Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

injures and scheduling conflicts, meant that the race would go off without previous round winners Scott Summers, Guy Cooper and Rodney Smith. Designated holeshot champion Doug Blackwell was also absent, along with Honda pilot Kevin Bennett. Tom Carson led the early stages on h is Honda of Troy-backed CR250, but missed a corner and allowed the other AA riders to snea k past. After the first lap, which lasted approxima tely 28 minutes, Andrews held a bike-length lead o n Plessinger, Norton and Yamahamounted Duane Conner, who has been s t r ugg ling with injures through the early stages of the '94 season. My day didn't go too good," said Co nner, who hails from Pennsylvania. "I got a last-place start and just followed them all the first lap . After the second lap, I stopped for gas beca use we were tryi ng a new techniq ue; I stopped a t one hou r so I would n't have to s top aga in." U nfortunate ly, the early stop caused Conner to lose touch with the leaders. In an effort to reel them back in, the Yamaha rider exhausted his energy. "Typical problem I've been having, " said Conner, who ran ou t of steam and pulled out on the last lap. "It's not a condition thing; I'm in good shape and I've been working hard. But ever since I had mono in '91, I jus t haven 't been able to dea l with the heat. " While the lead four narrowed down to the lead three after Conner's pit stop, 0' ail was fighting for the 250cc A class lead. " Du ri ng the firs t two laps, Scott Phelps pulled a two-m inute lead on me, bu t then I p ick ed up my pace and caught and passed him," said O'Nail, w h o would lead the class from tha t point on, and climb into the fourth overall position. "O ther than those first two laps, everything went really well. It was my best ride of the yea r." The battle up front raged with more courtesy than such conflicts have to this point of the cross-country season. Norton, Plessinger and And rews all rubbed elbows and trad ed p aint, but no one tried any bla tan t ta ke-out a tte mpts. In fact, when No rto n went down ha rd a t one po int, both Andrews and Plessinger stopped to check on his condition. "That was good of them," said Norton, who got back into the race quickly. "We had a really good, clean race. We bash ed each other a couple of times, but that was more because of the track than anyone trying to take someone out. When it's tight like that we often funnel in together at the end of the straights or going through the woods." "It was pretty much neck and neck all day," said Plessinger. "We were at a fas t pace, much faster than it normally is when Summers isn ' t there, but I was comfortable. To tell you the truth, I kind o f figured I'd get tire d . I broke some toes in my right foot a t a d istrict race and I didn't train all week. I couldn't get in to a boot be cau se m y foo t was so swollen. I went from size nine to 11 just to ride today. But it didn't get to me in the race, which was a surprise because as of Friday I wasn't going to race at all. " It was whoever followed w hoever," ad d ed Plessinge r of midrace st rategies. "Tommy broke awa y on the fourth lap after we gassed , but he crashed and we cau ght him. Then Fred broke away and crashed in the rocks. We,had pushed it r eally hard, but Tommy cau ght u s again. All three of us were right there for the last lap ." "On the last lap we we re all together when we came to this mud hol e, but I was back in third," said Andrews of his last-lap try for the lead. "They went left (Left) Scott Pless inger talks for the ESPN cameras after the race. He had to overcome a painful foo t Inj ury to earn th e win. (Below) " I gave It away," said Fred Andrews of the race. Stili, the champ ratalned his position at the front of the points battle. like I had all day, but this time I jus t wheelied straight th rough and had the lead and what I thought would be another win. Then I messed up . I didn't fall, but I caught my front wh eel in some rocks. The rocks were slippery; I was smoking my rear tire try ing to get off. Plessinger and Norton both got by and we only had two miles to go. They ran as quickly as they could and it was too late to get them again." Fred actually