Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

tor leak" so we pu lled over just af ter I caught up to Freddy. I pulled back out in fourth a nd tried to pass Blackwell d ow n in the m ud hole, and went over the bars. I lost a couple more pos itions, and th en I go t st uck in th e next mu dhole. On the next lap, two lappers go t in m y way, and they go t us stuck in the mud hole, and the re we re vines wra pped in the bike. I tw eaked my knee... I just co uldn' t do any thi ng right o n laps two , three and four." By the race's midpoint, a cha lle nge for th e lead was materializ ing in th e form of Plessinger and his '98 KTM 200. On la p fo ur, Plessinger too k over the runn e r -up s lo t, rel e gat in g Ha tch to thi rd . Blackwell and Co nner com pleted th e top five. Jus t outside th e top 10 w a s Cycle Gear / Team Yama ha's Rand y Hawkins, who had been dealing with d iffi culty from the start. "I made a bad d ecision ," Hawkins ad m itted later. "We made some suspensio n changes this pa st w eek, and we did n' t tes t them in roots like this (trail has ). I can really sympathize with Scott (Pless inger's) problems this year... If the bike's not working right, it jus t makes it tha t much har der to make up tim e." With thr ee laps to go, Plessinger felt good abo ut where he was. "I felt reall y good," Plessinger sa id. "I got a big burst of energy the re three laps from the end, and I thou ght, 'Well, I can go the d is tance .' I kn ew pl a ces w here th ose guys were kill ing me (on . bigger machi nes ) in the d eep s ilt, bu t o ther places I felt like 1 was going faster than they were. 1 can't belie ve how fast th is bi ke is for a 200. It doesn' t rea lly give up anything to these 25Os." It was jus t after the halfway point tha t Ha tch 's Ci nderella charge at the championship began to come u nd one. Riding we ll enough to earn the seco nd overall n ece ssary to ke ep Suzuki's cham pions hip ho pes alive, it was the mac hine and no t the man that wou ld eventually call an end to his race on the next-to-Iast lap. "Yeah, th e (ig ni tio n) flywheel just came apa rt, w hich I've never seen in my entire caree r," a dejected Hatch related from the Su zuki pits, po intin g to the silent number-three machine. "We'Il jus t have to chalk it up to expe rience, unfortu nately-.1 felt good, but my back was s till defin itely so re and hurt because I haven't been able to do anything the last four weeks. I was jus t glad to be han ging aro u nd in there in the top five , so tha t was good. I had a lot left for the last la p , whic h I was p lan ni ng o n sa ving, since I wasn' t as health y as usua l. I was ri ding real safe and co nserva tive and wan ted to get a top two, for sure , but that's the way it goes . We' ll be back next year." The final lap saw the top five undecided u n til the wave of the checkers. And rews' lea d was a hea lthy 48 sec onds , bu t behin d him a skirmish for the top spots wa s going on, as Plessinger had backed off a bit by the fina l lap. "I started ge tti ng tired th e last two laps, and Fred just sta rted pulling away from me ," Plessinger said . Definitely no t part of the plan was the former GNCC champ' s next tu m of events. "A bout halfway throug h the last lap, the bike started runn ing lean, and it ran o u t of gas and stopped co mple te ly!" Plessinger sa id. '1 pu t it on reserve, and th ey go t m e so me gas after about four miles on reserve. 