Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Left) Doug Blackwell leads Shad Ricketts on the last lap of the Mid-South Hare Scrambles in Lynnville. Indiana. Blackwell won. Ricketts was seco nd. AMA Mid-S outhW rHare Scrambles Series, inte Rou nd3 Blackwell pulls it out By Debbie Ann Allen LYNNVILLE, IN, NOV. 8 C R Yamaha' s Do u g Black w e ll top ped the field at round th ree of the AMA Mid -South Win ter Hare Scrambles series afte r a racelong ba ttle wit h Mod ern Tir e's Shad Ricketts that saw the duo tr ad e th e point position back and for th ov er the entire ty of the four-lap ra ce. Blackwell led across the line on all bu t one lap, taking the bigg est sha re of th e $800 u p for gra bs. (There was $100 for the lead er. of each of th e firs t three laps, and $500 for the rider who crossed the finish line firs t on the final lap; Blackwell led all bu t the third lap.) Some two minu tes behind the leaders was F&S Suzuki's Duane Conner, figh tin g a hea ted ba ttl e w it h G rea t Da ve' s TM-mounted Mike Sa m pson . Conner go t t h e n od by t w o se co n ds. Blair Ber san o w as fifth. Sam pson led the way into the woods fo r th e fi rs t ti me, but Blackw ell a nd Ricketts w er en 't far behind, an d their pace proved too hot for Sampson. "Ricketts was in the lead for most of the first lap," Blackwell said . But Blackwell did make it around the Ya ma ha rider to ta ke over th e poi nt , while Sam pson suddenly found himself in third place and under pressure now fro m fourth-placed Bersa no - a ba ttl e that wou ld continue for the en tirety of the race. The Blackwell /Ricket ts battle continued, wi th both rid ers see ming to .en joy the fierce com pe tition. "We h ad a go od p a ce," Black w ell said . "I didn' t mind (following) his lead . S 00 0\ 0\ ,...... u) C'l I-< (J) .n E (J) :> o Z 24 He seemed to know all th e d eep ravi nes a n d winding paths ." The p a ir we n t a t i t wheel to w heel until Ricketts was balked . "It was as good as racing can get," Rickett s said . "We wer e so close togeth er out by the grass track, b ut then I go t cau ght behind so me lapped rid ers." Ricketts was under no threa t fro m th ird-placed Con ner, but Co n ner was really fe e lin g t he h ea t from Sampson. "I h ad a pretty good batt le (w it h) Sa m pso n," Conner said . In th e 250cc A cla s s, P.A . A lle n came out on top of a three-way battl e that includ ed Steven G rave s and Ga ry H en dricks. And while Vet Aclass winner Robert Pa tter son wa s invo lve d in a fight of his ow n, it was n't w ith o the r riders in hi s cla ss , but w ith th e five 250cc A rid er s he said he passed aft er forging off on his own. Oth er cl ass winners includ ed top 250cc B rider Jason Russell and 200cc B rider Alan Westerfield . The 3D-rider 250cc/Open C class was won by Kevin Dossett. 1"X Lynnville Riders Lynnville, Indiana Resu lts: November 8. 1998 (Round 3) O /A : 1. Doug Black we ll (Yam); 2. Sha d Rick ett s (Yam); 3. Duane Conner (Suz ); 4. Mike Sam pso n (TM); 5. Blair Bcrsano (Su z) . AA: 1. Dou g Black well (Ya m ); 2. Shed Ricket ts (Yam ); 3. D uane Conner (Suz): 4. Mike Sampson (TM); 5. Blair Bcrsa no (Suz ). . 250/OPEN 1\.: 1. P. A. Allen (Suz); 2. Sleve n Grav es (suz); 3. Ga ry Hend ricks (Kaw): 4. Steve Ezell (Yam); 5. Billy Coo pe r (KTM). VET A: 1. Robe r t Patterso n (Suz): 2. Ia ck Batle y (Yam); 3. Timmy Poo l (Kaw): 4. Mark Guy (Yam) . 4-ST RK A: 1. Harvey Whitaker (Ka w): 2. Shane Nalley (Suz) ; 3. Mart y Michels (Ho n): 4. Billy Proffitt Castiglia O(a w ); 3 . Ja!OOn Sla lica ( Hon); 4. o. nil."l Pla C'C'k IYa m ); 5. A. 50 xov, 1. Sha nt" Kra to ( K'rM ); 2. Lch Larson (Act); J . Ricky LaMont.lgne (A ct) ; 4. Cha nce Fu l e·y ( KTM: ; 5. Co le ShenJ"'ck ) ( KTM ). P /W NOV: 1. Brady Price ( Ka w ); 2. Ie son Tilth (K Ol WI; 3. Quinn Donathan (K.1w); 4 _ Blaine H iM'T tKa w ); 5. Ju!'tin Decker lK.1w ). P/\V AM ; 1. Ike JO!'

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