Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Events AMA Mid-South Championship Winter Hare Scramble Series, Round 3 (Left ) Shane Watts won the third roun d of the AMA Mid-South Champ ion ship Winter Hare Scrambles Series , held at the Li nnville Area Dirt Riders tra ck In Tennessee. (Above) Doug Blackwell (13) grabs for the holes hot as Chris Hicks (35) bum ps Mike Sampson off his bike . Blackwell placed second ove rall , Hicks came In eighth overa ll , and Sampson came back from next to last to take fourt h overa ll. By Debb ie Alle n 42 LYNNVILLE. TN, 'OV. 7 he Lynnville Area Dirt Riders club op en ed its tr a ck to a no t he r AMA / Pirelli Tires /Parts Unlimited / Moose /Offroa d- sponsore d Mid South Cha mpionship Winter Series race. They had 379 rid er s lined up on the s ta r t, a nd it was KTM factory rider Shane Watts who topp ed them all. Doug Blackwell followed w ithin 38 seconds . The rid ers we re in high gear before the s ta r t of th e race. Everyone' s eyes were fixe d o n Watt s a nd Blac kw ell because peo ple were anxious to see the two com pe te, wo ndering w ho would take home the $800 p urse. It was the KTM / Pro Gri p /FMF /Ara i l Michelin /CameiBak l Acerbis /Tommaselli / IMS /Sunst ar-support ed Watts who g rab bed th e money donated by Paul Barrett, OffRoad Group, Doctor Ding, and the Lynnville Area Dirt Riders. Th e race sta r ted wit h Yama ha I A ns wer / Sm ith / Ts ubaki I Sil ko lenel Wiseco /Scott /CTI-back ed Blackw ell leading Watt s into a sha rp U-turn. They reared up on a n off-camber hill, d isap pear ed in to the woo d s, and then came back aro und thro ugh a ravine. The lead ers raced on while several of the Mid-South riders encountered a few se tbacks . Th e problems be gan within seconds after the green flag was raised . It started with Chris Hicks ' handlebar and ended with Mike Sampson toppling over, though he man aged to land on his feet. Sampson ra n back to grab for the gus to, but his bike got stuck in Brandon Forrester's tire. He wound up ne xt to last in the woods, but things brigh tened up for him when he saw Shad Ricketts down and out on a dirt road. Seconds before Sampson's arrival, Ricketts had taken a quick head-dive, but he quickly recovered . Unfortunately, his th rottle cable could not do the same, and that cost him the entire first lap . " I cra shed o n a r oad jus t o ff th e sta rt, " Ricketts rep or ted . "The cr ash bent my throttle cable." This mad e it d ifficult for him to keep u p the pace needed to race with th e lead ers. Ricketts dropped back to 18th overall by the end of the first lap. AA rid er Steve Gord on man aged to s tay up fr ont wi th the lea ders fo r a while. He caught glim pses of them for half a lap, but he could not keep up. "I rode with Blackwell an d Watts for a while," Go rdo n said . "I got in th eir d ust, lost the trail, and sw erved off the cou rse." During th e rest of the five laps, no one in the AA class could keep them in the ir sig hts. Blackwell stayed out front for most of the first lap. "Sha ne Wa tt s swu ng wide an d pa ssed me in the brush just before a wood section," Blackwell said . Once Watts made the pa ss , he got into a nice pace and cruised by the lappers. H e stayed out front a nd rode smoothly a nd consistently, doing a wheely u p the steepes t hillclimb . At the end of the firs t lap , the MidSout h riders pu lled into the scoring tent with Robbie King lead ing the pack. Jeff Gregg, Go rdon and Chris H icks follo w ed . O n the ne xt lap , TM /Th e O ffRoad Group /Ma xxis /Race Tec h / Xtreme /Pro Taper /Sprock et Specia list /Sco