Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

CROSS COUNTRY AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CROSS COUNTRY SERIES Round 6: Brownsville GNCC Edmondson found his way around the lead trio not long afterward and would hold onto first position as they completed lap one. Dahners had dropped into the second position by the time they rounded the scoring barrels for the first time, followed by Andrews, Hatch, Summers, Plessinger and Hawkins. Brothers Brian and Frank Keegan rode together in ,eighth and ninth, respectively, and Yamaha/SCR's Doug Blackwell completed the top 10. By lap two, Summers and Plessinger had ascended to the second and third spots behind Edmondson. Hatch, still nursing broken ribs, was 16 seconds back in fourth and preparing to mount a 'charge that would take him to the front of the pack by lap three. Dahners had slipped to fifth position, a spot that he would maintain until the last lap. Andrews was in sixth, dealing with the difficulties of returning to National-level competition after being sidelined with his back injury. "] haven't ridden for two months, and my arms went to putty," Andrews said. "They pumped up like Popeye after the first two turns, and I just tried to hold 'em off as long as] could. ] couldn't hold By Jim Talkington BROWNSVILLE, PA, MAY 11 familiar but unfamiliar face grinned happily atop the rostrom following the Brownsville Grand National Cross Country race, as multi-time GNCC Champion Scott Plessinger finally claimed his first win of the year, six rounds into the 12-event series. Typically a slow series starter, Plessinger left Brownsville a very different man. Before the event, the Hamilton, Ohio, native told those close to him that he was in a "must win" situation. It wasn't until after the event that he admitted with candor that his confidence before the race wasn't what it should be. Difficulties with bike setup and physka 1 condi tioning were beginning to take their toll on the two-time GNCC champ, but he obviously has managed to put these setbacks behind him, at least for now. "] didn't really have a lot of confidence coming into this race," he admitted. "] haven't been riding much, but I've been training really hard. ] also did some things to the bike's suspension this week, and] had no idea if they-were going to work. It took me a while to get some confidence - about three laps before I could hit anything hard, because ] wasn't sure what it (the bike) was going to do. By then] realized that it was working so good that it felt like] was riding slow. It seemed like 1 could catch those guys anytime] wanted to." Finishing just eight seconds behind Plessinger was Team Suzuki's Paul Edmondson, who hung tough with the winner until the last few miles, when he encountered problems in a difficult creek crossing. Third overall went to Team Yamaha/ Cycle Gear's Randy Hawkins, the reigning National Enduro Champion. Fourth and fifth spots were decided in a photo finish, with Team Yamaha/ Andrew's Racing's Fred Andrews (returning from a back injury suffered earlier in the year) edging out Team Honda's Scott Summers at the finish line. rt was a tough day for Team Suzuki, (Above) SCott Plessinger (2) lollows Steve Hatch Into the tim tum; Ples8lnger went on to score his tim win 01 the year at the Brownsville GNCC. (Right) Paul Edmondson was leading lour miles from the IInlsh but was passed by Plessinger just belore the checkerBd lIag. Edmondson IInlshed second. with Edmondson losing a close one to Plessinger and series points leader going into the race Steve Hatch suffering a very untimely DNF. While Plessinger had approached the starting line concealing his concern over mental preparedness, Hatch awaited the start with a physical . handicap that he had effectively kept quiet. Having broken three ribs in a practice crash in California just days earlier, Hatch arrived in Brownsville ready to make a go despite the injury. Four laps into the event a fifth-gear spill reinjured Hatch's delicate right side, and he would soon be on the next plane home. His failure to finish put Team Honda's Scott Summers into the points lead for the first time this season. Another injured Suzuki teamster, National Hare Scrambles Champion Rodney Smith, was unable to compete, once again, due to injury. (He will return by the next round.) His mechanic, Mark Hyde, spoke optimistically of his rider's return. "Rodney's doing great," he said. "He had knee surgery (for a partial ligament tear) and he almost rode this week, but we figured it would be best if he didn't. He'll be back at Boyers (Pennsylvania). He's doing really well and he started riding again this week." A total of 333 riders gathered at the starting line for the day's race, the front row consisting of 19 Pro-class entrants. The starting area was a long, grassy uphill with a 90-degree left-hand bend that led directly into the 8-mile woods section. Riders would later re-enter the view of the pit area when they charged onto the motocross track to complete the lap. An interesting fact about the motocross track is that, prior to hosting off-road racing, it was the site of the Brownsville Luzerne Community Golf Course. Seventeen years ago, Dave Coombs of Racer Productions and the city fathers of Brownsville first made it possible for off-road riders to have their dream of riding on a golf course, and to this day the track continues to hold the annual GNCC event and local and regional motocross races. First off the line was Hatch, who nabbed yet another holeshot, with the KTMs of Plessinger and Jason Dahners just behind him. Edmondson was making moves to try to enter the top three when the pack almost immediately disappeared from sight after the first turn. on any longer and the throttle started to stick, so] let 'em by." Brian Keegan dropped off the lead pace by lap two with a faulty radiator cap, and Blair Bersano and his KTM took over Keegan's former place inside the top 10. Lap four took its toll on Summers and Hatch, the two riders currently at the top of the GNCC points battle. It was in the pits at the completion of the lap that the injured Hatch was helped from his motorcycle by team boss Mike Webb, and he called it quits for the day. Summers suffered a mechanical prob-

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