Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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Finger Lakes State Park: Steve Leivan worked his way to the front at the muddy third round of the Missouri Hare Scrambles Championship Series in Columbia. Missouri Hare Scrambles Championship Series Round 3: Finger Lakes State Park Finger, Leivan Good By FRANK LEIVAN COLUMBIA, MO, MAR. 25 or the second Missouri Hare Scrambles Championship event in a row, SCR/Yamaha's Steve Leivan put it all together on the final lap and emerged with the overall victory. The event was a milestone of sorts for the WR426-mounted rider, as it marked his 60th career win in the series. "The key today was to stay out of trouble," Leivan explained. "I did a lot of following during the race and let the other guys get me through the bogs and show me the good lines around the mudholes. By the end of the race, it was just [Chris] Nesbitt and I, and when he fell, that was my opportunity to take the lead." His lead at the finish was a minute and 40 seconds. The Motocross Parents-promoted event at Finger Lakes State Park featured a very challenging course. Due to rain and snow on the days leading up to the event, the clay-based soil became extremely muddy and very sticky. While the front-runners made it look somewhat easy, many riders struggled to navigate the course, and the DNF rate was high. Astonishingly, Leivan and runner-up Nesbitt completed six laps, the only riders to do so; in the process, they lapped all the way through seventh place. Bobby Duncan took the AA-c1ass holeshot while first-year AA rider Aaron Shaw followed closely, and the rest of the pack jockeyed for position before the motocross section ended and the real mud race began. The first mudbog, which was only a few hundred yards into the first woods F 32 APRIL 25,2001 • cue •• section, was where Leivan moved around a half-dozen riders and into third. While all of the riders in front of him went the short route and straight into the heart of the bog, Leivan took the longer, safer line and came out just behind Duncan and Chad Busenbark. Leivan then glued himself to Busenbark's rear wheel. "I knew that Chad had ridden practice and most of the rest of us didn't," Leivan said. "I figured he knew the best way through the holes, so I figured if I could hitch a ride with him, we could pull away." That plan almost worked. Leivan followed Busenbark for a few miles. Then Leivan made a small mistake and Busenbark opened up a lead. "After he [Busenbark] got away, I slowed way down and took the safe way through the bad spots," Leivan said. "It really hurt everyone behind me, too, because Chad put so much time on us." In fact, Busenbark held a 20-secand lead by lap's end. Leivan was in second, with Nesbitt hot on his heels. Duncan was a close fourth, but it was more than two minutes before the fifth-placed rider emerged from the quagmire - points leader Brandon Forrester. The next two laps were rather uneventful, as the top three positions remained unchanged, although the trio of riders had pulled away from the field and were setting a very quick pace. Busenbark's chances for victory evaporated on the fourth lap when he tangled with a lapped rider while climbing a creek bank. Capitalizing on his misfortune, Leivan and Nesbitt n e _ s negotiated the bank cleanly and set out to decide the race between themselves, while Busenbark lost more than a minute by the time he got up and going. Leivan's then collided with a tree, smashing his radiator. Fortunately, the damage was only cosmetic, and he was quickly up and in pursuit of the fleeing Nesbitt. With Nesbitt leading the way and Leivan mimicking his every move, time was running out. Both riders knew that the end of the fifth lap would be close to the two-hour time limit. It wasn't until the MX section at the end of the lap that they knew how close it was. Nesbitt held on to the lead coming into the checkpoint, with Leivan close behind. Their times were 1:59:30 and 1:59:35, with one more lap to go. It was now a two-man race, and the sixth and final lap would decide the winner. Nesbitt controlled the tempo and answered everyone of Leivan's attacks for most of that final lap. With only a couple of miles to go, Nesbitt lost the front end in a muddy corner and Leivan was quick to pounce, taking over the lead. Nesbitt was up quickly and closed back in, but just then he dabbed in a rutted corner and twisted his right knee and dropped back. Not hearing anyone behind him for a few minutes, Leivan looked back when he got to the MX portion and saw only clear air. The win was his. Nesbitt managed to complete the lap for runner-up. Busenbark completed the podium. Duncan finished fourth, a minute and change off the box. Fifth overall went to the younger Busenbark, Brock, who took first place in the A class. CN filii" ~. State hrtl CeI.