Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

IN FOCUS BY JIM TALKlNGTON hen Paul Edmondson won the recent Loretta Lynn's combined Grand National Cross Country / AMA National Hare Scrambles, it was one of the best possible things to happen in the sport of off-road racing in America. Boy, am I going to take some heat for that statement. Edmondson's arrival has hot been without controversy, firstly with his recruitment to Suzuki meaning that Randy Hawkins would be displaced from the team, and secondly the inevitable "us vs. them" that results from throwing a forei gner into the mix. The 'arrival of the 27-year-old British rider was greeted much the same as motocrosser Jean-Michel Bayle at the turn of the decade, namely, "How can we let one of them beat us in our own backyard, even if he is a multi-time World Champion?" Looking first at .the controversy surrounding Randy Hawkins being let go from the Suzuki team, that was indeed a sad decision, a sad day and sad ensuing months. I can't say that Edmondson's win was a good thing without giving equal time and aading that Hawkins being terminated after an impeccable tenure at U.S. Suzuki was one of the worst possible things to ha ppen to the sport of off·road racing in America. Hawkins was released while holdirig the National Enduro Series numberone plate, a goal that he had attained five previous times. He is also a premier ISDE rider for the United States and gets untold amounts of great press W 30 YEARS AGO.•. MAY 4,1967 N orton's Buddy Parriott won the 500cc and 500cc / Open GP main events at an AFM National Road Race at Stardust Raceway in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dale Alexan- . der won the Open class, Ron Grant won the Production class, Art Bauman won the 350cc and 250cc GP classes, Fred MuhIberg won the 175cc class, Steve McLaughlin won th.e 125cc and 100175cc GP classes and Ron Grant won the 100cc class...Husky's J.N. Roberts won the Foothill Hawks Desert Chase in California City, California. Greeves-mounted Gary Conrad took second overall and first 250cc Expert and Trium phmounted Dick Dean finished third overall and first Open Expert. Tom Fee won the Trailbike class on a Hodaka... BSA's Don Vesco took the Open class worldwide because he is not only an incredible rider but likable in every respect. I can only imagine that Hawkins was Suzuki of Japan's favored off-road son because he and Scott Summers are' worshipped by the Japanese public and frequent the pages of prominent off-road publications in Asia. But sometimes things are not viewed the same way in America's corporate boardrooms as they are at the 9-mile • win at the Carlsbad Road Races in Carlsbad, California, over Triumph-mounted Dusty Coppage and Swede Savage on Honda in second and - third, respectively. Yamaha-mounted John Hately won the 50cc Grand Prix class. marker when you're knee deep in mud and cheering on your favorite rider. Luckily for both Hawkins and the raceviewing public, Cycle Gear and Yamaha did not let the free agent sit by the phone for long before setting him up with the tools he needed to pursue another title or two. In return, he has rewarded them with some excellent results whi Ie adapting to his new ride. He has made the best possible results of a bad situation. I guess that is truly the mark of a champion, isn't it? Paul Edmondson is also a champion and is here to do a job that he was hired to do, regardless of the circumstances surrounding his appointment. Going into Loretta Lynn's, round four of the Grand National Cross Country Series, spectators had seen him bonk out of a race twice and finish a distant fourth at the other event. There was no reason for the uneducated spectator t.o consider him a threa t, though the knowledgeable could see brilliance in his riding style. I've known KTM's Scott Plessinger for some time, and when the race became a battle between him and Edmondson, I imagined that Plessinger would pullout the win. He is familiar wi th Loretta Lynn's, having ridden there many years, is a two-time GNCC Champion and looked and sounded particularly strong when spoken to prior to the event. His rival, on the other hand, decided to forego the pre-race autograph session and was off on his own while the series regulars went about their typical pre-race routine. As you might know by now, the finishing order was Edmondson, Plessinger and Summers. No one gave any quarter or asked for any, and the masses of Summers and Plessinger fans were nearly silent when "the foreigner" accepted the overall trophy. What happened is what made the event truly great, "one of the best possible things to happen to offroad racing," like I stated earlier. Three champions shared the podium, . and while many may have chosen to view the racing situation as "us being beaten by them," th.e men who had just gotten off their motorcycles viewed it as "the best man had won on this day." After three hours of racing, the trio was interviewed while still covered with mud, dust and sweat, and they hadn't a care about where anyone was from, or whether th.eir accent was deep south or cockney. Scott Summers pointed out, almost with a smile (that only five-time GNCC National Champions will allow themselves) that "I've got to take my hat off to Paul Edmondson... To all those people who said that he couldn't win a GNCC - well, they were wrong." And when the crowd disbanded, Edmondson and Plessinger were left at the podium, talking to each other about the day's race. Similar in size, stature and easygoing temperament, the two conversed as if they had done so many times, and a few people remained to see just what this "new guy" might be about. What they saw was two married men who race motorcycles for a living, one expecting his first child and another whose two children were awaiting him back at the motorhome for the drive home. The conjecture and folly surroun.ding Edmondson's ability to cope with this new form of racing (to him) has now been silenced, and everyone can get back to the task ;!It hand - going for the championship. '. Four winners in four races now that.'s a great thing for the sport. IN Englund and James Smith on a PenModified 9- to 11-year-old class, Brian ton... eN spoke with road.racer Terry Swink won the 83cc Modified Expert Clark, who had crashed at the Daytona (12+) class and Kyle Lewis won the 200 while doing 170 mph, breaking his 125cc Stock and Modified left ankJe ...Team Harley Davidson's classes ... Ducati-mbunted Geoff Bruce Ogilvie shot his orange 250cc into McCarthy won the La Carrera Classic II the)ead at the Rovers MC AMA District Road Race in San Felipe, Mexico. 37 Boner Run Hare and Hound in Duanne Summers finished second on a Lucerne, California, and was never Ducati and Jim Roche took third place headed en route to the win... Tom Kelly on a BMW...Kevin Hines guided his took his KTM 250 to the win in the DRA KTM 350 to the overall victory by a slim Greasewood Derby'in California City, margin at the Fool's Gold AMA Nationin California. Mike Johnston finished ~r:~'1~~!I!~_~al Enduro second on a KTM 400 and D.oug ( Georgetown, Winchell brought his Yamaha 250 in Georgia. Hines' for third-place honors. per for man c e edged out Husky pilots Dave 10 YEARS AGO... Bertram and Jeff APRIL 29,1987 Irwin by one point ini-star Jeff Emig was on the to win the 103-mile cover of CN as he raced to contest. Kayo Racvictory at the NMA World ing's Kevin Minis in Henderson, Nevada, capRentzell and Ron' turing wins in the 83cc Stock Ewerth took t.heir Expert (12+) class and the SuperYamaha to the win mini class. Ezra Lusk won the in the WERA Junior Cycle Modified 9- to 11National Endurance year-old class, the 83cc Modified Series race in Cler9- to ll-year-old class and the 105cc mont, Indiana. fN M

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