Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ "You couldn't see anything out there," said Smith. "I think it was the dumbest race we ever did and I'm just glad no one got seriously injured, hospitalized or even killed out there. It was so bad £hat I was going to pull off on the first lap and just use the event as one of my throwaways, but by about the third lap enough riders had quit so that it got a little better out there and I was able to work my way back up." As Hatch reappeared from the wooded section on the second ha.lf of the course, he enjoyed a huge 45-second advantage over his closest adversary Summers. Plessinger managed to push back and hold a slight lead over Hawkins, who was only a few bike lengths ahead of a charging Andrews. Conner began his second lap holding onto sixth ahead of Keegan, who held a decent advantage over Smith and Dahners. As the front-runners reached the ·middle of the second lap, Hatch now held a healthy one-minute advantage over Summers, who was trying everything he could to reel in the leader. Plessinger appeared next, approximately 41 seconds behind Summers, and 10 seconds behind him was Hawkins and Andrews. Conner, not liking his lonely sixth position, learned his way around the circuit and slowly but surely began to reel in the two riders ahead of him. But he was unaware that behind him was a rapidly closing Smith. At the scoring barrels, Hatch had stretched out his lead over Summers, .who maintained the gap between himself and Plessinger. Andrew and Hawkins continued their battle for fourth, while Smith overtook Dahners and managed to gain on Conner. Hawkins' battle with Andrews ended when he slowly rode his bike into the pits and called it a day. "To be honest, 1 don't have a clue what happened to the bike," sa1d Hawkins. "It just started running really lean and lost all its water." Just as Andrews thought his scrap for fourth place was over, Smith's forward momentum carried him into war with Andrews. When it was time to pit for gas, Hatch jammed into his pit area with a very healthy one-and-a-half-minute lead over Summers, who was having his own problems with a rapidly closing Plessinger. Next in for gas after Plessinger was Smith, followed by Andrews and Conner, who began the next lap battling handlebar to handlebar with the former GNCC Champ, Andrews. The order was the same at the halfway point of the lap with the exception of a missing Andrews. '1 kind of messed up back in the earlier part of the course in the dust," said And·rews. 'T fell and that caused my clutch lever to completely snap off the bike, so that was it for me." On the fifth lap, the struggle over second place between Summers and Plessinger was in top gear. When they careened out of the wooded area onto the motocross section, it was obvious that Plessinger had gained a slight advantage over his rival. "Around the middle of the race or so, I decided that 1 had better get moving," said Plessinger. "I 'caught Summers up here in the tight, wooded area. 1 didn't want to follow Scott all that long, the dust was really thick out there and 1 was concerned about my air filter since 1 had to work my way up through everyone out there up to that point. He went wide in I tum and 1 cut underneath him. 1 tried to push it, but he managed to catch (Left) Hatch (11) and Rodney Smith (1) went Into the first tum side by side, but Smith grabbed too much front brake and lost the front end. He recoV1lred to finish fourth. (Below left) KTM rider Jason Dahners rounded out the top five overall. (Below) Scott Summers was running In second place on the last lap before getting passed by Plessinger and then crashing. He stili took the checkers In third place. back up to me, so 1 just put my head down, kept him behind me and even managed to gain a little cushion between us." That cushion was the result of a slight miscue by Summers. "Scott (Plessinger) caught up with me, and he had a better line through a tight comer way over on the inside, which 1 hadn't noticed. He got around me, and after that it was a really dusty section, so 1 tried to wick 'it back up to hound him and hopefully find another place to pass him back. 1was in his dust, made a mistake and fell over, which allowed him to get away. 1 couldn't gain that back no matter how hard 1 rode, so that was that." The last lap would prove to be a barnstormer as Hatch crossed the barrels, and shot immediately and unexpectedly into his pits. Concerned that his tank wasn't completely topped off at the previous pit, Hatch came in for a splash of gas and was off with a slightly smaller lead. "1 came up on that last lap and everyone was pointing at the gas as well as trying to stop me," said Hatch. "We had used the strategy just like everyone else used - three laps, gas and finish out the last three laps. We weren't sure if 1 got the full shot of gas out of the canister at the earlier gas stop. It would've been a shame to run out of gas on the last lap." Hatch, unaware of just how small his lead had become due to the unplanned stop, clicked into cruise mode until a group of his friends raced over to a section of the course and signaled that he had only 30 seconds over second place. After realizing that his race-long dominance was being threatened on the last lap, Hatch quickly upshifted, picked up his pace and crossed the finish line one minute .and 40 seconds ahead of Plessinger. Summers claimed third only 20 seconds behind Plessinger, and Smith crossed the line in fourth. Next across the finish line was Conner, followed by Dahners. Four minutes later followed Keegan and fellow Yamaha competitor, Steve Leivan. The final two positions in the top 10 belonged to a pair of Suzuki support sponsored 250cc A competitors, Ross Benson and Barry Hawk Jr. "I think the key today was to just have fun out there and not think or worry too much about the lead or who was behind me or anything like that," said Hatch. "This was especially easy with all my friends and family, who seemed to line this entire course. I'm going to see if 1 can get all these people to come out for the last three rounds of this series and keep the momentum going." CN Speedsville National Speedsvllle, NY Resuhs: July 16, 1995 (After 6 of 9 rounds) O/A: 1. Steve Hatch (Suz); 2. Scott Plessinger (KTM); 3. Scott Summer> (Hon); 4. Rodney Smith (Suz); 5. Duane Conner (Yam); 6. Jason Dahners (KTM); 7. Brian Keegan (Yam); 8. Steve Leivan (Yam); 9. Ross Benson (Suz); 10. Barry Hawk Jr. (Suz). AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HARE SCRAMBLES SERIES POINT STANDINGS (After 6 of 9 rounds), 1. Scott Summers (140/1 win); 2. Rodney Smith (135/1 win); 3. Jason Dahners (71); 4. Eric . Mashbir (67); 5. Steve Hatch (66/1 win); 6. Steve Leivan (58); 7. Leigh LetelUer (47); 8. Duane Conner (34); 9. (TIE) Ty Davis (1 win)/Brian Keegan (30); 11. Barry Hawk (26); 12. Guy Cooper (25); 13. (TIE) Ryan Huffman/Tom Notton (21); 15. Brian Garrahan (18); 16. Cole Marshall (16); 17. (TlE) Chris Thiele/David Rhodes/Martin Kehlmeier/Danny Hamel (15). Upcoming Rounds: Round 7 - Millfield, OH, October 8 Round 8 - Lynnville, IN, October 22

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