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(Above) Joshua McLevy took sixth. (Right) Mike Lafferty put his enduro riding expertise to good use at Macon, finishing third overall. because of a separated shoulder that he suffered a week earlier while practicing back home in England. "I went down hard and lost quite a bit of time," Edmondson said. "It [the fall] didn't seem to affect my shoulder but it's still a bit tender. At that point, it was quite obvious that I'd be racing for a 10th-place finish, and I didn't think it was worth risking re-injury, so I just decided to call it a day." Smith and teammate Hatch each led two of the first four laps that made up the six-lap race, then Watts took over the lead at the end of lap five. The threesome had slowly pulled away from the rest of the 31-rider Pro class, running wheel-to-wheel for most of laps two, three, four, five and six. At times, less than five seconds separated the trio. Ultimately, each of the front-runners would take the lead for short periods of time during the last two laps. With a lap and a half left, Hatch was in the lead. Hatch said, "I was just where I wanted to be when I ran into a lapper and went down hard. By the time I got up, both Shane and Rodney had gotten by me. I got by Watts again [when he stopped for gasl and uncorked it pushing for Rodney. He got through lappers better than I did, so going into the last woods section I was thinking that second was alii was going to do." Smith's version went like this: "I was running second behind Steve, when he went down I passed him. Then I fell and both Steve and Shane got by me. Steve fell and Shane took the lead and I moved into second. "Watts tried to pull away from me and I just held on to his rear wheel waiting for him to make a mistake," Smith said. "Then [at the end of lap five] Shane stopped for gas and I went by. From there, I just took the lead and held on." Up to that point, Watts had settled into a 24- and 26-second lead over Smith and Hatch, respectively, when he made his second pit stop of the day. Watts said, "I had trouble getting enough fuel at the first stop [at the end of lap three]. We just couldn't get the tank full. So I had to make another stop." Smith went on to ride the fastest lap of the day in 27 minutes and 20 seconds - 39 seconds faster than the second-fastest lap posted by Watts, and went on to take the checkered flag at 2 hours, 49 minutes and 10 seconds. Hatch had fuel problems, too. Going into the last woods section, Hatch was running about a minute ahead of Watts and seemed to be on his way to finishing second when he ran out of gas. "I was running a solid second when my bike started to bog and run out of gas," Hatch said. "Twice I stopped and tipped the bike over to slosh gas into the fuel-line side of the tank. The last time the bike came to a stop it was in a mud hole [at the bottom of a ravine about 200 yards from the finish line]. I was absolutely exhausted." As Hatch struggled to push his bike out of the mud hole, Watts, and then Lafferty and Hawk, who were riding nearly three minutes behind, passed him. A group of spectators helped push Hatch up the hill, then he pushed his bike the last 50 yards to the finish line, where he collapsed from exhaustion. "All I remember was just pushing so hard [to get out of the mud hole] that I started to get light headed," Hatch said. "I don't remember much other than there was a group of people helping me up the hill. Next thing I know I'm laying face down at the finish line." "I thought the race was over," Lafferty said. "I had been riding in fourth almost all day when [on the last lap], my pit board said Barry was moving up on me. So I turned it up a little to try and shut the door. Than all of a sudden I come up on Steve pushing his bike." Hawk said, "I was slowly moving my way up. I had a terrible start, probably behind midpack. That's something you can't afford to do if you want (Above right) Steve Hatch was "inning third until ",nnlng out of gas lust before the finish. He, along with the help of spectators, pushed his bike across the finish line In fifth place. (Right) Jim Jarrett (7) got off to a good start, but later pulled out of the race with an Injured knee. (Below right) Mike KIedrowski was slowed with transmission problems. to finish on the podium. In this sport you can't afford to not run with the lead group. It's like drafting in NASCAR, it's easy to stay with the leaders, but you have to keep them within sight. So I had my work cut out for me and was in ninth at the end of the first lap. By the fifth lap, I was within 30 seconds of Mike. Going into the last tree section, I got close enough to him that I could see him, but I got caught up in a mudhole and he was gone. "When I went by Steve I really felt bad for him," Hawk said. "I'm sure he had run a good race." CN Pllradise PIIrIo: MX Track MICOlI, 6eorgis Results: Msn:h 11, 2001 O/A: 1. Rodney Smith (Suz); 2. Shane Wetts (KTM): 3. Mike Lofferty (KTM): 4. Borry Howk Jr. (Vom): 5. Steve Hotch (5uz): 6. Joshuo McLevy (Hon): 7. David Fretigne (Yam); 8. Jason Raines (Yam); 9. Robbie Jenks (Vom): 10. Mike Kiedrowski (Vom): II. Fred Andrews (Kaw); 12. Rendy Hawkins (Yam); 13. Doug BllICkweli (Yom): 14. l.ucll Trussordl (TM): 15. Scott Summers (Hon): 16. Williom Glilelond (KTM): 17. Blair Bernno (Suz); 18. Brien Brown (Kaw); 19. Methew Stovoo (G·G): 20. John Meschino (TM). cue I ..