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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