1 could hear Blackw ell co mi ng through the woods." Gassed trailside and away just before Blackwell's Yamaha reached him, Plessinger crossed th e lin e 36 sec o nd s behi nd win ne r Andrews . Bla ckwell trailed in just 11 seconds off the runnerup position for his best of the year. There a re those wh o would argue th a t for Andrews, winning an overall has no t bee n a m a tte r of " if" but "when." Ridi ng extremely well in the second half of the season afte r overcoming a back injury which forced him out of fo u r even ts ea rly in t he ye a r, Andrews put o n a clinic at Lisbon. "It's been a long yea r," And rews said . "I was hurt and people had their doubts in me. People probably think I ride this place every day (Lisbon is 30 miles from his home in Salem), but I've been here (o nly) tw ice - once las t yea r a nd no w tod ay. I don' t know this place any better th an a nybody else. I just had a lo t of heart tod ay,"and I need ed to wi n so me races! I wasn't tired at all, an d I wasn't wo rri ed ab out them catching me. I just rod e rea lly hard and rod e my own race." . Blackwell , still re covering fro m a rot ato r-cu ff sho ulder injury, was obv iously pleased with third position . "It was just a really goo d day; everything see med to go my way," Blackwe ll said . "I just kind of let things sort themselves out. Everybody was just jockeying for po sit ion there, and I just stayed smoo th and rod e my own race. O nce I go t to th e ga s, we go t a go od cha rge going." . Out o n th e tr a ck , fo urth t hro ug h sixth had yet to be decid ed. Smi th had sta rted the lap in sixth but rose to fourth by race's end , pas s tng Co n ne r a nd retired teammate Hatch. Displaying the perseverance tha t defines champions, Smith had rise n five spots in the last two laps . Conner claimed fifth with Keegan knocking on his back door, just one second separa ting the tw o rid er s. Conner was happy wit h his race but had to deal wi th effects recu rring from his se rious hand injury earlier in the year. "I rod e really good the whole time ," Con ner sa id. "I thin k I stayed in the top four or so ove ra ll for most of th e race. O n the second -to-l as t lap, the re was a mu d hol e that we we re jumping , a nd I hit neutral and we nt over the ba rs bigtime and hurt my wris t. Rod ney Sm ith caug ht me on the last lap, and passed, a n d he w a s g o i ng so good th at I cou ld n' t really hold on and kee p up. It felt good to finish this race and be righ t on the pace, though. Next week sho uld be good for us." Team Green Kawasaki's Keegan put in anot he r consistent rid e, nearly snatching the fifth sp ot from Co nne r. In seventh and eight h overall we re KTM riders Dahners and Lafferty. Barry Hawk, 250cc A-c1ass and qua dcycle star, earned hi s fourth straig ht finis h in side of the top 10 overall, taki ng ninth just ahead of Ie' Hawkins. (Above) Desp ite still being Injured, Sieve Hatch (3) made a hasty return to the series In the hope 01 snatching away the championship . Hatch did wha t he COU ld, grabb ing the holeshot and leading the race early before dropping out with a brOKen flywheel, (Leh) Scott Plessinger put together a solid ride on a KTM 200. Plessinger ran out 01 gas on the final lap, but was able to refuel quickly enough to keep the runner-up spot (Right) Doug Blackwell finish ed third overall to make Sport Cycles Racing team Yamahas first and thi rd on the podium . Bla ckwell almost caught Plessinger when th e KTM ri der had hi s fuel troubles. He was nonetheless pleased with his performa nce. (Below) Hardly the royal treatment: GNCC Cha mpi on-efect SCott Ples singer's day went from bad t o worse, as he tried t o ov ercome a bad start, only to crash and break his left leg . Summers will probably mi ss th e final round In Virginia. 