Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

EVENTS', " ,E dited byScott R ousseau ' AMA Mid-South WinterHare Scrambles Series Conner convincing at Dry Creek Hare Scrambles By Paul Mic hels Photos by Elaine 's Act ion Photo CENTERVILLE, TN, FEB,5 uane Conner took overall honors on an act ion- pac ke d d ay o f ra cing in round six of th e AMA Mid -South H.5. Series. The race , hosted by th e Don Thava M.e., took place on the Bowm an farm , a favorite stop on the circui t. The eigh tmile course incorp orated 'fast open sections, ste ep uphills, tight woods, rock D 26 (Top) Jimmy Gaddis crushed t he competition at round seven of the AMA National Arenacross Series , taking all four Pro main event wins and extending his series points lead. (Middle) Brian Hardin raced to a trouble-f ree main event wi n at the 35th annual Big Brothe rs/B ig Sisters Charity Indoor Pro Invitational Ice Race in Flin t's IMA Stad ium . (Ab ov e) Duane Conner (fou rth from left ) won the Pro class at round six of the AMA Mid-South Hare Scrambles Series In Centerv ill e, Tennessee. ner (D u a ne's yo u nge r brother) , advanced to fou rth. Patterson moved past Sampson to cha lle nge Cunningham, and they swapped the lead several times toward the end of the first lap. As the riders fun nelled in to the scoring barrels, Cunningha m held a slim lead over Patterson, Sampson; Darryl Conn er and Gene O·Nai l. C u n n ingha m contin ued to le ad through out the second lap , but- Patt erson had problems and dro pped off the pace. Dar ryl 'moved up to second with brother Duane m ak in g his presen ce known after a near-last-place start. Traffic held him in third place at lap' s end. O'Nail moved into fourth as a recovered Patterson worked his way into fifth: Head ing out on th e th ird lap, Cunningham e njo yed a s lim lead ove r Duane, as Darry l was cleaned off his bike and tak en ou t of con tention by a lowhanging limb. Cunningham continued to lead un til getting tangled in a wire fence wh ile negoti ating a pass on a lap ped rider, when Conner and a hard-eharging O'Nail both shot past. Patterson was also back on the gas as he moved back in to th ird, and Sampson con tin ued to kee p pace despite a rear flat. In fifth, Cunningham 's problems compounded wh en he too inherited a rear flat. Going out for the fourth of five laps, Co n ne r held abo u t a 10-second lea d over O' Nail, who qu ick ly closed the ga p. The two swapped the lead several tim es, but to wa rd th e e nd, Co nne r pu lled out abou t a I S-second cushion on O'Nail. Pa tterson was hold ing his own abo u t te n cl icks back . Sampson a nd Cu nningh am con tinue d in fourth and fifth, resp ectively. On the fifth and fin al lap, Conner con tinu ed his pace out front and built abo u t a o ne- m in u te cushion ov er O'Nail, who in turn pulled 30 seconds on Patterson. Determined to stay in the thick of things, Sampson rod e with his flat tir e all th e way to the finish for a resp ectable fourth overall, and Cunningham d id the same for fifth. After two consecutive ru nner-up finishes, this marked the first overall victory of the series for the Sport Cycles Racin g -backed Conn er. " I ju st s tayed focu sed and kept it twi st ed back and enjoyed the course," he said. . Conne r also app rove d, say ing, "The e ven t and the tra ck cond itions were excellent." Poi n ts leader and form er Nation al Hare Scrambles Cha m pion Tony Hen: d on looked to be on h is w ay to yet another Vet A class win until getting off big-time on lap thr ee and bre aking his ' arm. Sport Cycle s boss Tim She pherd took over the lead and the win, though he had to make an unscheduled pit stop to adjus t his sagg ing handlebars. Series , regul ar Barry Brazier took a respectable second . Wa de Pe r ry was o n a missio n o f sorts, as he overcame a badly bruised an d stitched-u p foot to win the Open A cla ss . The in jury h ad occ ur re d tw o weeks earlier when his shift lever punctured his boot. H arvey Wh it ak er finished second after experiencing mechanical problems through out the course of the race. l~ Results creeks, whoop secti ons and one huge mudhole. ' Kevin Brand on had the holeshot and continued to lead until abou t the tw omile mar k, when fou r-time Na tio na l Endu ro Champion Terry Cunningham sho t past. ' Mike Sam pson was right on Cunningham and got by as well. Reigning champion Robert Patterso n moved into third, while AA rookie