Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

EVENTS 1 EDITED BY KEfTHBUSH (Left) Scott Plessinger (2) led early on but Doug Blackwell was first to finish the Davy Crockett Here Scrambles Series In Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. (Above) Robert Petterson completed the Davy Crockett HS just a few bike lengths behind the runner-up. By Paul Michels LAWRENCEBURG, TN, JAN. 26 port Cycle Racing Doug Blackwell powered his Answer-backed Yamaha to a well-deserved win at the Davy Crockett Hare Scrambles, round six of the Mid-South Series. Riders came from as far as Minnesota and Michigan to find warm weather, dirt and racing. The North Alabama Trail Riders Association was just what the woods riders ordered, as they laid out an eight-mile course on the rolling hills and woods close to the legendary hometown of Davy Crockett. Series vice champion Mike Morris had the quickest reflexes as he shot into the woods from the dead-engine start. Morris' lead was short-lived as multitime national and G CC Champion KTM SportcycJe's Scott Plessinger moved into the point position about a mile into the race, when Morris overshot a turn. Sport Cycle Racing's Doug Blackwell followed in second as Sarges Cyclebacked Robert Patterson moved his Suzuki up to third. Mike Sampson on his Team Green Kawasaki kept pace in fourth. Plessinger stretched his lead to about 20 seconds until a get-Qff surrendered any hope of pulling away from the freight train of pro riders in his wake. At lap's end, the order remained the same with Morris recovering for the fifth spot. Lap two saw Plessinger continuing the lead until about the two-mile mark when he clipped a tree and took a little extra time to get going as he was dazed from the crash. "That was bad enough," he said. "Then ju t a half mile later I fell again and everyone got by me." Sampson was there to seize the opportunity as he shot past Patterson and Blackwell and sprinted to the scoring tent with the lead. Blackwell followed with Patterson in tow. Mike Cornett moved his Sport Cycle KTM into fifth at lap's end. Sampson headed out on the third lap and stretched his lead to about 20 sec- S 26 onds or so while Plessinger, Patterson and Blackwell traded positions back and forth the entire lap. At the end of this lap, the order in which they checked in was Sampson, Plessinger, Patterson and Blackwell. After coming through the scoring tent, Plessinger and Blackwell stopped for fuel, which gave Sampson and Patterson the opportunity to pull away. It didn't tak~ long before Plessinger and Blackwell were keying off of each other to catch up to Patterson and Sampson. This cat-and-mouse game continued the entire lap. Sampson was still holding his lead at the end of lap four and looking for his first overall of this series as he headed out on the fifth and final lap with just a slim lead. Plessinger and Blackwell got around Patterson and set out after Sampson. As soon as the duo had Sampson in sight, he fell off a cliff into a creek and nearly submerged his whole bike. "Things were going great," Sampson said. "It happened about five miles out when I was running alongside this creek and hit a log or something and it kicked the bike sideways and ju t hot me into the creek. It was pretty scary at first because I went completely under water. I was lucky to even finish this race because after I pulled my bike out, it started right up and I took off. I would like to thank Factory Connection for the great job they've done on my suspension. It was definitely the key to my success today." With Sampson gone, a three-mile sprint was in the works with Plessinger at the point and Blackwell and Patterson close behind. Plessinger unfortunately got stuck in a rut and watched Blackwell and Patterson shoot past. Their tint out front was short-lived as PleSSinger recovered and banzaied his way back to the leaders. With only a mile left, Plessinger tried in vain to get around Blackwell but had to settle for runner-up honors. We had some good racing out there today," Plessinger said. "I just hit the ground one too many times. I surely don't want to take anything away from Blackwell because he had a good ride and was in the lead when it counted." Plessinger also added that in a twohour race such as this, he knows for sure that they "were running faster than they do in, say, a ational or GNCC because you don't have to pace yourself. We were just flat-out all the time." Patterson came in just a few bike lengths off the pace while a dejected Sampson recovered and garnered fourth ahead of Mike Cornett. Bryan Adams finally broke Tony Hendon's win streak with a win in the 250cc A class. "I had a bad start," Hendon said. "I didn't think I was that far back until the end of the first lap and saw I was seventh. I knew I had some catching up to do. Bryan had a good race, he's always on the gas and in the hunt. He rode well." Chris Hicks held off the adv.ances of Hendon until the last lap to take a welldeserved season-high third in the class. Andy Shea led the 250cc B class all race long until the last lap when he tangled with slower riders and ended up third. Larry Still thumped his way to first place in the Senior B class on his fourstroke as series rival, Tommy Todd on hi Parts Unlimited KTM kept pace in second. Heath Robinson continued his winning ways in the 200cc B action on his KDX while Ron Skipper moved up to take second in the closing stages of the race. In 125cc B action, Sammy Gosnell won a race-long battle with 1.J. Freidli. Mid-South Winter Hare Scrambles Series Lawrenceburg, Tennessee Results: January 26, 1997 O/A: 1. Doug Blackwell (Yam); 2. Scott Plessinger (KTM) 3. Robert Patlerson (Suz); 4. Mike Sampson (Kaw); 5. Bryan Adams (J

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