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HARE SCRAMBLES AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HARE SCRAMBLES SERIES By Robert H. Miller Photos by Rick Menap.ace GOOD SPRINGS, PA, APR. 19 oug Blackwell used determination, luck and a lap per to pu t some breat)1ing room between himself and 1997 National Enduro Champ Mike Lafferty at the Bear Valley National Hare Scrambles, hosted by Reading Qff-Road Riders (RORR). On the last section of the last lap, upstart Blackwell held off a charging Lafferty and moved six points ahead in the series standings. The three-way battle for the 1998 National Hare Scrambles title between Blackwell, Lafferty and Brian Garrahan continued on a day when EI Nii\ospawned storms dumped three inches of rain on Pennsylvania in 24 hours. It was a day when even ducks were looking for cover, and staying dry at the starting line meant you needed two umbrella girls. Even before the race began, monsoon rains turned the startiI.1g area into eight D Round 4: Bear Valley National Hare Scrambles inches of quagmire and the usual rocky, muddy, rooted, and tightly wooded course transformed itself into a wet, nasty monster that laid waste to the weak. Only hard-core spectators and true competitors remained to the finish. Wind-driven rain dropped temperatures into the high 30s as dark, billowing clouds enveloped the ground and threatened to dump snow on the entire mess. The weather forced RORR to shorten the event from six laps to five for the A and AA riders. The t)1ree-lap B race wasn't d1anged. Despite the shortened event, spectators, competitors and club members witnessed an exciting race right to the finish. The 1l.7-mile course was divided into two parts: the upper, faster section laid out on the side of Bear Mountain, and the lower, slower section along the floor of Bear Valley. The upper section contained an off-camber grass track and a hard-packed gravel road along the mountain's ridge as well as at the start area, scoring barrels, and pits. The lower section was nicknamed The Jungle and contained wet roots, wet rocks, wet (Above left) YamahaOs Doug Blackwell recorded his second win of the National Hare Scrambles series at the very wet Bear Valley National In Pennsylvania. (Above) Enduro champ Michael Lafferty led most of the race but ended up settling for second. mudholes, and wet tight woods coursing through a beaver swamp. It was The Jungle which would later cost Lafferty the lead after being in front for three hours of a three-hour-and-two-minute race. On the first lap, Lafferty arrived all alone at the scoring barrels. One minute later carne a snarling pack of AA riders clawing and gnawing for second place. This seven-way fight consisted of Blackwell, Brian Keegan, multi-time GNCC ATV d1amp Barry Hawk, Mike Samson, Patrick Timothy, Duane Conner, ana Brian and Patrick Garrahan: In then:riddIe of this battle was A 250cc leader