see anything. The only way you could ride was off the trail to get out of the dust and that was as dangerous. " Scot Harden's problems started a little further on. "I got a good start but I crashed running fifth overall about 15 miles out and my fanny pack and the gas I was carrying came off," said Harden, who led th e Vet division on points going into th e event. " I got three miles further and the fanny pack fell off again, and then I lost my rear brakes. I wasn't having a whole lot of fun ." . Harden 's closest competition for the Over 30 (Vet A) National title, Parry, was having his share of problems too. "I didn't have a good start but I picked up rea lly well and I was right on H arden - just going to bag h im , when I hit a rock and derailed the chain," said Parry . " T hat was it for me. I was in everybody's dust after that and there wasn't anything I could do to catch up." Smith was pushing hard as the co urse cleared the first wash and started to climb towards the 7500 foot mark, and Suzuki R M250 pi lot Hamel was pushing just as hard further back in the pack. "It was a 500 start and my 250 just wouldn't pull, so I was midpack at the bomb, but I started moving up after that," said Hamel. Hamel picked off rider after rider and was soon running up near the front of the pack. "I caught up to Smith about halfway through the first section and right then we all got lost," said H amel. " We were about 25 miles into the race and the markings took us down a little canyon, but the course didn't go that way ," said Smith. " Me and about four other guys were doi ng donuts out there for three or four minutes looking for the course. Hamel found it first and too k off in front of me, and I chased hi m almost all the way to the gas stop." While Hamel, Smith, Sorenson and Utah's Kerry Fow ler fought to regain the time they had lost looking for the course, other riders were having similar problems. "Everyone got lost," said KTM pilot Dave Porter. "The arrows were right on the turns, so if you were going 60 mph you'd blow right past them , but I shouldn't complain because it helped me move up. I was about fifth or sixth when the leaders got lo st and I got there right when Smith found the way so I ended up running third." Hamel co ntinued to lead, with Smith snapping at his heels, as the course passed the 38-mile mark and climbed to 8000 feet, but the Suzuki pilot's luck ran out as he started a rapid descent of the "Croak of Doom Downhill." " I hit a rock and lost my back brake and my clutch," said Hamel. " We were probably 40 miles into th e race then, so I had to ride the last 44 mi les, or something like that, and it really ma de it tough." H amel 's m isfortu ne gave Smith the brea k he was loo king for. "We were up o n a h igh moun tain and there were lo ts of rocks in the bushes," said Smith. "I knew he must've hit somethi ng because he started going pretty ,slow, so I just too k off." Smith was al most half a mi nute ahead of Hamel when he passed the

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