Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Round 1: Kirton Ranch AMA WISECOIYAMAHAIDUNLOPIFMFIMOOSE GNCC SERIES By Davey Coombs OKEECHOBEE, FL, MAR. 14 ustralian Shane Watts, piloting a 125cc KTM, shocked a star-packed • field at the opening round of the 1999 GNCC Series. Even though it was the same Shane Watts who overalled the 19981SDE in his homel~nd and who had previously won the 1997 FIM World Enduro Championship, his victory at the sandy, whooped-out, fast Kirton Ranch course was perhaps a bit of a surprise; but no doubt impres ive. After all, he did beat some of this country's fastest off-road riders on a 125. "1 go into every race thinking I have chance to win, but the thing is to put that desire into reality," said the 22-year-old Watts after putting away such talented GNCC riders as Rodney Smith, Scott Summers, Fred Andrews, Randy Hawkins, Mike Lafferty, and a host of others in front of an estimated 3000 GNCC onlookers. "I'm a bit of an unknown to everyone here, and I hope this kind of proved something to everyone now that I will be in there fighting for the win every time." Finishing second overall was yet another foreign pilot, Britain's Paul Edmondson, who controlled the lead for much of the race before watching Watts ride around him in the final hour of the three-hour race. "My whole attitude towards racing has changed this year, and I am full of enthusiasm," said the three-time'FIM World Enduro Champion, who has been cut down by injuries since coming to America two years ago. "Shane coming over (to America) adds more credibility to the series and just proves that this is the most competitive off-road series in the world. We need his type of competition, because, as he's proved today, he can do the business. Shane is going to be a force to be reckoned with on any track. I just think it's going to be one hell of a series." Third overall went to Team Green' Jim Jarrett, who matched his career GNCC best. '1 wanted to start the year off strong, because this race is so important," Jarrett said. "It sets the pace for the rest of the series. I knew I was strong and that I was riding good, and I felt like [ proved it. The pace was really fast there towards the middle, and I knew that if [ went that fast for that long, I might not be able to do it, so I saved it for the last couple of laps and moved up to third." Two-time AMA National Enduro 8lampion Mike Lafferty finished a solid fourth overall, while Edmondson's Suzuki teammate Steve Hatch rounded out the top five overall The rest of the top 10 was filled. out by Idaho's Brian Brown, AMA National Hare Scrambles Champion Doug Blackwell, ew Jersey pro motocrosser Joel Dengler, Yamaha-mounted Robbie Jenks, and Pennsylva,ua's Barry Hawk Jr., a six-time GNCC Series Champion in the ATV class. GNCC wins on a 125 are few and far between. The only other time that someone on a 125cc motorcycle overalled a GNCC race was back in 1990, when Tommy orton won the Blackwater 100. Again, KTM had that honor. The 8-mile-Iong Okeechobee course was laid ouJ by former National Enduro Champion Jeff Russell and was as tough as they come. The dry winter weather resulted in a sandy, whooped-out course, and the track's path included a reverse-direction turn around the Thunder Cross Raceway motocross track. That was followed by long sprints on a course that darted ill (Above) Australian Shane Watts rode his KTM 125 to the overall win at the opening round of the GNCC Series at Okeechobee. (Left) Suzuki's Paul Edmondson led most of the race before giving way to Watts. Edmondson still finished second. across soft fields and in and out of extremely tight woods sections. The palmetto roots came out, too, and to make matters just a little more uncomfortable, there was the ever-present cloud of dark, thin dust that hung out over the dry track all day long. "Yeah, the dust was pretty bad," coughed Watts after the win. "Hey, you just got to keep plugging away and rememb.er that everyone else is in the dust as well." "It was rough from the word go," said Team Yamaha's Blackwell, who struggled with badly blistered hands. "All you could do was try to ride way out, cut across the whoops and steer through the whoops in the corners. A lot of times you couldn't avoid it and all you could do was hammer on through." When the wide row of Pro-class riders fired off of the line, Edmondson put his Suzuki out in front; he was followed closely by Kawasaki riders Andrews and Jarrett. Then came Edmondson's teammates Smith and Hatch. Watts, meanwhile, was mid pack on the screaming 125, and Summers' bad day was just beginning. The former GNCC champ came around the first turn in dead last after failing to fire his engine on the first kick. Edmondson led everyone through the first lap of what would be a sevenlap race. Edmondson checked in after the first lap four seconds ahead of Jarrelt; then Andrews came in 14 seconds after Jarrett. Smith was close behind Andrews, followed by Watts, who was 35 seconds behind the leader. Watts was followed in by Lafferty, Hatch, KTMmounted Josh McLevy, Summers, and Kawasaki desert ace Destry Abbott. As the race progressed, riders began dropping out. During the second lap, Yamaha YZ400F pilot Randy Hawkins called it a day. Summers managed one more lap than Hawkins before pulling into the pits with a sore back. A lap after that, Smith coasted to a stop with what was suspected to be a clogged air filter. The top of the order was reset after f01.1r laps, when Edmondson and Andrews raced into the pits together for a pit stop. Watts and Jarrett were now pursuing them, and Lafferty rolled through the pits in fifth, followed by Hatch and Hawk. "When I was running with Andrews, Edmondson and, those guys, each tin1e one of them would make a pass, I would try to run with them and pass them right back," said Watts of the ntidrace action. "Most of the times, [ would pass them on the straights, because on this thing (the KTM 125) - when you know where tlie power is, it can smoke anything." Andrews would be the next casualty. While running second on the fourth lap,

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