Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

"I got a pretty decent start but got pushed out [in the first couple of turns]; it was pretty dusty there,' Smith said. "I worked my way up but had trouble getting going and getting used to my bike. I just kept crashing; I just don't get comfortable in the sand. When it's rough like that, I don't take as many chances; I'm more of a smoother rider, and it's hard for me to let it hang loose. I'm always happy to get out of here." KTM's Mike Lafferty didn't get the best start in the world, and wasn't KiItlIn IlandI Okeechobee, Rarids Results: MlIn:b a, mal PRo: I. Shone Wolls (KTM); 2. Mike Kiedrowski (502); 3. Steve Hotch (Suz); 4. Jim JO=ll (502); 5. larry W~rd (Hon); 6. Rodney Smith (Suz); 7. Mike Lafferty (KTM); 8. Borry Howk Jr. (Yom); 9. Josh McLevy (Hon); 10. Jason Raines (Yem); 11. Chuck Woodford (Kow): 12. Rondy Howkins (Yom); 13. Robbie Jenks (Y8m); 14. Scott Summers CHon); 15. Blair Bersano (Suz); 16. Doug Blackwell (Yam); 17. Luca Trussardi (TM); 18. Mousse JePaude (Yam); 19. Guy Girou (5u%). BRIEFLY••• (Above) Riding a Suzuki two-stroke In the GNCCs this year, Mike Kiedrowski put In a late-race charge for second place, though he was stili quite a ways back from winner Watts. (RIght) Motocrosser Larry Ward proved that he had the stamina to last In a grueling three-hour crosscountry race. Ward ran as high as second before air filter problems held him back to an eventual fIfthplace finish. (Bottom) Steve Hatch got stronger as the race _nt on, eventually finishing on the podium in third" "I'm not sure where I got around him [Ward], but he was all of a sudden behind me when we pitted,' Kiedrowski said. "Then he got me on the motocross track; he'd lead a little bit, then I'd beat him coming in. He'd lead half, and then I'd lead the second half - when it got tight - then the next lap he was trying to pull his filter skin [air filter cover], and I went blowing by and never saw him again.' Now in second place, Kiedrowski got away from Ward, who started having problems with a clogged air filter. Kiedrowski managed to gain a few seconds on Watts in the late stages, but it didn't really matter since Watts had built up such a big lead. Hatch ended up a distant third, but he never had a chance to run with the leaders, except for right after the start. "I had a pretty good start, about seventh I think [after] Rodney and Larry Ward went by me the moto track,' Hatch said. wasn't really in the rhythm; it able to make up for it too much. The defending National Enduro Champion ended up seventh, followed by Yamaha rider Barry Hawk Jr., Hondamounted Joshua McLevy and Yamaha's Jason Raines. CN Bad luck continues to plague Englishman Paul Edmondson at Okeechobee. A few years ago. Edmondson suffered a shoulder injury in a freak accident while practicing the day before the race. and that injury ended up Wiping out his whole season. This year. the Kawasaki Team Green rider suffered an AlC separation of his shoulder while practicing a week ago in England. but he still came to Florida with intentions of racing. But while practicing the day before the race. Edmondson went down again and landed on his already-bad shoulder. -I can't believe it," a very dejected Edmondson said. "I've been training hard and riding with James Dobb back home just to get ready. and this happens." Edmondson decided to sit out the Okechobbee race to give his shoulder a rest before the next race in Macon. Georgia. March 11. Okeechobee hasn't been kind to Team Green's Fred Andrews. either. He's had his misfortunes here over the years. and he suffered another one while practicing the day before the race. preventing him from racing. Andrews hit a hole in the track that he did not see and suffered a back injury in the resulting crash. - He twisted his back badly in the fall.' said Team Green manager Ron Heben. -He went to the doctor this morning. and he said that he has a bulging disc. He can't even sit down. so he's decided that racing today would cause more harm than good.' Andrews is hopeful that he'll be able to ride in Georgia. took me a few laps to get warmed up. Once I got around in seventh, I didn't want to do anything dumb on the first lap and then pick it up after that. "The second lap I got by Rodney and got by a couple of guys, then I got up to fourth. I made a few mistakes; I went over the bars three times, just soft stuff, pick a wrong line and get your body weight just wrong and you're going over the bars. I tipped over once in a mud bog. I started to push towards the end." Hatch eventually pushed his way into third, but had no chance of catching Watts or Kiedrowski. "My