200 B: 1. u.;bby Hud nall (Suzl; 2. Ryan Rodgers (Kki Lis bon GNCC Lis bon, Ohio Results: October 19, 1997 (Round 12 of 13) O IA: 1. Fred An d rews (Yam ); 2. Sco tt Plessing er (KTM) ; 3 . Doug Bla ckwell (Ya m) ; 4. Rodney Sm ith (S uz); 5. D ua ne Con n er (Y4I m ); 6 . Brfan Keegan (Ka w); 7. [a son Dahners (KTM ); 8. Mid u lt!'l u fferty (KT M) ; 9. Bur y H4Iw l (Su z); 10. R4Indy Hawkin s (Yam) ; 11. Milt- Sampson (Ka w); 12. Brian Garrahan (KTM); 13. ~hu.l ~d.A!'vy (Hon); H . Hea th Ben nett (Yam) ; 15. Sco tt Plwl~ (K.llw); 16 . Aa ro n Kopp ($uz); 17. Th oma !\ Carson (Su7.); 18. Rodnl."Y Ju d !'\On (Hbg); 19. Ross Benson (Suz); 20. Jimmy Lewis (Ho n). PRO: 1. Fred Andrews (Y. m); 2. Sco tt Messin ger (KT M); 3. Doug Blackwell (Yo1m) ; 4. Rodney Sm ith (Suz.); 5. Duane Co nner (Ya m) . OPEN A: 1. Rodney Judson IH b g) : 2. Mike G rizzle (H bg) ; 3. Richard Burbick (KT M) ; 4. Da ve Gu nn (KTM); 5. Richud Bryan (Hbg). 250 A: 1. Barry Hawk (Suz) ; 2. Aaron Kopp (Suz); 3 . R~!O Ben son <.."'.u:) ; 4. Robbi~ J..nks (Yam ); 5. John Benn ett (Ya m). 200 A: 1. JO!\hua McLr vy (I-Ion); 2. Hea th Ben nett (Ya m); 3. Scott Phelps (Kaw ); 4. Corey Pa rli n (Ya m); 5. Curti, Bard on ner (Ya m) . 4-STRK A: 1. Ronn ie Burn field tSu z ); 2. Cu rt Wilco x (Suz); 3. DariU lO Lart..a (Suz); 4 . John Sh.llffet' (Suz) ; S. Jo h n G ri m m (Ho n). VET A: 1. Thoma" C,1II''oOn (Suz); 2. Ti m Sh."hard (Yam); 3. Kei th Rod lSr'n Uuw); 4. Jl."ff Murgl."l (Yam) ; 5. Ron Pal e-rmo (Suz). S R A: 1. Ga r y Sem ics (Suz); 2. Richard Krest c (Su z); 3. Robin Miller (Yam ); 4. Randy Mastin (Yam ); 5. Pau l Michels (A S/SR : 1. Fra nk Erbe (Ya m); 2. Phil A n d r e ws (Y4I m) ; 3 . Joh n Ga lla g her (KT M) ; 4. Wa yn e Beatty (y4Im); 5. On e ~hner (Kaw). O P EN B: 1. Ja lOOn Jarvi!> (KTM); 2. Ste ve Linton (KTM); 3. Ste ven Bowe r (I(TM ); 4 . Tim Prechtl (KTM); 5. John Karcz (KTM) . 250 B; 1. Ch uc k Woodford (Yam); 2. Ricki McAh... (Ya m ); 3. Jon We-ndell (Slu J ; 4. Andy Shea (KTM ); 5. Ma rk She rw ood (KT M). no. (Y,lm); 5. Todd Morrow ( Kaw ). 4 ~ S TR K B: 1. Scu tt Ma r tt n (Kaw ); 2 . M,lfty Michels IHo nl . 3. Ron Myer s (Suz); 4. Shane Mun ger (Sm,;); 5. Jef f Corm (Suz ). VET B: 1. Clark Mun ger (Suz); 2. David Molna r (Suz) ; 3 . Mi ke Copela nd (Ga s) ; 4 . Ke rry Ja ck son (Ko1W); 5. Cu rtis Bald wi n (Yo1m) . S R B: 1. Richard Stro und (Yam); 2. Mark Mihalik (Kaw): 3. [ames v tcheck (Ya m); 4. Michael Schwartz (Suz ); 5. Rick 'Thom pson (Kaw). O PEN C: 1. Brad H am ri ck (Yam) ; 2. No rm a n Fet h (Ydm) ; 3. Jaco b Coy (Kaw): 4. Jac k Falbo (K.lw) ; 5. Roht-rt Hudnall (Su z) 200 C: 1. MiL.l." McC rl.",) (Ka w ); 2. Jo ,.-,h Rogl."ni (Ka w); 3 . ' d f Melik (Yam) ; 4. Bria n Sebben (Yam); 5. Ma tt YukE'vich 4· S TR K C: I. Bre t Kale ( H bg ); 2 . Kevi n Ouesenbc rry (Han) ; J . Albert La sh (lion); 4. Matt Bostian (Hbg); 5. Michael Murphy (H on). Spor ts m.an : 1. Jeff rey Copas (KTM); 2. SheJ1~ Kann (Yam) . MI"" JR: 1. Rale igh Th om psen ( ~ w ); 2. Branden Max w e 11 (Sud; 3. O.R. At w ood (Ya m) ; 4. Bradley SJ""vod. (Ho n); 5. Joh n Ayers (Kaw ). u MINI S R: 1. Cole C..l1 n!> (K..w) ; 2. Ierod Deahl (Y..m); 3. Joo<.hua McLev y (K..w); 4. $tolh P.. ItOIl (Y.llm); 5. Willie' w es tb rook Ufon). SeB BY: 1. Kn in Woodford (Yam) ; 2. Matthew Bucher (Y.ml . WM N : 1. Becky Fo r d (Hbgl; 2 . Je'n nife r lin t (Ho n). AM A C R AN D N ATIO NAL C RO S S C OUNTR Y S ERIES POI NTS ST AND IN CS IAfter 12 o f 13 ro und a; besl 8 o f 12 rou nd s ulcuI4lIed ): I. Sco tt Summer, (15 2 /3 wins); 2. Steve Hatch (1 47 / 2); 3. Fred Andrews (143/ 1); 4. Rodney Sm ith (134-/3); 5. Scot t PIl:'S!>in ger (127/1); 6. Rand y Hawkins (122); 7. J"!iOn Ddhnt"n (115); 8. Bri" n K_ gu (111) ; 9. Doug 81.ackWI."II 10. PillUl Ed mondson (94/ 2); 11. Jim J.,lnrit (93); 12. B....rry U.llwk (16); 13. ThoIl\

• Cover