-bie, Misseurl Results: March 25, 2DDI (...nd 31 O/A: 1. Steve Lelvan (Yam); 2. Chris Nesbitt (Kaw); 3. Chad Busenbark (Yam); 4. Bobby Duncan (Kaw); 5. Brock Busenbark (Yam); 6. Aaron Shaw (Yam); 7. Doug Slone (Kaw): 8. Kevin Boyle (Hon); 9. Rick Kinkelaar (Yam); 10. Jake Bishop (Suz). AA: 1. Chris Nesbitt (Kaw); 2. Chad Busenbark (Yam); 3. Bobby Duncan (Kaw); 4. Aaron Show (Yam): 5. Doug Stone (Kaw). A: 1. Brock Busenbark (Yom); 2. Kevin Boyle (Hon); 3. Joke Bishop (Suz); 4. Les Busenbark (Yam); 5. Lars Valin (Hon). OPEN B: I. Robbie Reed (KIM): 2. David Taylor (KTM); 3. Tracy Bouman (KTM); 4. Wayne Hatfield (KTM); 5. Marty Smith (KTM). 250 B; 1. Mark Gay (KTM); 2. Gary Wetherell (Kaw): 3. Derek Zinchuck (G-G); 4. Todd Corwin (Su.); 5. Gary Wolf (Suz). 200 B: 1. Zach Mabery (Hon); 2. Caleb Woheltz (KTM); 3. Michael Hamilton (Kaw); 4. Ryan Bruce (Yam): 5. Matt Jameson (KTM). 4·STRK B: 1. Ralph Gerding (Yam): 2. Gary Pilant (Hon); 3. Tim Swaringen (Yom); 4. Jeff Kuechenmeister (Yam); 5. Jason Tongay (Yam). 200 c: I. Jeff Thorp (Kaw): 2. Andy Thompson (Kaw); 3. Mark Green (KTM); 4. Cory Frericks (KTM): 5. J.T. Black (Kaw). 250 C; 1. Jerry Sharp (Hon); 2. Josh Walters (Hon); 3. Sam Snider (Hus); 4. Marshall Sprague (Yam); 5. Damian Mahoney (Hon). VET; 1. David Gerbes (KTM); 2. Neal Soenksen (KIM): 3. Butch Taylor (Kaw); 4. Sid Turpin (Yam): 5. Daniel Romines (KTM). SR; I. SIeve Underwood (Yam); 2. Mike Burkhart (Hon); 3. Steve Crews (KllW): 4. Everett Shinault (KIM): 5. Kelly Sowen (Hon). S/SR: I. Charlie Burk (KTM); 2. Rick Whelove (KTM); 3. Frank Leivan (Yam): 4. Gerald Frericks (KIM): 5. Tony Schlader (Hon). JR: 1. Brad Tllylor (Kaw); 2. Travis McWhorter (Kaw); 3. Pat Myers (Kaw); 4. Justin Veith (/law); 5. Ryan Portell (Kaw). WMN: 1. Michele Eidem (KTM): 2. Stephanie Smith (Yam); 3. Cindy Nelson (Hon). BEG: 1. Timothy Hellily (KllW): 2. Klint Griffin (KIM); 3. Dan Hudgins (Kaw): 4. Kevin Long (KTM): 5. Willillim Ferguson (KTM). AMA Mid-South Championship Winter Hare Scrambles Series Round 11: The Batey Farm Allen Wins Batey Farm and C'ship By DEBBIE ALLEN ~OTTE,TN,MAR.25 D on Thava Factory Works hosted round 11 of the AMA/Pirelli Tires/Parts Unlimited/Moose/White Brothers-sponsored Mid-South Championship Winter Hare Scrambles Series in Charlotte, Tennessee. Their club created eight miles of trail on the Batey Farm, and there were 342 riders. It was an exciting race for the AA class because of the tight battle for the championship. Mike Sampson and P.A. Allen were very close in series points until Allen took control at Charlotte and became the 2001 Mid-South champion. "He [Allen] rode smooth and smart," said Chad Froman, who claimed third place in the AA class. "I really would like to congratulate him, because he was consistent." As the green flag waved, Allen grabbed for the holeshot. He continued his lead throughout the first lap and claimed the fastest lap of 22 minutes. Jeff Cregg and Froman were directly behind him at the start, and Sampson fell into his usual dead-last start. At the end of the first lap, Allen blew through the score tent first. Cregg was within seconds, and Sampson quickly recovered in third place. "The first two laps, Cregg and I were racing pretty good," said the Sarge's Cycles/Oakley/Moose/Pro Action of Kentucky /FMF -backed Allen. "He passed me when I got gas, and it took me three-fourths of the lap to get around him. Thanks to all of the people who helped me. My bike was working really well, and I started to pull away from him." Meanwhile, Sampson was in pursuit for the lead. "Just as I caught up to P.A, I landed on the very log that P.A. bounced off, and it threw me into a tree - that's where I lost my clutch cable, so I was