Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Steve Hatch sp lashes down a dirt road. H is bike later seized and he failed to finish. Jeff Russell fin ished second overall, 15 po ints behind winner Sharpless. to the clay base of th e soil arou nd here, the rain just ra n off the h illsides as well as flooding in the low lying sections. It was like running on ice," Russell contin ued . " I gave it my best shot later in th e day, but the po ints that Blair had on me in the morning were j ust too toug h to make up. I reall y wish I cou ld 've won today, but my con sistency is what reall y cou nt s now. My third place in California, firs t in Louisiana, and second here keeps me on th e righ t track this year." Hyde, who snatched the National Championship Har e Scra mbles titl e in 1986 ridi ng for th e H usqvarna factory team , is obvio usly in top form despi te ha vin g announced his retirement from competition last year. ''I'm in semi- reti rement," H yde said. " I pl an on rid ing j ust a few events this year. The condi tio ns today are what I'm used to sin ce I on ly live one-anda-half hours from here, so I gues s you can say I had a home court advantage, plus having a somewhat ear ly number (21) helped, too." T eam Green 's Kurt Hough, who landed fifth 'overa ll , was another victim of th e first creek crossing. " It took me a long wh ile to pull my bik e out of the mud. I just cou ldn' t get the points back du ring the rest of the da y," Hough said. Hoping to improve or at least match hi s second overall pe rfo rma nce at th e last National in Louis iana , New York 's Steve Hatch had a day he would just as soon forget . After getti n g held up at th e "creek cross ing from hell " and trying to ma ke u p time, H atch flipped h is Suzuki RM X250 up side down in another creek cross ing. ." I dro pped the bik e in the creek and it sucked in some water. I event ually go t it ru nni ng again , took off, and abou t a mile up the trail , it just seized so lid. I' m di sappointed, but I'll use thi s run as a throw-aw ay and hope my lu ck cha nges in South Car olina next month." Defending Nation al Enduro Champion Randy Hawkins mad e hi s first appearance since undergoing su rgery to a n in jured th umb, and finished 16th CI overall. Kurt Hough was delayed in the first creek crossing and finished fifth overall. Randy Hawkins rode in pain with his injured thumb and finished 16th overall. Results 0 / A: I. Bla ir Sharpless (Suz) 69 points; 2. Jdl R ussell (J.. "TM) 84; 3. Mark Hyde (KTM) 87; 4. Alan Graviu (KTM) 91; 5. Ku rt Hough (Ka w) 95; 6. Rich Rehm er s 102; 7. S. Gillard 113; 8. Kev in Benet t (Yam) 121; 9. Alan Randt (KTM) 127; 10. Jdl Fredette (Kaw) 130. 200 A: I. P. Ruggi ero; 2. S. Ely; 3. V. Ely; 4. D. Rireha rt; 5.1. Reynolds, 2SO A: I. S. Gifford; 2. C. Fah ri n ger; 3. T. j. Har t; 4. A. Nichols; 5. j. R. Davi.. OPEN A: I. Mar k H ydo; 2. S. H as hman; 3. R. Thurles: 4. j. MiII

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