Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

on Smith's heels in second. Andrews, Lafferty, and the Team Suzuki duo of Steve Hatch and Paul Edmondson all followed the leader within 10 seconds. The top-lO cluster was rounded out by South Carolina's Frank Ramey, Dahners, Summers and Italian Import Luca Trussardi. By lap two, some major movements had taken place among the top ranks, most notably Brian Keegan's one-lap charge from 16th to first. By jumping a creek crossing tha t not all riders attempted every lap and by using his tight-woods skills honed in western Pennsylvania, Keegan ripped to the fastest lap time of the day - and to the head of the pack. Also moving forward was Summers, who picked up two spots and climbed to seventh. , Plessinger's luck was not as good, having lost a shift lever on the second lap and falling' from second to sixth after. just one of three of his unscheduled pit stops during the day. Edmondson also lost four places and cruised in 10th after beginning a backward slide that would eventually see him pull out after four laps. Unable to start the previous round due to a shoulder injury suffered just days prior to the event, "Eddy" used Big Buck as an opportunity to become acclimated to competition once again. "1 haven't really ridden in the woods since last June, when I hurt my knee (at Ule Starvation Point GNCC)," Edmohdson said. ''I'm just trying to get out there and get s.ome riding in until I'm back at Ule level that 1 need to be. My neck and shoulder starting hurting and I didn't want to push it today. 1 feel good that I got in four laps, and l'm looking forward to Loretta Lynn's in two weeks (the site of Edmondson's first GNCC win last year)." Suzuki teammate Steve Hatch would also be unable to go the distance after crashing and hurting his pelvis. Also unable to get in much riding time over the winter due to injury, Hatch felt he had made progress at this race. "1 was about 65 percent at Okeechobee and 80 percent here, but I just couldn't keep going after I hit a tree," he said: "I just need to keep making steady progress and I'll be up there soon." Things were 'beginning to look all green up front by the third go-around, when Andrews joined up with teammate Keegan and the two enjoyed running together in the top two spots for a couple of laps. "Me and Fred got together on the second lap and just pulled away 30some seconds on Rodney (Smith)," Keegan noted. "Actually, I think we were playing around too much, because we ended up hitting into each other and crashing, and that's how they caught us." "It's just like we were on a trail ride together," Andrews said later. "You know, 1 can trust him and he can trust me, and we were just kind of cruising. Rodney was with us and then we stopped for gas and we were still all together. Then Summers was catching us and I was going as fast as I wanted to go, and he (Summers) wanted to go faster." . Taking the lead on lap five, everything was working well for Summers. "My bike just works so good on this course," Summers said. "The same thing happened a year ago: I ran out of gas and was a minute or two down and I came back and won it. When Rodney fell in front of me, I got the lead and it was the first time all day that FlO one was in front of me and I could go as fast as 1wanted to go, so 1 just hammered on and gained maybe 40 or 45 seconds." After seven laps, Summers collected the checkered flag 35 seconds ahead of Smith, who only found a comfortable rhythm toward the end of the event. "When Summers caught up to us, I had a big crash after hitting some tree roots and fell back to fifth or sixth," Smith said. 