Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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CROSS COUNTRY Round 7: Atlantic City GNCC GNCC GRAND NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY SERIES MANAHAWKIN, N), JUNE 7 eam Suzuki scored a one-twothree knockout punch at the seventh round of the AMA Grand National Cross Country Series in New Jersey. The trio of Rodney Smith, Steve Hatch and Paul Edmondson - in that order - swept the podium positions on an extremely rough and sandy 10-mile course. Smith battled closely with Hatch throughout the second half of the threehour-long race 'before using his motocross skills to outsprint his teammate to the finish. . "Going one-two-three means a lot to Suzuki, because we're all riding really well right now," said Smith after winning by just three seconds. "Paul's back up to 100 percent, Steve's riding very fast, and I've been on the podium every time, so the whole tearn is riding on top right now." Especially Smith, who is now seven for seven when it comes to visiting the podium. "Even though I won, 1 really don't think 1 rode that well," Smith said. "1 just wasn't riding my best, especially after 1 crashed early on. It was a tough T race} for sure." 30 Team Green's Brian Keegan put in'a solid sand-riding performance for fourth overall, nearly breaking up the Suzuki sweep before Edmondson overtook him at the white flag. Local pro motocross hero Joel Dengler, also on a Suzuki, scored fifth overall, giving the woods regulars a sign of possible things to come in the faU once the MX ational sea on is over. Yet another yellow bike finished sixth, under the guidance of ECEA legend Fred Hoess, while Barry Hawk Jr. scored seventh aboard a Yamaha YZ400F. Rounding out the top 10 overall were Honda-mounted Josh McLevy and New Jersey sand kings Richard Lafferty and Steve Anderson. This race marked the last race before the lO-week-long summer break, and it was also to serve as a possibly important momentum-builder for the rest of the year, especially for title contenders Smith, Hatch, Andrews and defending (Above) The Pro class piles into the first turn at the GNCC race in New Jersey. (Left) Rodney Smith posted his second win of the season. series champion Scott Summers. But th Manahawkin race turned out badly fo Andrews, who twisted his knee jus after the start, and for Summers, wh dislocated his right index finger in til. first mile of the race. The impact of til. race was also lessened by the absence 0 AMA National Enduro champ Mik Lafferty, who lives right down the roa from the Manahawkin riding area. La.£, ferty was at a conflicting enduro even,t as were series regulars Randy Hawkins and Doug Blackwell. G CC Series organizers Racer Productions were able to take a round 0 the 22-year-old off-road series to th Garden State for the first time with th help of the Meteor Motorcycle Gub. Ie miles of trails were marked out for til. run, including one long, motocross-styl trip around an open riding area. Til. entire course could best be described one long, energy-sapping washboard 0 whoops, although the fast motocros sections we.re offset by extremely tigh woods sections where the riders would have to stop and squeeze their'handl bars through. The Suzukis of Smith and Hatc offered a glimpse of how the race would end when they blasted down the long, black-sand starting straight one-two with the Kawasaki of Andrews in tow. Andrews didn't last much longer, as a huge get-off left him with a badly twisted knee and a seat in the ambulance. Andrews left the park before the first lap was complete but not before being joined by Summers, who bashed h' hand into the spinning wheel of another rider and dislocated his knuckle. "Rodney definitely had the start, but 1 was right behind him at first," said