Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

District 37 Desert Racing Series, Round One: Jackrabbits' Hare and Hound lot of the way," said Ondas. "The dust was bad, with no wind, but I kept trying my best just the same." Team Green teammates Oakley Lehman and Jeff Capt took the fifth and sixth spots, respectively, with Capt claiming top Vet honors. Russell Pearson was first 250 'and seventh overall on his KTM. District 37 Open-class. number-one plate holder PauI..Krause came in an uncharacteristic eighth overall after failing to light his new Montclair Yamaha YZ400 on the first kick. Ninth overall went to Rover's Tommy Roberts and his KX500. Abe Baumann rounded out the top 10. Vet 250cc Intermediate winner Gordon Keller claimed. top Amateur honors at 56th overall, while Four-Stroke Novice winner Jeremy Hoerning was the first novice across the line at 97th overall. XR600 off-road legend Scott Summers made a surprise appearance and finished "around 30th" but was scored as a DNF due to number-plate technicalities. KTM siblings Nick and Russ Pearson were also welcome out-of-state entrants. The Pearson cj.uo reportedly will compete in all District 37 events that do not conflict with their National and Best in the Desert series events. t:III District 37 Jackrabbits' Hare & Hound Red Mountain, California Results: January 10, 1999 (Round 1) " A 125SX-mounted eric Hallgath worlced Iris way up from a seventhplace start to claim the overall at the Jackrabbits' Hare and Hound In Red Mountain, california. By Ron Pocher Photo by Photos by Grumpy RED MOUNTAIN, CA, JAN. 10 TM USA's Eric Hallgath opened . the 1999 District 37 Desert Series in grand fashion, earning the overall win at the Jackrabbits' Hare and Hound in Red Mountain, California. Hallgath, the pistrict 37 number-one plate holder in the 200cc class, turned a good start into a. great finish. "I started on the far right and got a good jump off the line," said Hallga tho "According to my dad, who was watching from a hilltop, I was seventh at the bomb, and I just stayed to the far right, out of the dust, and got past two riders right after the trail head." The Jackrabbits chose to use the same start as two years ago, about half a mile west of Trona Road from the Teagle Wash ORV Area entrance. The course headed south to the southernmost boundary of the riding area before veering west onto designated competitio~ trails. "A mile or two past the bomb, I got (Dave) Ondas," explained Hallgath. "I was still staying to the right, skirting the dust from the leaders, when I snuck by." Hallgath, now in fourth, pushed his 125SX to the hilt through the rough, K 24 rolling terrain and soon found himself hot on the heels of American Honda's Johnny Campbell and Hallgath's KTM teammate Nick Pearson. "Right when I caught up to Campbell and Nick, I got a break and the trail made a little split," Hallgath .said. "I again stayed to the right and my route must have just been a lot smoother, because I then slipped by both of l11em." Hallgath then set his sights on the KX500 of Ron Shuler, who was enjoying the spoils of a well-timed holeshot. The dust from Shuler's bike kept Hallgath at bay for a few more miles, but the KTM of Mojave ace found his way around the Kawasaki pilot just before the first railroad tunnel. "I knew if I could pass Shuler before the train tracks, we'd be coming into some tight stuff and his dust might hold Nick and Johnny back a while," reasoned Hallgath. The course then headed northwest along State Highway 395, near the west side of Searless Station, before traveling north toward the town of Ridgecrest tluough a fast, open valley. Racers then hit check two near the intersection of Trona and Navy roads before circling south through Charlie's Place to the loop-one finish. Hallgath rolled into the pits first, followed closely, by Shuler, Pearson, Campbell and Ondas. ATK American' sponsored Joey Lanza held the top 250cc position, with KTM off-road star Russ Pearson lurking close behind. Lanza's sterling ride came to a screecJ{ing halt midway through loop two when a loose gas tank severed his ignition wires. The start of the second loop crossed Pipeline Road and then headed south across open desert to Spangler Hills. Racers were then sent east along ridge trails the entire length of the notorious sand hills; this stretch included the most technical obstacles of the event. Traction was scarce on the loose, steep uphills, and poor visibility added to the difficulties for many participants. Many long, winding downhills also contributed a fair share of interesting moments. • Riders were then sent northeast through the longest high-speed valley of the day before climbing into the rock hills near the railroad crossing at Navy Road. Nick Pearson motored by Shuler between the pits and Spangler Hills, and he then began his charge on the flying Hallgath. "When I got to the rocks at the end of the long valley after the sand hills, I looked back and saw that Nick had really gained on me," said Hallga th. "I was just hoping there was enough tight stuff left to allow me to hold him off." The FMF /O'Neal/Maxima-backed Hallgath managed to h0ld off the closing Pearson all the way to the checkers. 'Jt was just one of those good day_s where I was really sticking all the turns," recounted Hallgath. "I had a blast!" HaJJgath brought his small-bore screamer in first, followed by Openclass winner Nick Pearson and the always-cordial Johnny Campbell. "I caught Shuler in the sand hills on the second loop and was pushing him pretty hard when he fell," said XR600mounted Campbell. "I stopped to see if he was okay and then took off after Nick, but 1 couldn't catch him beca use of the dust." Team Green's Dave Ondas rolled into the pits fourth overall after holding that position for most of the race. "Nick, Johnny and I raced together a M1Nl A: 1. Travis Wagschal (Suz). WMN A: 1. Kelly Yancey (Kaw); 2. Anna Cody (K,aw); 3. MichelJe Cassella O

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