Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

··HARE:SCRAMBLE>:···:: ··': Round 4: Shasta Dam GP . .: :AMANaticinal C hampionshipH scrainble:s8rieS' lire The race was three laps in length, which meant most riders would have to stop for gas at least one time . "I go t a decent start, b u t three miles into the lap four of us piled up ," Smith recalled. "I think Eric Mashbir was leading and he slid out; somebody slid into him and I slid into them both. Then someone slid into me. I got up in sixth and had to work 'my way Up.1I Smith soon worked his wa y up to third, while Mashbir ana Naylor battled for the lead. "They were going at it," said Smith . "I finally got around Mashbir and at the end of the first lap, I decided to pit for gas . We'd only have to pit once; I got mine over with early, while Naylor waited for the second lap. Ron began having problems with his header pipe. After Ron pitted, he pulled out behind me for the last lap ." Smith and Naylor stayed close throughout the lap . " He knows the trails here really good," said Smith of Naylor's precise line-choos ing. " I mean there were places I thought I was going exceptionally good, but I'd look and he'd be right behind me." As the y came into the scoring barrels for the last time , it was Smith still lead ing the way, closely followed by N aylor, who, at the last min u te, let Norton by so he could finish second. ith pulls ahead (Left) Rodney Smith collected his th ird win of the four-race-old series, padding his points lead. (Below left) Near the fi nish, Ron Naylor (3) allows Thom as Norton to pass him for second place. Naylo r Isn't contesting the entire serie s, and did not want to affect the points chase. (Below) Erik Mashblr rode his Husq varna 250 to a fo urth-place fi nish. Photos by Thomas Zarraonandla REDDING, CA, APR. 10 t the same event where he had one year earlier collected h is first-ever National Hare Scrambles win, Team Suzuki's Rodney Smith earned his third victory of the young '94 season, extending his advantage in the se ries point standings to a command ing 21 points. Smith ha s w on three of the four races completed thus far , and his teammate, Randy Hawkins, is the only other rider to have won a Hare Scrambles round this season. Hawkins is bu sy de fending his National Enduro title and will not contest the entire series, so Smith is quickly turning what last year w as one of the mo st competit iv e series around in to a benefit. "This is th e second time I' ve wo n here at Shasta Dam , so I'm real happy about th at ," said the Suzuki /Tho r / Bieffe /FMF / Alpinestar s / Sm i th / PowerBar / Race Tech /Uni /Bel-Ray / Endura /Motion Prof Acerb is /Pr o Taper/Ceet/Cyde Gear / DeVoI/ Dunlop/RK /100%/Wiseco /Slavens-sponsored Smith. Finishing second wa s Team Mirage's Thomas Norton, mounted on a KX250 and contesting the race for the first time ever. Norton normally campaigns a KX125, bu t didn't think it w ould be the hot ticket for th e relative ly high-speed, 31-mile-per-lap course. "The 125 is usually no prob..- lem, but you give up too much time on l-< the fast fire roads, " said Norton. "1 0.. sh ould have used a 250 at Hollister,

• Cover