goal is to finish on the podium every week, so I'm happy about that," Hatch said. Finishing fourth after riding well all race long was Jarrett, followed by Ward and his ill-running CR250. Former GNCC champ Rodney Smith was never a factor among the leaders, though he did finish sixth. Motocrosser Larry Ward showed up at Okeechobee hoping to have some fun. Moto Planet set him up with a Honda CR250 to ride. and Ward did qUite well In his first GNCC race. "I figured if I'm going to come down here [for Daytona Bike Weekl. then I might as well do something. I rode a couple of enduros recently - and won • so I thought I'd try some of this off-road stuff. All of my friends ride off-road. so they talked me into it. I didn't decide to do this until last Thursday night.' Ward was a contender throughout the race until the dust started to clog his Honda's air filter. He came into the pits to get a new one. only to find out that they didn't have one. so his pit crew had to remove. clean and reinstall the air filter. This cost Ward valuable time. which he made up for. moving back into third before the filter clogged again. causing the bike to run poorly. He made it to the finish. but not before Jim Jarrell got back by him for fourth. Multi-time GNCC Champion Scott Summers was back on the track again after being held back last year by a serious leg injury. Summers says that his leg is far from 100 percent, but It is gelling beller. Summers still experiences great pain in the leg. -I've got a muscle problem. and this is what is causing this pain." Summers said before the race. "I'm not optimistic about winning this race today. butI'm going out there to do the best that I can. I'm hoping that In a couple of months I'll be 100 percent. so I've got to get as many points as I can. Summers said his goal was to finish in the top 20 today. which is what he did. Summers. riding a Honda XR650. node steadily and conservatively and finished out the race in 14th place. "I actually got a beller-tnannormal start. about 1I th. and then I worked my way back." Summers said. "It was a pretty uneventful race for me; I rode a pace I was comfortable with. and it wasn't enough. " Hare Scrambles National Champion Doug Blackwall didn't have a particularly good start to his 2001 GNCC season. finishing 16th. "I got arm pump the first two laps like you wouldn't believe: Blackwell said. "By the third lap. it [the arm pump] settled down. Then, In a mossy swamp. I caught a stump and hurt my back. Then I got blisters on my hands. so it wasn't a great day: A naw rula went into effect in this year's GNCC Series - no longer will there be "throw-awayrounds for the Pro riders. This means that every race counts when it comes to earning points. Previously. a rider could throwaway his two worst races. but not anymore. Most of the teams and riders seem to like the new rule. Amateurs will still get throw-away rides. Former National Hare & Hound Champion Brian Brown competed at Okechobee. but the Team Green rider didn't make it to the finish. Brown crashed and banged his head. which resuked in a sore neck. Brown drove himself to the hospital to get checked out. But all things didn't go badly at the Kawasaki Team Green camp: Veteran Larry Roeselar finished second in the 125cc class. while youngster Cola Calkins won the 250cc A class. Chuck Woodford was Kawasaki's top-finishing rider in the Pro class. finishing 1Ith. And he was lucky to finish there. During the race. Woodford crashed head-on into a fence and came out of It unscathed. but he did lose his front brake. He also said that his bike's steering stem came loose. TM's Luca Trussardi finished the race in 17th place. He struggled in the dust all day after getting - a three-kick - start. As always. KTM's Shane Watts was soloing it at Okeechobee. Walls prefers to prepare his bike on his own and was his own mechanic at the event. But he did have a friend help him pour gas during his pit stops. Walls came armed with a nearly box-stock KTM 200EIXC at Okeechobee. "It's my favorite one. - he said before the race. "I have the most fun on the 200, which gives me the most confidence." The oniy modifications he made to the bike was changing the exhaust pipe. the handlebar and making minor changes to the forks. Former World Champion road racer Kevin Schwantz took part in the industry race that ran before the main event. but got rather beat up by the rough course. crashing and incurring some severe blisters before eventually dropping out. The industry race was won by former National Enduro Champion Dick Burfason. c u e ' ... n ... _ s MARCH 21. 2001 39

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