'T caught back up and then crashed again - I just made a lot of mistakes today. I'd drop back, then come back up, drop back, then come back up. 1 Hnally settled into second with two laps to go and got away from Fred (Andrews) a little bit and could go at my own pace." Andrews trailed a minute and one second behind the leader. ~'I'll take third," Andrew said. "I could've done a little better, but it's good to be in the points lead. I'm happy for myself and Kawasaki and the rest of my sponsors". The rest of the field was 2 1/2 minutes behind the top three, with Keegan the next to get th~ checkered flag. Lafferty finished a career-high GNCC fifth after crashing with two laps to go and physically "hitting the wall." Hawkins and Dahners boomed their four-strokes into the sixth and seventh spots. Dahners was pleased with seventh aboard his new Husaberg ride, and also with the fan support he encountered down in NASCAR country. When he dropped the hammer on the big thumper, the crowd responded. "I got the biggest cheers down at the big creek jump," Dahners said. "Man, everybody was cheering when they heard me coming - it was great! I still need to dial the jetting in, but if it stalls, all you have to do it is plant both feet and hit the electric start. I had a lot of fun." Dismal luck left Plessinger in eighth, but he never gave up after fighting back from all of the bad cards he had been dealt. '~I broke my shift lever on the first lap and had to stop and replace it," Plessinger explained. "Also on the first lap, something happened to my forks; I thought something broke inside of them. Every time I'd go into a turn or tree roots, I'd just fall over. It felt really weird, and I finally hit a tree and busted the throttle, so I had to come in and replace that. While they were doing that, I looked down and saw that the rebound adjuster was totaIIy closed down. A tree got in there and just pulled it shot. The last two laps 1 felt great and was riding really fa.st. I came from around 12th back up to eighth." (Above left) The openinground winner, Fred Andrews, raced to third overall and still maintains the series points lead over Summers, 38-37. (Above right) Andrews' teammate, Brian Keegan (9), turned in a good ride to finish fourth overall. (Right) Defending National Enduro champion Mike Lafferty Jr. showed. he could run the pace by taking fifth after three hours of racing. GNCC quadcycle champ Barry .Hawk Jr. brought his Yamaha in for ninth place and rounded out the fourstroke contingent. Jim Jarrett's Kawasaki filled out the top 10 after besting the 250cc A class and the majority of the Pro riders. l~ t998 Big Buck GNCC Cross Keys, South Carolina Results: March 22, 1998 (Round 2 of 13) O/A: 1. Scott Summers (Hon); 2. Rodney Smith Fred Andrews (Kaw); 4. Brian Keegan (Kaw); S. Mike Lafferty Jr, (KTM); 6. Randy Hawkins (Yam); 7. Jason Dahners (Hbg); 8. Scott Plessinger (KTM); 9. Barry Hawk Jr. (Yam); 10. Jim Jarrett (Kaw); 11. Steve McSwain CKaw); 12. Scott Mclaughlin (Yam); 13. Luca Trussardi (Kaw); 14. Chu~k Woodford (Kaw); 15. Doug Maseneup (Kaw); 16. Tim Shephard (Vam); 17. Ronnie Burnfield (Suz); 18..Robbie Jenks (Yam); 19. jan Hreher (KTM); 20. Patrick Timothy O(aw). PRO: 1. Scott Summers (Hon); 2. Rodney Smith (S.u.z); 3. Fred Andrews (Yam); 4. Brian Keegan (Kaw); 5. Mkhael Lafferty (KTM). OPEN A: 1. Michael Grizzle CHbg); 2. Ron Palermo (KTM); 3. James McRee (KTM); 4. Dave Gunn (Han); 5. Tommy Harris (KTM). 250 A: 1. Jim Jarrett (Kaw); 2. Chuck Woodford (Kaw); 3. Doug Masencup (Kaw); 4. Ronnie Burnfield (Suz); 5. Robbie Jenks (Yam). 200 A: 1. Tommy Veator (Kaw); 2. Luke McNeil (Yam); 3. Steven Graves (5uz); 4, Kevin Hull (Kaw); 5. Lee Stephens (Kawl. .4-STRK A: ]. Kevin Bennett (Hon); 2. Harvey Whltaker (Kaw); 3. Jolm Shaffer (Kaw); 4. Scott Martin (Yam); 5. Don Boho (KTM). VET A: L Steve McSwain (Kaw); 2. Tim Shephard (Vam); 3. Jan Hrehor (KTM); 4. Gerald Greene (Vam); 5. Keith Rodgers O(aw). SR A: 1. Jeff .Fred~tte (Kaw); 2. Richard Kresic (Suz); 3. Terry Mealer (Suz); 4. David Crain (L1W); 5. Steve Hashman (Suz). OfEN 8: 1. Norman Richards (KTM); 2. Tripp Tharpe (KTM); 3. Tim Prechtl (KTM>; 4. Steve Bower (l

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