Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

fast enough pace to retain fifth overa ll, his best score of the season. "There was a lot of passing going on out there," said Summers of the early mix. "I really didn't want to get into the lead until the last few laps. It was really close all day long, but 1 figured it was go ing to come down to th e last laps. None of us were really riding full pace through that first hour and a half." " It was a really tight track with a lot of roots and a lot of off-cambers ," said Andrews, who is bac ked b y Answer/ Pro Circuit/Smith / Ace rbis /Endu ra. "The faster you tried to go, the harder it seem ed to be. 1crashed a bunch of times today." "Everybody was right there," sa id Plessinger. "Any one of us could have won. We had a hell of a rac e going. Lapped riders were kind of terrible, so 1 guess that mad e it even mor e wild ." The 'ba t tl e for the lead involvin g Summers, Andrews, Plessinger, Conner, Hat ch and Norton never wavered over the course of the first two hour s. But as th e trail grew rough er and the traffi c slowe d down, the lead pack starte d to brea k up . Hatch , the cu rrent AMA Na tional Enduro Series points leader , wa s impale d in the shoulder by a stiff tree branch. Conner made a costly mistake on a short hill and seemed to lose some of his steam in the last hour. "It was pretty hectic out there but it was fun," said Hatch, who dropped all the way back to 20th overall after h is mishap, "No one could really run away with it so we were all racing around together. After 1 caught that stick in my shoulder, 1 thought 1 might be better off to tone it down a little and not get myself into any more trouble." Norton's earlier endo (and subsequent power loss due to a smashed pipe) took away too much momentum for him to stay with the front-runners. The Thor/Moose Racing/FMF/Brakingbacked Norton also had a dust-up with a lapper (for the second race in a row), and only lost sight of the lead battle as it entered the closing stage. "Scott (Plessinger) and Fred were the gu ys out front after the other guys started peeling off," said Summers, who was still just out of the lead picture after his foot peg change. "With about three laps to go they must have both got stuck behind a bottleneck, because 1 cam e around and the y were jus t clearing out." "I had a pretty good lead towards the end, probably 25 seconds," said Andrews. "I was trying to run but 1 caught a root and crashed. They got back up to me. We were all so close together the whole time. This has to be the closest race the GNCCs have ever had:' As they rode under the white flag, (signaling one lap to go) Andrews was first, Summers second and Plessinger third, all three wheel to wheel to wheel. As they circulated the special test section, Summers took an inside-out stab at Andrews and nearly put the Yamaha rider into an oak tree . Andrews held his line on the outside berm and maintained the lead as they started into the last woods section. . "I was right there until the last lap when 1 smacked my foot on a stump," said Plessinger of the incident that finall y cost him any chance of w inning. "Fred was right in fr on t of m e and 1 didn't see the stump. It took m y foot right off the peg and that was it:' "There was some bumping out there, but every time we were going the same d irection," said Summers. "It was rea l aggressive riding, but there weren't any problems at all:' (Above) Scott Plessinger (6) was also involved In the dramatic fin ish but had to settle for a close third behind Summers and Andrews. (Right) TIm Shephard scored the Vet A class wi n. "I did the best 1could, but 1 came up a little short," said Andrews. "Second is not bad, but 1 would've liked to have won. Scott rode a .g reat race and he deserved to win. But it' s a long season and 1 think if 1can finish in the top thr ee every time, I'll win." " I wa s close again, but just no t enough," sai d Plessinger, w ho, like Andrews, resides in Ohio. "I had a good ride but a bad last lap. Those tw o were riding real good at the end and they got the breaks. 