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/127386
eHARE SCRAMBLES AMA NationalChampionship Hare ScramhlesSeries: Ronnd 5 ~ Four-time National Enduro Cha~pion Terry Cunningham was the runner-up. Michael Carlon led Scott Plessinger and winner Scott Summers at the start. Summers wins Woodscross Rhode Island National By Mi ke Snyder WEST GREENWICH, RI,JUNE 9 eterm ina tio n , persistent riding and a little bit of good luck paid big dividends for defend in g Nati onal Hare Scrambles Champion Scott Summers at th e Rhody Rover M.C.-hosted Woodscross National , as th e factory-backed H onda XR600 pilot scored h is th ird overa ll victory of th e season. Runner-up was four-time National D 28 Enduro Champion T erry Cunningham who, like Summers, rode a methodical race, as he steadily worked hi s way up through the pack during the race. National Enduro competitor Kevin Bennett, of New J ersey, roared through the blinding dust on a Honda XR600 , instead of hi s usual Honda CR250, to finish third place ahead of ATK's Ed Lojak. Lojak shook off the effects of a hard get-off to claim fourth overall, while rounding out the top five was local co m petitor Brad Simeon, riding a Honda CR250. Simeon almost nipped Lojak for fou rth but was hampered by a bent rear brak e lever, which allowed Lojak to finish ahead of Simeon by just two seconds. The only notabl e no-show was T eam Green 's Aaron Hough who scored back-to-hack National Cross Country wins in Brownsville, Pennsylvania and Beckley, West Virginia, about a month ago. Hough tore li gaments in his knee at the last cross coun try round in Buckhannon, West Virginia. The Woodscross National turned out to be a strength-sapping event. A lack of rain in the area caused some sections of the course to become extremely dusty. The start area was . located in a sand quarry, but most of the course was tight with loamy dirt and rock-free. After the Criders completed their race , the AA, A and B classes lined up -to commence battle. The AA riders took off on the first wave with Suzuki rider Michael Carlon grabbing the holeshot, but it was short-lived as former National Hare Scrambles Champion Scott Plessinger and his factory-backed KTM blasted by the early leader, as did Team Green's Duane Conner. Once past Carlon, who eventually faded back in the pack, Plessinger and Conner engaged in a two-way dice for the lead for much of the three-hour race. Reappearing out of the woods after completing the first lap, Plessinger was still out in front but Conner and his Kawasaki were just a few seconds behind th e leader. Lojak was a close third, while Summers, who had earlier crashed, pursued in fourth. " I was actually ahead of both Scott (Plessinger) and Duane in the back portion of the sand quarry, but I fell and everyone went by me, " said Summers. "I managed to work my way back into the lead by the second lap, but on the next lap, I hit a stump, or root, with my foot , which caused it to go numb. I decided to cruise and stay in the hunt. " Plessinger and Conner continued to bang handlebars for the lead , while Summers moved into third and loomed 30 seconds back of the leaders wai ting for something to hap pen. In the meantime, Lojak had dropped back to about a minute behind Summers in fourth. "My bike just wasn't set up right for the deep sand," said Lojak, The sand began to take its toll on other bikes, including P lessinger 's KTM . "It started to 'run very badly and I came into the pits to change the air filter," said Plessinger. " I went backout, caught back up to Duane, diced with him for a couple of laps, only to crash my brains out in the woods over some roots on the sixth lap. I tried