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Scrambles series, Round 3 Mark Uth/Trail Rider magazine PORT ELIZABETH, NT, MAY 31 II Fast" Freddy Hoess chased off the gremlins that have haunted him during the last couple of ECEA events, mastered the course and earned the overall win at the ECEA Tri-County Hare Scrambles. Campaigning his Bromely Suzuki-sponsored RM2S0, Hoess played a game of catand-mouse with early leader Richard Lafferty at the onset, finally passing him for the lead halfway through the third lap and cruising on from there for the (Left) Fred Hoess rebounded with a win at the ECEA Tri-County Hare Scrambles in New Jersey. (Below) Richard Lafferty was leading the race before running out of gas. win. "I was satisfied to let Rich lead for the first couple of laps, because I found that I could catch right back up to him after a bobble or something," Hoess said of his winning ride. '1 was expecting to finish five lap on the day and planned to try a pass during the third lap." Hoess did make his move on the third lap, aided by Lafferty's untimely fuel problems with his KlM. Lafferty called it like it was. "Freddy and I were cruising right. along, setting a pretty good pace," Lafferty recalled, "and we were about to come out onto a short straightaway in the back of the course. I whacked the throttle bu t the bike just bogged and died aud Freddy was right around me. Fortunately, Mike (his brother Mike Lafferty) was only about a tenth of a mile away at the time (sweeping the course on his KTM dual sport bike). He had some fuel and got me rolling to the pit 46 .n Lafferty got going, ure enough, but he was unable to make up time lost on the charging Hoess. Richard finished a close econd eed on the day, a couple of minutes behind Hoe s at the finish barrels, and easily ahead of third-overall finisher Craig Shenigo. Shenigo, on a Yamaha YZI25, couldn't stay in touch with the leaders but still put in a good ride, successfully battling an XR2S0mounted Kevin Bennett for the final podium position. The sponsoring Tri-County Sportsmen planned a two-event card for the day, morning ATV heats followed by the two-hour main event at noon. A new 8.S-mile loop was unveiled for the 200~ider-strong event. When the gun sounded for the Expert start, riders launched over a berm and crowded into the ribboned trail. Things didn't take long to sort themselves out, as Richard Lafferty quickly assumed the lead, dogged by Hoess' Suzuki. Through the next three or four turns prior to entering the woods, Lafferty and Hoess duked it out, jockeying for position. Lafferty stood tall and held on to the lead, entering the woods with Hoess in close pursuit. The two riders raged during their first dash through the tight 4.5-mile front section of the course. Lafferty set a pace good enough to pull away from the pack, with Hoess locked on to his fender. When emerging into the more open sections late in the loop, the Lafferty /Hoess pair already had a lead of more than two minutes on other tra1ling riders, which included Shenigo in third, Bennett in fourth and Veteran-class rider Mike Beeler in fifth. This seed ing carried through the barrels at the end of the first lap. On the second trip around, it wa deja vu, with Lafferty and Hoess seemingly joined at the "'hi p, aggres ively charging through the woods. Shenigo and Bennett couldn't match the pace and instead settled for having their own little war, trading places as each re pectively pitted on subsequent laps. It didn't take long before the day' hot temperatures and steady diet f fine dust began to take its toll on riders. Lapped traffic began to be a factor by the start of the third lap - the deciding lap for front-runners Lafferty and Hoess. Halfway into the third trip around, some 20 miles into the race, Lafferty ran into fuel problems, his bike coughing and dying as the lead pair bounced ou t onto a short two-track straightaway. Hoess quickly capitalized on the mishap, seizing the lead and roosting away from Lafferty's inert KTM. Fortunately for Richard, he managed to scrounge some fuel on the course before Shenigo or Bennett were able to catch up. The damage, however, wa done. After getting ahead of Lafferty, Hoess never let up, maintaining a lead of about a minute all the way to the checkers. The club called the race at the end of the fourth lap for the leaders, even though it was a COl1ple of minutes before the allotted two-hour span, citing hot weather as a concern. The only riders who would have made the cut were Lafferty and Hoess, anyway, and neither of them was complaining of the early exit. HOess crossed the finish line nearly two minutes ahead of Rich Lafferty. Shenigo held on to third place, earning the A Light-class victory, followed by Bermett in fourth overall. YZ25o-mounted Mike Beeler took fifth overall and top honors in the Vet class. Vet-class rival AI Switzer piloted his KTM 300 to sixth overall, while reigning 1997 hare scrambles champ Marc Grossman finished seventh overall, citing the hot temperatures as a mitigating factor. Oosing out the top 10 overall were Gregg Davies, Phil Carlin and Stu Crouch. Tri County Sportsmen Hare Scrambles Port Elizabeth, New Jersey Results: May 31, 1998 O/A: 1. Fred Hocss (Su.z); 2. Richard Lafferty o.."TM); 3. Craig Shenigo (Yam); 4. Kevin Bennett (Hon); 5. Mike Beeler (Yam); 6. Al Switzer (KTM); 7. Marc Grossman (Kaw); 8. Gregg Davies (Yam); 9. Phillip Carlin; 10. Stu Crouch (Hon). A UW: 1. Craig Shcnigo; 2. Gregg Davies. A HIW: 1. Fred Hoess; 2. Richard Lafferty; 3. Kevin Bennett; 4. Marc Grossman. 4-STRK: 1. Mike McHa Ie; 2. Rob Mertz; 3. Rob Comoc-'1'; 4. J;,mie Tevis; 5. Wayne Mason. . VET: 1. Mike Beeler; 2. AI Switzer; 3. Phillip Carlin; 4. Todd Temple; S. Keilh Mahon. SR: 1. Stu Crouch; 2. Bip Cunselman; 3. Jerry Lynn; 4. Gary Nobel; 5. Tom Cichon. S/SR: I. Jack L.l(ferty Sr.; 2. Dave Vcrdetto; 3. Rich Trader; 4. Rocco Spano; S. Sal Crocevera. B LlW: 1. Bill Hess; 2. Lew Robbins; 3. George Mamounis; 4. Ron DeCaro; 5. Kevin Kamuca. 8 HIW: 1. Lance Thompson; 2. Mike Sharp; 3. John Hummel; 4. Robert Trout; 5. Phillip Kropp. C UW: 1. Frank Lupperger; 2. Chris Schischkin; 3. Rich King; 4. Jeff H.1rrison; S. Matt Hurff. C H1W: 1. Giles Ryan; 2. Marc DiPasquaJe; 3. Tim Farina; 4. James Earley; S. Scff Miller.