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/127669
Round 6: Boyers National Lynn's and now this . [ was leading them all, which just goes to show you that it's never over un til it's over." No r to n relea rned tha t old raci ng adage, as well. Ever hard-charging, but always under-powered, the I tscc rider was also close to victory before ano ther conflict with a lap ped rid er and a fading rear b rak e denied him a ny chance to score the overall win. "I was so close, it was kill er ," sai d Norton, whose second overall was his best score of the series to da te. "I pu t 30 seconds on Scott and Fred before I fell. I know they're on 2505 and I'm not , but I feel like I'm really not at a disadvantage. Sometimes [ feel like they're hold ing me up in the rocks a nd -in tight s tuff. It's becau se o ur power is so d iffer ent. It's cat and mouse every race, but I'm usua lly the one in back. I can stay with them on the s traigh ts, but [ can' t ou t-motor them." The trail that greeted the racers was alm ost enti rely new from the course that was used for the last three years. Mostly tight and rocky, the pace was fast but consistent throughout the hot afternoon. "I thought the track was excell en t," said Norton, "A lot of tight stuff; mostly new trails. It wasn't nea rly as fast as we've been using this year. It had a lot of rocks, and I love the rocks. [ can make up a lot of lime in the rocks, especially with the soft suspension." Fourth overall Gene O 'Nail agreed with No rto n 's approval of the course. "The track was like southe rn Ohio," said O 'Nail, a no ther nat ive of th e Buckeye State . "It was tight earl y, and then loosened up a little bit. It's more to my liking when it's tight like this." A d epleted field of AA ride rs, du e to (Left) Scott Pless inger put his bad luck behind him to earn a hard-fought win at . the Boyers National. The former champ is third In the series point standings. (Below) Fred Andrews (1) and Tom Norton spent much of the race this far apart. Andrews appeared to have the win sewed up, but got stuck on the final lap and was passed by both Plessinger and Norton. By Davey Coombs Photos by Jim Talkington 22 BOYERS, PA, MAY22 fter thr ee narrow cross-country losses in a row, Team KTM's Scott Plessinger finally eme rged wit h an overall win at round six of the AMA Grand Nationa l Cro ss Country Seri es in Boyer s, Pen nsylvania , after a fie rce, race-lo ng ba tt le wi th Tea m Mirage's 125cc wizard Tom Norton and defending champion Fred Andrews. "I figu red the win was going to come sooner or later," said the KTM Sportscycle sJKRW Cycle /MSR / Arai /Ts uba ki /Duralube /FMF / Smith/ PowerBar / EBC /B ridgestone /S prockets Plus / Ceet /KK Cycle Supply / WP/ Acerbis / Ren thal/Boyesen /Tw in-A ir / Slic k SO/Pro Choice/Enduro Eng in eer in g / SSR Design/Tech Tube /Wiseco-backed Plessin ger, w ho, like An drews, hails from the talent-laden sta te of Ohio. "I had to get tha t 10 seconds out of th e way .- the 10 I lost each of the last three by. I knew I was there, but the bad luck was hitting me at the wrong time. This time it hit Fred." Plessinger was referring to Andrews' misfor tune of jamming his" front wheel into a rock crevice well into the last lap of the six-lap long race. The event was nearly three hou rs in duration. "I gave away another race," sa id a frustra ted Andrew s. "That's three races that I should have won - Ocala, Loretta