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/127723
OFF.-ROAD AMAGrand National Cross Country Series Round 2: Hickory National (Left) The battle of the two SCotts resumed at Hickory, North Carolina. Here, SCott Plessinger (1) leads eventual winner Scott Summers. The two riders banged bars on the last lap,then Plessinger ran out of gas but st ill finished second. (Below) Doug Blackwell (7) takes the early lead ahead of Duane Conner (6), Randy Hawkins (427), Steve Hatch (256) and SCott Phelps (9). By Davey Coombs Photos by C.J. Coombs HICKORY NC, MAR. 26 , o.r the first tim e in nea rly a year Scott Summers returned to the top of the results in the AMA Grand National Cro ss Country Series by winning the Hickory round of the GNCC series in North Ca r olin a . Th e Am eri can Hon d a-backed Summers, from Petersburg, Kent ucky, edged defending G N CC champ Sco tt Plessinger in a close th ree-h ou r battle. Team Suzuki Off-Road stars Steve Hatch and Randy H a w kin s fini sh ed third and fourth , respectively, and Team Yamaha's Fred Andre w s rounded out the to p five overall in the field of 256 motorcycles. "This is the firs t time that I've really been healthy and able to tra in like I want to for th e pa st couple of years," said the 26-year-old Summers, who has F ........ ..l-; . c, <: 30 been hampered by numerous injuries since '93. "I had problems at the start of the race; but I knew I had the time and the strength to g et back up there . Plessinger almo st g ot away but I caught him in time to get a good race going. There were so many fan s out there cheering us on that neither of us probably thought about how tired we might be getting. I'm in shape, the bike is working great and I'm ready to earn the title back. " Summers' North Carolina win , coupled with his runner-up finish at th e series opener in Florida, gives him the early edge in hi s quest for his fourth cross country championship. Summers previo usly won the ti tle in 1990 th ro ugh ' 92. First-round winner Ty Davis d id no t compete. Team Suzuki's Rodney Smith was also a no-show after injuri ng his wris t at the Oca la opener . The Buren Hamrick-designed Hickory course was set up on a sma ll pa tch of la nd measured ou t to seven miles per lap. Numerous sw itchbacks filled the track and kept the speeds at a slower-than-usual average of 21 mph . Warm , su nny weather mad e for a dry track in the open areas but the woods remained mostly dust-free throughout the nearly three-hour-lo ng race. The Pro and A class riders completed eight laps while the amateur divisions were waved off after six laps. Summers' actual finishing time for eight laps was two ho u rs and 48 minutes. Steve McSwain holeshot on a Honda CRSOO, followed by Team SCR's Doug Blackwell, Plessinger, AMA National Enduro Champion Hatch, Andrews, Yamaha-mounted Duane Conner and Suzuki's Guy Cooper. The dry starting area meant tha t many of the riders in . the back of the 17-rider Pro class - Summers, H awkins a nd To m Norton included - would have to carve thr ough th e du st to get a s hot a t t he ea rly leaders. Jus t before dropping into the woods for th e firs t tim e Hawkins fell off hi§ Suzuki w hen he caug ht some thing with the front w hee l. Su mme rs was too close to avo id the falling Suz u ki and tan gled with the mul ti-time en d uro cha mpion. Hawkins resta rte d the race d ead- last wi th SummerS rig ht in fron t of him. Coo pe r and Su mmers soo n hooked u p and moved in tandem up through