tt USA /Lid z b y Fid s /HRP Sports / Skor Board z-backed Mike Sampson came up to third place. Ricketts was in sixth place, bu t P.A. Allen, lead er of 250cc/Open A class , jumped to eighth place overall. Over the next three laps, Mike Sampson co nti n ued in t hi rd place, while Sarge's Cycle/Oakley/Big Gu n/Moose/ Moderne Ti re / Cycle Path' s Ricketts moved up to fourth on the third lap. "I caught Mike back in the woods," Ricketts reported. "He pas sed me again, but I got him back wh en he stopped for gas." Ricketts knew he had to beat Joh n Maschino and Sampson in orde r to stay on top in points for the series . He d id . He pulled into the scoring tent in third p lace overa ll , w hile Sa m pson fe ll to fou rth and John Maschin o tripped in 10 minutes later in 22nd place overall. Moose/Pro Action of Kentucky-suppo rted Allen was next in line th rou gh the scoring tent. He came in fifth pla ce overa ll a nd first in the 250cc/Open A class. "I was glad I could wi n th is race," Allen said, "because it was my first ride for Moose." Factory mechanic Sha ne Na lly rod e hi s Su zu ki in th e Vet A class. Th e Bell i Alpinestars-sponsored ally fough t a nd won a tough battle wit h Steve Ezell, who claimed the holeshot, "I was in third place off th e sta rt," ally said. "I caught up to Steve Ezell, and we pulled away from third. On the third lap , I gassed, so I had to ride real hard, and [ figured tha t [ had him on the last lap . Once [ caught him in my sights, I knew that I could take him. I rod e hard for the rest of the race, because [ was n' t taking any chances." Wat ts wa s th e fi rs t to r ea ch the checkered flag. "I took my time w ith rid ing by the lappers," Watts said . "I looked back and noticed Bla ckw ell b eh ind m e, so I picked up the pace." "I caught him on the last lap ," Blackwe ll said. "I rode a fast, smooth race, but Watts was just trail-riding." Blackwell came through the scoring tent within 40 seconds of Watts for each lap, w hich pu t him in second place in Lynnvi lle. Na lly a nd Blackw ell th anke d the Lynnville Area Dirt Riders club an d the Mid-South Series for putting on quality races. "I really want to thank the Mid-Sout h riders and spectators for being so friend ly," Blackwell said . '1 feel like each Mid- Sout h race is like my home track. Everyone is so friend ly." 1:1/1 Lynnville Dirt Riders clubgrounds Lyn nville, Tennessee Results: November 7, 1999 (Round 3) O /A : 1. Sha ne Watts (KTM); 2. Dou g Blac kwell (Yam); 3. Shad Ricketts (Yam); 4. Mike Sampson (TM); 5. P.A. Allen (Suz): 6. Steve Gor do n (Kaw): 7. Harv ey Wh ita ker (Ka w ): 8. Chris Hicks (KTM); 9. Bra ndon Forres ter (Yam); 10. John Ro th (Yam) , AA : 1. Sha ne Watts (KT M); 2. Do ug Bla ckw ell (Yam) ; 3. Shad Rickett s (Y,1m); 4. Mike Sam pson (TM); 5, Steve Gordon . 2S0/0 PE N A: 1. P.A . Alle n (SUl) ; 2. Jo hn Rot h (Yam ); 3. Dus tin Gibson (Yam); 4. Davi d McWill iams; 5. Timm y P"Poole (Ka w) . 4·STRK A: 1. Harvey Whitaker {Kaw}; 2. Marty Mit che lls (He n): 3, Benjamin wea thers (Yam); 4. Billy Joe Proffitt (Hoe): S. Robert Lich (He n). 200 A: 1. C ha d Froman (SUl ); 2. Carsten Cag le (Kaw); 3. Ian Sherwood (Ka w); 4. Don Becktell (Hen): 5. aay Hedgepath IKTM). S R A: 1. Phill ip Barke r (Han ); 2. Paul Mit ch ell s (Ho n); 3. Mark Hosbach IHus): 4. Robert Kirchner (Suz); 5. Billy Hall (Hon ). VET k 1. Sha ne Na lly ISuz): 2. Steve Ezell (Suz) ; 3. Co rdon Turner IKaw), 4. Mon k Guy (Yam); 5. Tim Baker U (TM I. 250 B: 1. Ryan Ebberlmg (Yam) ; 2. Lance Anderson (Suz) ; 3. Ronald Skipper

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