Darryl Con- AA: 1. D ua ne Conner (Yam); 2. Gene O'Ne il (Kaw); 3. Robert Patterso n (Suz) ; 4. Mike Sampson (Yam ); 5. Terry Cunningham (Yam ). SR: 1. Paul Michel s (ATK); 2 Alan Brutt o (Kow); 3. Tom Parfi tt (Yam) ; 4 . Larry Still (Ho n ); 5. Sidney Robinson (Kaw ). S/SR : 1. Cha rli e Bu rk e (Ka w) : 2. Mike Ga rret! (Hon); 3. Jason Dukes (Kaw ); 4. William Smith (Hon) ; 5: Guy Anderson (Kaw ). VET A: 1. Tim Shephard (Ya m ); 2. Barry Bra zier (H on ); 3. Sco tt Martin (Kaw ); 4. Kenny Sa tt e rf ie ld (Kaw); 5. Robert Kirchner (Yam). OP EN A: 1. Wad e Perry (Hon); 2. Harvey Whitaker (Han ); 3. Phill ip Bar ker (Ha n); 4. Mar k Th urman (KTM); 5. Mark Hosba cb (KTM). 250 A: 1. Mike Morri s (Kaw) ; 2. Tod d Boone (Kaw); 3. Steve Gor don (Ka1"); 4. Neal Ragge tt (KTM); 5. Stev e Eze ll (Kaw). 250 A: 1. Chri s McDonald (Kaw); 2. Tetras Massey (Ka w); 3. Chris Huf f (Yom); 4, Bill Short (Ho n); S. Mike Garrett (Kaw ). WMN: 1. Suz y Penn (Yam ); 2. Sara Arnold (Ho n) . 4-ST RK: 1. Steve Thomas (Kaw); 2. Cod y Maxwell (Kcw ]: 3. Greg Prince (Han); 4. Ed dy Taylor (Kaw) ; S. Billy Proffitt (Ho n) . . VET B: 1. Brian Breed (Yam ); 2. [ohn Bro ughton (Han); 3. Carl Keith (Ho n); 4. Jack Derr ybe rry (Kaw] : 5. Kip Haynie (Yam). OPEN B: 1. Mark Hin kle (KTM); 2. David Kidw ell (KTM); 3 . An tho ny C ook (Ka w ); 4. Danny Mili ard (KTM ); S. Rohe r! Lich (Kaw). 250 8 : 1. Hea th Robinson (Ka w ): 2. Gordon Turner (Ho n); 3. Todd Wilson (Ya m); 4. Timmy D'Poo l (Ka w ); 5. Ti m Cra in (Yam ). 125 B: 1. Rick Simms (Yam ); 2. Jim Bates (Hon); 3. Jeff Fitzer (Suz); 4. Jeremy Berwanger (Yarn); 5. Wood y Bramlett (Ka w). . . 200 B: 1. Marty Stin nett (Ka w); 2. Thomas Ca mpbell . (Kaw); 3. Clin t Robinso n (Kaw) ; 4. Rick She ll (Yam ); 5. Ron Skipper (Kaw). U W T R L: 1. Kev in Cree km a n (H on) ; 2. Donny Rog ers (Su z ); 3. Sco tt H ort on (Ka w); 3. Randy Hicks (Kaw ); 5. Rusty Rogers (Suz). HIW T RL: 1. Da vid Da vis (Kaw ); 2. M ax McG ee (Kaw ); 3. Mark Jenki ns (Suz): 4. Jaso n Dickey (Suz); 5. Rod Lyonhu rst (Han). . AMA N ational Arenacross Series: Round 7 Gaddis rages at Niagara Falls By Pam Lambert . Photo by Gerry Galp in NIAGARA FALLS, NY, JAN. 20-22 immy Gad dis con tinu ed his winning st reak in th e MSR / Answer-sponso re d AMA National A renacross Series, taking win s both ni ghts in th e 125 and 250cc main even ts as well as both "Dash for Cash" events at the Niagara Falls Convention Center. Gaddis' four win s upped his points advantage ove r Chad Pederson, who had traveled to Minnesota for the Minneap olis Supercross. "These four wins really helped me in the points for the series," Gaddis said. "I just hope and pray I keep up th is strea k all the way thr ough Denver ." Frid a y' s 12 5c c ma in e ve n t action sta rte d with Billy Wh itl ey ta king th e holeshot in front of Gaddis, Morg an and Buehl, but Buehl had the who op section d ialed and blasted into the lead. Gaddis got by Whitley with an inside pass in the next left-hand turn to take over second. Gaddis caught up to Buehl's rear fender by the end of the second lap and dogged Buehl turn after turn. One sligh t bobble thro ugh the wh oop section and Gaddis skim med by for the lead . Bueh l stay ed close but was never able to make a pass. Lapped riders became a factor before the halfway fla gs cam e o u t in th e 14-Jap main event, but Gaddis picked his way through car efully. Goodman had been tailin g Wh itl e y for se ve ra l lap s a nd made a pass in the turn followin g the big infield doubl e jump to take third . Rand began making a move on Whi tley and went by him in the wh oops. By the ninth lap, all but the top six rid er s were lapped . Gad d is motor ed arou nd for the wi n. Bue hl followed in second . Goo d ma n, Rand a nd Morgan finishe d third through fifth, respectively. Gaddis couldn't bu y a holesh ot in Saturday's 125cc main but lost no lime in get ting around Morga n in the whoo ps . Rand , Bue h l, Wh itle y an d Good m an were so close they appea red as a blur of yellow, green and red for seve ral lap s, Buehl finally charged ahea d of Rand by holding the gas on a little longer on the straigh taway, and then set his sights on Morgan' s se co n d -p la ce s po t. Bu ehl pulled up besid e Morgan over the big infield double,but Morgan's inside line in the next turn gave him a little more ' momentum over the trip le. . J

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