Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

eHARE-SCRAMBLES . e AMA National Championship Hare Scrambles Series: Final round and Summers began putting distance between themselves and third-place Conner. "We pulled abo ut 15 seconds on Duan e a t ab out th e halfway point, then we ca me into the p it a rea ," sai d Summers. "Scott p itted and m y mech an ic Fred Bramblett waved me on through, so I didn ' t sto p." This move p u t Summers into the lead , while Plessinger exi ted th e pits in second after refue li ng. " I knew I was going to ha ve to pit th e next tim e aro u nd, so I rod e hard that lap to gain som e tim e on P lessinger," said Summers. "As it turned out, I did have a good lap , and when I pitted on the nex t lap , I go t out ahead of Plessinger. That four-second pit stop was prob abl y the turn ing point of th e race for me." Shortly thereaft er, Plessinger backed off the throttle and even tua ll y withdrew from the race. "I started getting stomach cramps abou t the fifth lap," said Plessinger. " I was feeling pretty good early in the race, but wh en I stopped for gas, that was it. It just took it all out of me. I just wasn ' t feeling good and I wasn 't prepared for this race, so I stopped. I figured since I got a good sta rt th at I might as well try and do good." At this point, Summers looked to ha ve th e wi n all bu t wrapped up, but Con ner gave it one last sho t at th e lead er. " I came by th e pits and Fred (Bra m blett) told me th at Co nner had gai ned 45 seconds on me, so I gassed it back up on that lap and ga ined back that 45 seconds and that was it." Summers eventually crossed the finish line approximately a minute ahead of runner-up Conner, followed by H ough , Mart in and Goodrich . C."I .... v ..0 o .... u o Results 0 / A: 1. Scan Summers (Han); 2. Duan e Conner (Ka w); 5. Aaron H OUSh (Kaw ); 4. J oh n Marlin Two-time champion Scott Summers capped off the 1991 National Championship Hare Scrambles Seri~ with a victory. Summersstrike sagain LYNNVILLE, IN,SEPT. 29 t was a fitting end to a sparkling season for Honda 's Scot t Summers. Summers, who had earlier clinched h is seco n d co nsecu tive ' Nation al Championship Hare Scrambles title, scored the overall win in what was th e fin al round of the National Ch ampio ns hip Hare Scrambles Ser ies a t Lynnvill e. " It was just a storyboo k da y for me," said the champ. " Everything j ust went perfect, my bike wor ked great and th ere were no controversies. Can you believe that?" Just after the halfway point of the race, Summers passed leader Scott Plessin ger and went on and scored hi s fifth win of th e series. KTM -mounted Plessinger later dropped out of the race, handing the runner-up spot to Kawasaki's Duane Conner, who was follow ed across th e finish line by Kawasaki 's Aaron Hough , ATK' s J ohnny Martin and Yamaha-mounted Ethan Goodrich, respectively. Martin, a former Nati onal H are Scrambles Champion, was th e overall A class rider, while And y Cregg was the top B rider. Mike Vandiver led the C riders across th e checkers. I 30 The event , hosted by the Indiana! Illin ois/Kentu ck y Enduro Riders Association, laid out a chall enging 6.5mil e-a-Iap course on what once was a coa l mining site. "The terrain was mostly un natural, technical and tight," said Summers. "Si nce the co urse was fairl y sho rt , I th ought th e trail would ge t rea lly rough, but it didn 't. Getting by lappers was a problem at times , though." . As th e fi rst wav e o f AA riders rounded the first comer, it was form er National Hare Scrambles Champion Ed Lojak and his factory-backed ATK out in front, followed closely by local fav orite John Robbins , Summer s, Co nne r, Plessinger and Hough. Lojak's lead , however, was short lived. " About two miles into the first lap, Eddi e crashed and I saw him in the bushes," said Summers. Th e crash knocked th e form er champ out of lead cont ention for the rest of the race, and he event ua lly finished 13th overall. Robbins inheri ted the lead when Lojak bailed, but Summers was charging hard in second. The duo led th e way on ly for a short tim e, how ever, as both