1 guess Summers got the last br eak . My time will come." (N Whiskey Ridge GNCC Sharpsburg, Maryland Results: May 8, 1994 O/A: 1. Scott Sum mers (Hon); 2. Fred Andrews (Yam); 3. Scott Pless inger (K1M); 4. Tom Norton (Kaw) ; 5. Duane Co nner (Yam); 6. Craig Jones (Kaw) ; 7. Terry C un n ingha m (Ya m) ; 8. Gene Onail (Kaw); 9. Daryl Conne r (Yam); 10. Steve McSw ain (H on) ; 11. Tom Carson (Hon); 12. Tim Shephard (Yam); 13. Jeff La uth (Kaw); 14. Micha el Burk (Kaw); 15. Darryl Kunezer (Yam); 16. Scott Phe lps (Yam); 17. Shawn Brell (KTM); l B. C urtis Bardonner (Yam); 19. Jeff Murgel (Yam); 20. Steve Hatch. PRO 01A: Summers; 1. Andrews; 2. Plessinger; 3. No rton; 4. Du ane Conner; 5. Cunningham. OPEN A: I. Brell ; 2. Ca rl Ennis (Yam); 3. Andy Kendle (KTM); 4. Sta n Tissue (KTM); 5. Greg Holden (K1M). 250 A: 1. : In : 15:42. How did the. laildeis 'impiov~' so : waeks,so lc811 teU .youthat. he.help~d:peed : ''''''ucli'iroin start to ·finish?'llmighlhave.had : ! •. · up my recovery evE!!1 .m.O B ~ha~2.5Y A~er. . somathingto'do'\v~h :t~e ~eat of the .ballla; . : ~ race sUf!lmers .~ld, I .d.ldn t even notice :.. 'familiarity witl)' thl! trail or the usual late ~tter- : the wnst. I thoug~ It:-vaS gOI~g to be ~ore~ . : :nOonaltrition of lapped traffic..But more likely . oJ t90 k soma.AOvd ~ls, momlng f?r t.h~ J)Clln., : it had to :do .w~h·ttie ·slow early.pace set by: o nee ~e ~tarted, I dldn t even nClllce ~. :. . the {ront-runners.·As' Summa rs, And raws, . : .. :.. ...•. : " :. , . ' : . " : '.. : · ·· : · : . SCOtt· Plesslng6r.and .f riends did th~lr best io' While Su mmars ~as ' out of wo rk :wlth h ~~ : .: avo id taking 'the point, the firsltWD-'thirds .of . :.injury, his mechanicFred Bramblett had a.. . tha r ace were Jed .at about 90% speed , lri: .IQt of .s par~ ·ti,:,e· onhls h~nds. :B(amblett ' :' fact, lhe lead group of AAriderS wereeruising .. occ upied hls time by welding. steps to the : : so much that 2"OOcc' A class .r ider C~alg · Hon'da 'b"!xyan, putt ing :a n.ew· vise on the . ' :.Jones wliosiarted one minute bBhindop tha ·irue!C'swork bench ~d fabricating anew .li re . ·. sacOmf{:lasS'row;was the overalilliader 'by : ~hanger: ~It was ,that or:'Th~ You.ng and the ':' 4Q'seconds, based on elapsed time. . :. ... .:.. :. : RE!stle~;~ joked Brill:nblell':~lgl)t a let of li.llle":.. : : .: :. '. . .:. ...: : ', .. " .. . c : "':'.' . . ••.. •: . .· proj~ts done, .biit .It really. fellls :g09d tf> be: :-, MUlti:tirilli Cross Cpuntry".C.hamplo·n .Ed : . : · back at1he track <: :; ' ' ... . .. .: .' . IOjak was ~ n~show in Maryland atter wln- ' :: ..: : . ..:: . : : '..': '::.: : ..... '. , . :: : ". ." .. .' ning the Vet.Aclass ·at Bro',Ynsvllle two w~eks . . Team. KJ:M'S ~ff R.ussell has bee.nh\llplng .. ago.:!tSeems. that .thebl.ist\lrs on·.LQJak's : I lay out all.of.'tha GNCC·tra.cks Ihls year, but " . handsnall'not 'heafed enough for him to.con-.. a ' he:was riot able to h~lp out at Whlskily Ridge ': : li nua .his c om\lb. ck r ig.hl"away:.A" severe ' due.tci~exams.· R,!ssell.w~ .in the:.pr.ocess of .::: knee injury'has Kept the' 33,yaar-oldlojak.on.. : taking his ~om1Tlarcial D.nve(s lIcens~ test :: .the sidelines ·for.the better part of two years.: ,. oICOL) :so tha! he' can:lj riV wat",r trucks!!"d .... .:. :. ':: .... :". <-- :-:: ' :'. ::' :':.: .::0': ...: :" . .> ..... · e' : . : o~her .i rucks 'of :heayy: we ight. 1'0'! havel

• Cover