broke away from us to the point where we cou ldn't see him, bu t then he fell," said Norton of the lastlap shake-up in the tall y. "He wa s putting on a big push tow ards the end. I never saw him. When I came in at the end, I thought he was third." Wh en asked how the race might have been di fferent had he known that Plessinger was just in front of him with the lead, Nor ton answered: "It didn't matter becau se I was goi ng as hard as I could. My back brakes started going away and I blew a couple of corners at th e e nd . But it wasn't until after I wa s in th e barrels tha t I figured ou t that I was actually second." " I was pretty nervous once I went aroun d Fred ," admitted Plessinger. "My heart was th umping and I was afraid something would happen again and I'd blow it at the very end, but nothing happened. It was my first national win since last October. It's been a long dry spell. I've been close to breaking out of it, but something always happens . Toda y I guess I broke out." a Boyers National Boyers, Pennsylvania Results: May 22 (Round 6 of 12) O/A: 1. Scott Plessinger (KTM) ; 2. To m Norton (Kaw); 3. Fred And n-ws (Yam); 4. Gene 0 Nail (Kaw); 5. Tom Carson (Hon); 6. Ti m Shephard (Yam); 7. Scott Pbelpe (Yam); 8. Da ry l Conner (Yam ); 9. Shawn 8",11 (KTM ); 10. Bria n Keegan (5uz); 11. Rodney Jud son (Hon) ; 12. Todd Mora in (Yam); 13. Owain MilleT (Suz); 14. John vincent (Yam); IS. Barry Hawk (Suz); 16. JeU Lau th (Kaw); 17. Cu rtis Bardonner (yam); 18. Duane Sprouse (Kaw); 19. Ron Palerm o (Ya m); 20. Jeff Murgel (Yam). PRO O/A: Scott Plessinger (KTM); 1. Tom Norton (Ka w ); 2. Fred A ndrew s (Ya m) ; 3. Thomas Canon (Hon); 4. Dua ne Conner (Yam). O PEN A, 1. Sha wn 8",11 (KTM); 2. Richard 8rya n (KTM ); 3. Ca rl En nis (Ya m); 4. Mich ael Mat os zk ta (KTM); 5. And y Kendle (KTM). 250 A, 1. Gene O'N eil (Kaw); 2. Scott Phe lps (ya m); 3. Brian Keegan (Suz); 4. Tod d Morain (Yam); 5. Owain Miller (Suz). 200 A, I . Daryl Conner (Yam); 2. JeU Lauth (Kaw); 3. Curtis Bardonner (Yam); 4. Robert Dennett (Kaw); 5. Chris McDonal d (Kaw). 4-STRK A' 1. Rodney Judson (Ha n); 2. BerryHawk (Suz) ; 3. Sha wn 8usch; 4. Ralph Thom (Hon); 5. Don 8o hn(KTM). VET k 1. Tun Shep ard (Yam); 2. Jeff Murgel (Yam); 3. David Santi (Yam); 4. Russell Cheny (Suz); 5. Mike McCa rren (Yam). 1. Teny Mealer (Yam); 2. Paul Michels (ATJ<) ; 3. Mickey Dorman (KTM); 4. John Ga llagher (KTM); 5. 40., Tom M t->'II"I'S(Yam). S/SR: t . Ha rry Greenlee (Yam) ; 2. Dav e Coombs (yam); 3. William Fanner (Hon) . OPEN B: 1. Ja mes O tt (Yam) ; 2. Trent Bartolotti (Yam); 3. 8rian Sova k (lion); 4. Robin Miller (Yam); 5. John Grimm (Yam~ 150 B: 1. John Shaffer (Yam); 2. Ton y Tara borrelli (Yam); 3. Kraig Geo rge (Suz) ; 4. Tod Davis (Kaw ); 5. J.n nes Rod gers (Yam). 200 B: 1. Robert Thompso n (Ka w); 2. Jim Jarrett (ya m); 3. John Bennett (Yam); 4. Ronald Johnson (Hon); S. Gary Bunner (Kaw) . 4-STRK 8, 1. Mark Martin (Ha n); 2. Bradley Reger (Kaw); 3. Brad Wade (Hon ); 4. Josep h Luka es ko (Hon) ; 5. Ch arles Hu egel (Hus). VET 8 , I . Dona ld Bigley (ya m); 2. Jaisson Deroche (Yam); 3. David Molna r (Yam); 4. Randy Fink (Yam); 5. Oark Munger (Hus). SR B: 1. Richard Ma y (Yam) ; 2. Louis Dea nnan (Ya m); 3. Fra nk Erbe (Yam ); 4. Tom Parfitt (yam); S. Robert Brendle (Yam). 150 C: 1. Bill Fanner (Hon); 2. Daniel Kendra (Yam); 3. Matt Vogel (Hon) ; 4. lUck Tho mpson (Yam); 5. Kevin Wright (Suz~ 200 C: 1. Jeremy Berwanger (Yam); 2. Richard Wagner (Kaw); 3. Larry Shields (Yam ); 4. Dan Bigley (Yam); 5. Robert J"'"'" (Kaw ). AMA GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES PO INT STANDINGS: I. Fred Andrew s (113); 2. Tom No rto n (105) ; 3. Scott Plessinger (92); 4. Gene O'Naii (62); 5. Tim She phard (59); 6. Scott Phe lps (57); 7. Tom Carson (SO); 8. Doug Blackwe ll (58); 9. Da ryl Conner (41); 10. Scott Summe rs (38); 11. Steve Ha tch (33); 12. Lany Roesel er (31); 13. Terry Cu nni ng ha m (31); 14. Steve McSwain (26); 15. Kelby Pepper (25); 16. Owain Miller (24); 17. Sha wn Brell (22); 18. Rodn ey Smith (20); 19. Guy Cooper (20); 20. Gary Roach (18~ Upcoming Rounds: Round 7 • Laurelville , Ohio, June 5 Round 8 - Elizabeth, W, Virginia , June 19

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