Robbins and Summers m omentarily took an o fftrack excu rsio n. " We were goi n g thro ugh these ridges and I was wa tchi ng Robbins ' helm et," said Su m me rs . "Un fo rtu nately, he blew a tu rn and I fol lo wed him a n d sacr i ficed t h ree positions. Su m mers ree n te re d the rac e in fourth, with Robbins rig ht beh in d th e H onda XR600 p ilo t. Robbin s rode a brilliant race, hanging with th e leaders th rough o u t the race, eventually finish in g sixth overa ll. Pl essinger sudden ly found h im self leading th e race ahead of Conner, H ough and Summers. " I was n ' t really expec tin g to do real well," said Pl essinger. " I hurt my back at work befo re th e West Virgi nia National and I've had the flu this past week. I ac tually didn't decide to rac e here until last night. I was just hoping to put in a decent fini sh." On ce out in front , Pl es singer deci de d h e wanted more than a " decent fini sh " and mainta in ed a s ligh t lead ov er Conner , whil e Summers began putting th e pressure . on H ough. " I event ually got aro und Hough, then reeled in Conner,' said Summers. " Conner and 1 diced for a little while, then I got him and caugh t Plessinger." As the race progressed, Plessinger (ATK); 5. Etha n Goodnch (KTM ); 6. Fra nk Keegan (ATK); 7. Harv ey Whi taker (H on); 8. Ron Nay lor (AT K); 9. J ohn Robbins (KTM ); 10. Steve Le iva n (Yam ); II. Dave G unn (Kaw); 12. Kelly Getz (H us); 13. Ed Lo jak (ATK); 14. Tom Ehmke (H us): 15. Bria n Walk er (KTM): 16. Gary Adams (SUl) ; 17. Sco tt Martin (AT K); 18. Shad Ricketts (Kaw); 19. J efl Austi n (Han) ; 20. Don Bohn (Suz). AA: I. ScOIl Summers (Ho n); 2. Duane Conner (Kaw); 3. Aaron Hou gh (Kaw); 4. Eh tna Goodrich (KT M); 5. Frank Keegan (ATK ); 6. Ron Naylor (AT K). 200 A: I. Brian w alker (KT M); 2. Vince Throck mo rton (Han): 3. Bryan Wesson (Ka w) ; 4. R ich Ca viness (Ka w); 5. Gene Thurman (Yam). . 2SO A: I. J ohn Martin (ATK); 2. Steve Lei van (Yam) ; 3. Dave Gunn (Kaw); 4. Sha d Ricketts (Kaw ); 5. Jefl Au stin (H on ). OPEN A: I. Kelly Oeu (H us); 2. T om Eh mke (H us); 3. Sco u Marti n (ATK); 4. Chri s Graber (Yam ); 5. Roger Mayes (ATK). VET A: I. Gary Adam s (SUl) ; 2. J ell Su:inrock (H on); 3. Mike McCarren (Yam ); 4. Herman Pettit {H e n): 5. Ken t Wagn er (KTM). SR A: I. J oe Loja k (Yam); 2. Lo n Wal ters {Kaw), S/SR A: I. Emm ett Cox (SUl); 2. Chas Burk (H on); 3. Don H ouJlh (Kaw); 4. Gabby Hayes (AT K); 5. Chas Ga lb rait h (lIus). 4-STRK A: I. Harv ey Whitakez (Ho n); 2. Don Bohn (SUl); 5. Cra iJl Hay es (H us); 4. Jared G =n (KT M); 5. Rod Carrier (S Ul~ 200 B: I. Andy ere",. (Kaw); 2. Kevin O 'Brien (Kaw ); 3. Kevin Brana on (Kaw); 4. J a mes Hou gh (Kaw); 5. Jay Bau men (SUl). 250 B: I. Rich Bryan (SUl); 2. Darryl Moody (SUl ); 3. Scou Sims (Hon); 4. Darren Birge (Kaw); 5. John Bradl ey (KTM). OPEN B: I. T im Ja ckson (ATK); 2. Dave Rafferty (Yam); 3. Ti m Gill ila nd (AT K); 4. Rod Oll er (H on); 5. Mike T'itzer (KTM ). VET B: I. Brian Erwi n (Suz); 2. Bryon Canno n (Kaw); 3. Kevin Kasey (Hon); 4. Tom Krag (H us); 5. D. Rob inson (H on). Sit B: I. !lenny Ai"ner (Ya m); 2. David Gra ha m (H on); 3. J ohn Freidl i (SUl ); 4. Mike McGee (Kaw); 5. P.R . Macke (Yam). r-. SlSR B; I. Ron Throckm or ton (H us); 2. Bob Gri de (AT K). 4·STK B: I. Bob Sloa n (Hon ); 2. Chas Dail ey (Ho n ); 3. Dan a Cash (H on ); 4. Dan G randerson (Hon); 5. Carl Pru eri (SUl) . e CL: 1. Mike Vandiver (Yam); 2. Sco tt Horton (Kaw); 3. Otas Vanway (Yam); 4. Robel' Tresch (Kaw); 5. Paul Wri gh t (Kaw). BUDDY: I. Steve Short/Greg Sim& (H on ); 2. J am es Mill er/William Mull en (H us); 3. Tom GriffinlTerry' Cooper (SUl); 4. T im Coo mer / Ken Coultas (KT M); 5. J eff McEllhiney/Kevin Ru ssell (Yam ). AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HARE SCRAMBLES SERIES nNAL POINT STAND· INGS (Unofficial): I. Scott Sum mers (205) 6 win s; . 2. Ron Nay lor (134) 2 wins; 3. Duan e Conner (132); 4. Ethan Goodrich (72); 5. Tony H endon (65); 6. Frank Keegan (61); 7. Terry Cunningham (58); 8. Chri s Ca pli ngez (55); 9. Scou Plessin ger (51); 10. Harv ey whitaker (46).

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